The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-12
Methods Of Corporations in
franchise Matters Designated p
as Little Short Of Criminal.
SUFFERS AND
NEW YORK TRIPS. I { s
Private Citizens and Political
Workers Sharply Raped and
Councillnen Urged Not ito I
Accept Favors= Ordinance
Recomnc,1dcdIDe Designed
to Break Up3Lobbying.

&; The report Of the special Joint commit {
tee OF the Council nvcstigation having IN
charge the matter of inuuiring into the
conduct OF men!bers of tho Council and
( city officials for tho past five years. to- 4
gether with tho methods employed by
corporations to secure franchises, was as
submitted to a special meeting Of the
lower branch last night, accompasl:n1iiled com %: Me
BY an ordinance designed to break up (
lobbying before the Council. / by tho I'm I'm
position Of q. fine OF $s from sloOs 20, TO
$500 for each o ffcnse,l to be levied alike like
against the person paying and receiving
the money.
Tho report was read by General Charles
j. Anderson, subchairman OF the com-
$mlttee. nimd the utmost silence on the 4
floor, and was ordered I Q be MADE @ 5part
Of the minutes Of tho body q
The ordinance accompanying tho report 1
was referred to the Committee on &Chaf-3
ters, Ordinances and Reform, though MI.
SCrenshrw attempted to have the rules
suspended for IT'S slmme dLato consldera- /
ton. E a8 III # 5 u is " s$Js
Finding of the G Committee.
Tho ric,p1ort. III which consists of ID some
twelve pages of ciosel " ty ypeWritten mat
ter, sets out In the opening. that the
ccmmitte was considerably Handicapped
in the Investigation by the fact that The
resolution q under which the body acted,
limited the scope of the inquiry to five
Years past. and directed that the evidence
be taken publicly. 1T relates the \ facts
that many witnesses We're lned pri-s
&yatcly and not nut on the stand when it$
was found that they could tetsify. to
nothing, materially aiding tho inyestga-
ton, and that every effort was made 70
trace down rumors 1t states that e1en-3
eraI -. r.. Meaney, Of the Bell Telephone
Comnany and MIR, George F., Fisher,
formerly connected with the Passenger
and Power Company, both residents or
New York, declined to come to Rich
mond to testify before the commlttee,
and then tho conclusions reached by the
body arc set forth, some Of them belns
spicy to q degree
John NJ. King, former. member OF ING
lsoard. who Is now servlnk efm ~ tne
civ i;lil. under a sentencej oe tho lustlngs
Court, is convicted Of selii.ig or Offering
10 sell his vote and influence for consider
alton, In the first four para graphs OF tfe
committees findings and Immediately fol-
lowing this is IL statement that In no
|lcthcr lns tanccs was tho committee able
to secure satisfactory evidence estaD-
fishing tho acceptance OF Or lhe ollsi "
accept. a bribo by any member OF either
branch OF tho Council
But Messrs, Morgan r. Mills and John
n. West, members OF the lower branch
aro severely criticised for approaching
officers Of a corporation with requests for
loans OF several thousand dollars
Tho Passenger and Power Company, the
Richmond Traction Company and tho
Southern Bell Telephone Company are
ccnsured for spending large 4 sums OF
money to secure franchises and privileges
asked by them Of tho Council. Tho sup
pers and luncheons given at Ruegcra by
Tho Telephone Company are mentioned
and councilmcn arc criticised (hougll not