Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-12

The Board Of Aldermen waded through
several hours of routine business last
night without a ripple on the surface
| to indicate the coming storm until the ap-
parently innocent ordinance establishing
ment of gas and water bills was reached.
| The measure proposed the location OF
stations follows:
Near the corner Of Twentyffth and NJ
streets; Seventeenth and Broad streets,
Sixth and Broad streets; Fifth and -aker
streets; Main and Morris streets; Will
liamsburg avenue and Louisiana street;
Brook avenue and Clay street, and Broad
and Laurel streets. The ordinance stipu
lated that the bills must be paid within
four days at the sub-stations-
An amendment was offered adding an
other station within four blocks of the
City Hall. and then the storm broke.
President Turpin sprang from his seat
as If he had suddenly discovered a fire
in it,
Gentlemen" he said, in his character
oistically vigorous way, this is paternal-
ism mad. Adopt this measure, and,
within twelve month, you will hu.':
eight paid officials added TO TIC public
burdens of the city. The next thing y.,',
know the people will want you to fu, lis''
them with rubber-tireG carriages 20 bring
thera to the sub-stations to pay their ol:s.
Let these people get hold of this business.
let 1t get a foothold in politics, and the
politicians get hold Of 1t, and you will
have an institution on you that you will
never get rid of. ! repeat, it is paternal
ism run mad. and I am opposed to it,
Mr. CottreI differed with the president.
He thought the merchants would be glad
to get these stations for the advertisement
of their business.
aIr. Seay agreed with the president. He
was absolutely opposed to it. The people
who are delinquent once will be delin-
quent always, no matter what you do for
them. We are paying enough now for the
collection OF this money. 1t is the en-
tering wedge. Within a year it will cost
you hundreds of dollars additional.
Mr. Washer was hea:tiiy=-in favor of
the bill. He deemed it a crying need.
Mr. Crenshaw. the author of the ordi-
nance. was given the floor by courtesy.
to explain its workings. which he did at
length, and urged it's adoption for the
purpose Of obveting a great deal of trou-
Ole and Inconvenience to the public IN
paying street car fares and wasting time
waiting their turn.
Pretty Good Scoop.
President Turpin called Mr.. Minor to
the chair and took the floor. He consid-
cred the proposition monstrous. In tour
days $4,000 will come into the hands OF
each of these sub-treasury agents. and
what had the city to secure the money.
A bond OF $500. A mere bagatelle. 1t was
absurd such bond for men who would
handle twenty times the sum. Who would
want a. better scoop than to jump with
that: In year they will come here and
say this advertising business is hum
bug It's a nuisance. And then the pub
lie. having had the system, will demand
It's continuance. And politicians as we
are. we Will be crca ting these new offices.
1t is human nature and it's against hu'
man nature that I want to guard
Mr. Allen was opposed to the ordinance
in it's present shape. He agreed with the
president that the board was insufficient
He might possibly vote for a modified
measure giving the people at the extreme
ends of the city the accommodation. But
the iudicious course was to let the ord1-
nance lie over. It was not wisdom to
pass 1t at this sitting. 1t ought to be
studied and analyzed. He moved that
it be tabled.
Mr.. Gunst offered as a substitute for
this motion that it be referred to the
Finance Committee.
A Seductive Measure.
Mr.. Gordon opposed the measure 1t
struck him as being very seductive. Sc
ductive in that it made it appear that the
people were to get useful service with
out paying for It, His experience was
that such hope was mythical. No one
ever did anything long for nothing
vote was taken on the substitute and
the measure was referred to the Finance
Committee.
Members on Pins.
The board did not get excited again
until near the end of the session There
seemed to be feeling among one half
OF the aldermen present that the sting of
the sitting, like that Of the wasp, was
in its tail Two different motions were
made before the routine business was
finished and the roll call for new business
reached to adjourn, both Of which were
defeated by tie vote.
The secret of this restiveness came out
when the name of Mr.. Minor was reached.
He proved to be loaded. Among other
things he offered the preamble and reso-
luton heretofore passed by the board
calling for an investigation OF the charge
that the favorable votes OF aldermen on
certain franchises had been procured by