Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-10
REFUSED TO CONCUR.
STREET. ORDINANCE.
CAPT. HALL. FILLS VACANCY i c y
1,11rR,1En. HoLp Up soUTHEIGHTH


APT.s Hal FILLS u A VACANCY N y
Elected to succeed ME-. Thomson,
whose Resignation Is Accepted
with Resret-Mr. Gordon Led the
Fight on the G. 8, o. Ordinance.
The Board of Aldermen last night refus-
ed to concur in the ordinance adopted ny
the Common Council, providing Tor the
opening of south Eighth street The pro-
vision permitting the Chesapeake and
ohio Railroad Company to block the
street, if necessary, for twenty minutes
IN each hour. was stricken out and the
measure returned to the lower branch.
Mr.. e. b. Thomson rendered his resig-
nation as member Of the board 1t wa $
accepted with regret and Captain Gun
bingham Hall was unanimously elected
10 succeed him.
81 Both President William a. Turpln and
yice-President Otway S. Allen being ao-
sent. the session was called to order by
City Clerk Ben T. August, who called
for nominees for president pro tempore
Mr.. Thomason was finally chosen.
VERY SLIM ATTENDANCE.
Whe. the work of the night was begun
there was hardly voting quorum pres
ent. and every measure that required a
two-thirds vote had to be laid on the
table until Sergeant-at-Arms Ruskell
could go out and hunt up sufficient mem
bers to pass it.
The ordinance providing for the open
ing of south Eighth street and allowing
the Chesapeake and Ohio to obstruct It,
if necessary! for as much as twenty min
utes in each hour, came up for concur
encc, having been adopted by the Com
mon Council at its last meeting.
Mr.. Gordon objected to the provision
permitting the blockading Of the crossing
for twenty minutes, and moved that all
reference TO this be stricken from the
ordinance. He argued that that provision
negatives the entire ordinance and claim
ed that the present condition of the street
would be preferable to its being blocked
for such a length of time. He said the
crossing to be opened should be governed
by the general ordinance Of the city for
such cases provided. Rather than permit
the company to close the street for TWEEN
ty minutes, Mr.. Gordon preferred that the
fence and bridge remain there, unless q
provision could be made to require .tAat
the crossing be not blocked for at least
fifteen or twenty minutes previous to the
arrival and departure of trains at the
Ryrd-Street station.
Mr.. Gordon admitted that it might be
possible that the company would have to
remove some OF its switches, but that
made no difference. because it had obli-
gated itself to remove them when the
franchise was given to construct the via
duct through the city, and that it should
do so now without any further action of
the City Council.
OPPOSED THE OPENING.
Mr.. Adams explained that the twenty
minute provision was a compromise be-
tween the railway people and the proper
ty owners. who were asking for the open
ing Of the ttoroughfare. He did not fav-
or the taking down Of the distractions
because he could see no necessity for it,
and because 1t was imposing an uncaI1ed
TOT hardship on the company. Hundreds
or merchants would be embarra ssed If
the company were compelled to remove
It's yards to another section of the city:
He said the people bought the property
there with their eyes open, and that the
closing OF the street was no new hard
ship.
Mr.. Mann stated that in the Street
Committee he had opposed the twenty
minute exemption, but owing to the fact
that the property holders represented
before the committee and the representa-
tives On the committee from the ward
voted for it, he did so also
OPEN ON GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
Mr.. Satterfield took issue with Mr.,
Adams believing that the opening Of the
street would improve the conditions along
it and stated that no other street leading
u-oc
ored the opening of the street on the
general principle of having as many
streets as possible. He said he didn't be-
l1eVe the railway company would close
the street for twenty minutes. even if it
had the right so to do, and he intended
TO vote to concur in the ordinance as
adopted by the lower branch
Mr.. Wood thought it was necessary to
understand the nature of the tracks at
the crossing In order to dispose OF the
question. He showed that it was as
equally as important to place cars
promptly where the merchants wanted
them as it was to hurry them over the
road to their destination, and that from
this yard large amount Of freight is de-
l1vered to merchants Of the city. In view
Of this he said it was necessary for the
company to pass and repass Eighth
street frequently in order to place the
cars, and if the restriction of three min
utes was adopted it would be very
great hardship on the company and one
in which the merchants of the city will
be compelled to share. He said the com
pany could not dispense with any of
the diverging tracks and switches at
Eighth street without making another de-
livery point for freight, in which case the
merchants would be the sufferers and not
the railroad company
HARD ON THE ATTORNEY
Here Mr.. Mann stated that Mr. Hill.
Montague, who represented the petition
ing property-owners before the Street
Committee, had been misrepresented
upon the floor and he moved that he be
heard. Mr.. Gordon opposed this by say
ing he was opposed to attorneys coming
before the board to take up it's time. He
thought the body intelligent enough to
discuss. the matters before it without the
aid Of an attorney.
Mr.. Beck moved that the whole matter
be deferred until the railway company
could have representative on the floor
Both this substitute and Mr.. Nann's
motion were lost.
Mr.. Gordon then resumed argument in
favor Of his proposal. He said he could
remember when Eighth street was the
principal route to the depot, and he as
serted that since the street had been
closed not 10 per: cent. Of the property
had changed ownership.