The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-24

sired to combine, 55them ati.Rlchmond, but
] the Sun;lvoldabe. dl1tlctlltyE5and delay IN
finding a suitable location resulted .ntits
another locality, which offered special
Inducements. although he has Isince ex-S
pressed regret at having done 50.
Is s3Slong@ ago as 1890 Colonel John; b..
Purcell the Of cnaHpfer
necessities Of our situatlonEFas folloWs:5
I've must see that our city&limits are
extended and that a regular ana gradMal
plan of street extensions:is, adopted: The
municipal must keep in advance OF pri-
waite enterprise. or we shall find It is Il
thindrance 20 our growth. &s'
discussing the question Of annexation.
expressed the danger to a communtty's
material prosperity whose. boundaries re-
manned fixed and immoyable. as follows:
ANY city that Is unable to offer suit
able houses to its working people. because
it no longer contains suitable lands of
moderate value. andsis unable TO acquire
such land on account OF the obst innate.
residents, is doomed to decay. for one OF
the first requisites of new factories or
enterprises Is labor, and one OF the hrst
requisites of labor is home at moderate
cost. 7is 5g
In the case of Richmond we might, In.
stead OF saying "the obstinate or unrea,
tsonabe opposition Of suburban residents,
in this particular say our lax OF TORE
ton Of Lee District. the city limits have
not beef, extended since 1857, when the
population Of what really constituted the
community was not fifty per cent. OF
what 1t now Is. 8
These are some OF tho most. important
reasons which seem to perhtiVely DE-
mand. for, the welfare Of the community
and Its healthy and natural, growth. the.
annexation OF suburban districts and
which rendered the Chamber, OF Com
merce heartily In favor Of such move
sons bit 1eTe h nG e bos ee Stated
flclent to fully demonstrate Its para
mount necessity.
AS to when the movement for annex.
from any views which L may. hold with
respect to the Importance OF promptly
beginning. It Is significant to refer 70
S eat a has Sce senet By tha Rc
mond press, considered In the City Goun-
ell. discussed at meetings OF the cham
Der, urged In numerous reports to thar
body. more especially and most earnestly
since 1900. just prior to tho recent Con-
| stitutlonal Convention a. committee OF the
City Council had carefully considered ire
containing definite plans and, proposals.
and the necessary action on tho. part OF.
thH, Council would almost certainly have hay,
pco Hos"S to poasbas t. tie
General Assembly. But the Constitutional
| COnVentlOn winch met June, lOOl ORDAINED
| that THE General Assembly shall pros
and the contraction, from time, to time,
Of the corporate limits Of cities and
pose shall DO Valid" This, OF course.
suspended further action by the Council
| until such general laws could be enacted,
Senator George Wayne Anderson. aPpre-
ciatlng the necessity for !eglsla ton to
upon upon the first opportunity promptly offered
q bill which from time to time was mod
1fled by amendments acceptable 70 the
| friends. OF the measure, as they did not
affect It's most essential tea ures. " was,
however, bitterly fought during tllIee ses-
Sons OF me legislature. and though TWICE
ures which appealed prel TO to popular, preju.
dice, each time 1t gained strength, and
finally passed at the session just closed.
Us passage, however, required most con.
slant and ,nremltting effort.on the part
of ITS, patron, the Richmond delegat lon,
ana ND, Us olher friends lnthe hesislatures,
advocacy of the officers and committees
! Of the chamber before committee OF the
Legislature, and an educational CAMPAIGN
conducted throughout the State by broad
cast distribution Of literature; s, u.
The cardinal principle of the bIl - th "a. :
determined, Instead Of BY " jury or vote
Of the. people in each or any OF the ter
ritorial sections Interested, It provides
that in the case Of the city taking the inl-
tiatlvc. which Is the one under consider
alton, us Council must pass an ordinance
setting forth the metes and bounds OF
ne tfh ereofy probasaff
alton. and the terms and conditions upon
which 1t desires to have 1t annexed