The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-17

WORK AHEAD FOR
STREE COMMIT TEL L.
An important Meeting Set for
Monday Afternoon.
STREET LIGHTING CONTRACT !; AZ
Committee Ordinance Amended in
Board Of Aldermen Through Mis-
understanding Telephone Co.
Desire New Ordinance.
STREET LIGHTING CONTRACT.
HEAD AND INTRODUCTION LATER
PROOF TO SNIITH. .........

Special meeting Of the Street Com
mittee of the Council will be held on
Monday afternoon at O'Clock. A num-
Der of important matters have been re-
ferred to this meeting of the committee.
Three street railway companies have
filed petitions for a franchise right of way
on Brook Avenue, from Broad Street to
Bacon's Quarter Branch, the Passenger
and Power Company, the Traction Com-
pany and the Citizens Rapid Transit
Company. BY the recent consolidation
of the first two companies the number OF
the petitions is reduced to two. The
Citizens Company also asks for a right
of way on West Moore and West Leigh
Street, and on Lombardy south as far as
Cary Street. The question as to the oper-
alton of horse cars on Fourteenth street
by the Passenger and Power Company
will also be taken up. The use Of the
Development Company'5 conduits by the
Passenger and Power Company, under
the joint conduit ordinance, has been
asked. but the merging of these COM
panies alters this situation.
The petition of the Richmond Tele-
phone Company for a franchise allowing
it to charge rates as high. as the Bell
Company will also come up. The commit
tee at a recent meeting voted to give the
company two years in which to put itG
wires in conduits. The company asked
for. ten years. 1t, hopes to secure five
years from the committee or the Coun-
Gil
The matter of the removal of the rail
road tracks from Belvidere Street will
also come up at this meeting, but no ac-
ton will be taken. as the City Attor-
ney's C1inion recently set forth that the
company had rights on this. street with
which the city could not interfere.
The committee will also take UP the
removal Of the obstruction on South
Eighth Street by the Chesapeake, and
Ohio. and purposes to move vigorously in
this matter.
Through a misunderstanding the pro-
posed ordinance for the Encouragement
of the committees Of the Council was
slightly changed in the Board of Alder
men this week, and passed that body
not exactly in the shape in which it will
be presented to the Common Council in
June. and in which it gas decided upon
by the subcommittee Which framed it.
Mr. Bloomberg and those who made
out the new committee scheme arranged
for a Special Assessment Committee of
eleven, five of whom should be quo
rum This was done because of the pro-
liable unpopularity of the committee
and the anticipated difficulty in securing
a quorum For some time the James
River Committee has been the only Coun-
Gil committee in which less than a ma
jority constituted a quorum. The Alder
men were Of the opinion that proba bly,
clerical error had been made, and so
substituted James River" for Special
Assessments" as the committee with
minority for a quorum. Those interested
in the ordinance stated yesterday that
this would necessitate the measures
coming back to the Board for passage
In the shape in which it will pass the
Council. The ordinance will so through
before July LIST.