The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-25
PANS|ON|STS
HAVE WON So FAR
House Committee Votes 10
Extend Our Limits.
DEBATE RATHER WARM
Moi Dissenting Voice in the Committee ---Mr.
Drtw'y Amended TO Submit to Vote
Cf the City and Outlying
Territory.

The Raleigh expansionists and the
Raleigh nti-expansionists had then
hearing yesterday afternoon before tbs
House Committee on Counties, Cities and
Towns, Walter Murphy, chairman. The
expansionsts won.
The committee will report the bill fa-
vorably. as amended by Mr.. Drewry 10
submit the question to the qualified
voters of both the city of Raleigh and
the territory TO be annexed.
1t was n hard fight and the Hail OF
the House. when the committee met was
full of people Even the galleries were
crowded with ladies.
The expansionists were represented De-
fore the committee by Messrs. FRED
Habel, A. B. Andrews Jr., w. ~ Jones
and n. b. Broughton.
Those who spoke for the antis were
Messrs II. r. Gray, A. A. Thompson, }.
N Holding and James II. Pou.
Mr.. Fred Habel, chairman of the COM
mittee fthe Board of Aldermen, having
the matter in charge spoke first in favor
of the expansion of Raleigh's limits.
He claimed that the city was hamper
cd and her best interests hndered by
the bounds as they were now placed.
Raleigh had perhaps the smallest cor
poTate limits of any town in the State.
The custom had been to extend the cor
porate limits as a town progressed. 1t
had been over fifty years since Raleigh
had extended her corporate limits. But
people were wont to move out beyond
the city limits, and thus avoid paying
city taxes, while getting the benefit of
all the city improvements
AS a matter of pride, it was war b
Fir it goes out by the census repol s az
we hardly grow at ALL and hence any
one wishing to come here would be de-
TERED by the census reports, fearing that
the apparent lack of growth indicated a
dead condition of affairs. Cotton mill
men, for instance, would see that
Greensboro. Charlotte and Durham had
all grown much faster than Raleigh
They did not take into consideration the
fact that all these towns had recently
enlarged their corporate limits and taken
in their suburbs.
Mr.. R, T. Gray, of the other side, pre-
scented to the committee a number of
petitions signed by citizens of Raleigh,
and of the territory to be annexed, ask
ing that the limits be not enlarged. They
claimed the result would necessitate very
much larger bond issues, and already the
people were taxed as heavily as they
could stand About 400 or 500 citizens
of Raleigh signed the first petition read.
The second one was signed by citizens
of the township, who would come within
the town limits. They claimed that the
extension would retard the growth of
the suburbs. Moreover it would very
greatly increase the taxes upon the peo-
pie. who were already heavily taxed.
Mr.. Gray went on to say that this
matter had never been voted on by the
people. 1t had been voted on by a meet
ing of the Board of Aldermen, who had
been elected by people who never had
any idea that this matter would be
brought before the General Assembly. If
it had been in the campaign, the per-
sonnet of the Board might have been
different
AT regular meeting of the Chamber
of Commerce a resolution declaring
against extension had been adopted with
but two or three dissenting voices.
Mr. Gray gave figures to show that the
amount of property valuation acquired
for txation would be $3.50, S32 That would
produce, at Sl.33 1-3c on the 800 the
sum OF $1,000. We must give them
something in return, and the first thing
would be fire protection The present
area of the city is 1,12i acres. With the
increase OF 0ne-quarter mile, it would
best 900 acres, an increase of so per cent