Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-11-29
City Council.

City Council last night. The volume of
business transacted was exceedingly
small, the subject which absorbed all at
tention being the ordinance granting The
right to w. s. Barstow to furnish cleo
tricity to the city. There was a joint
session of the Common Council and the
Board of Aldermen for the purpose of
listening to statements made by Mr..
Barstow and Mr.. d. J. Howell, the lat
ter representing the Potomac Power
Company, of Washington; also from
Mr.. G. L. Boothe, the Corporation At
torney. The ordinance was passed BY
the lower board, but one member (Mr.
Spinks) voting againstit. The Common
Council by the same vote passed an or
dinance requesting the Mayor to execute
q contract with Mr.. Bars'ow for the pur-
pose named. The matter was laid over
in the Board of Aldermen.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
All the Aldermen were present, and
after the reading of the minutes of the
last regular meeting permission was
granted to Mr.. J. Matthews to erect a
frame kitchen 10 the rear OF his house on
the east side of Fairfax street, between
King and Cameron.
An ordinance to provide against OBJ
structions over sidewalks and to prevent
the obstruction of sidewalks in this city
was read the second time and recon-
mitted to the committees on general laws
and streets.
After II long recess the ordinance
granting to Mr.. Barstow the privilege to
furnish electricity to the city and the
ordinance empowering the Mayor to
execute a contract for the same, were re-
ceived from the Board of Aldermen.
Messrs. Hill and Marbury favored
postponing the consideration of the or
dinances until next Tuesday night at an
adjourned meeting.
President Sweeney thought it best to
lay them over until the next regular
meeting. Other members of the board
agreed with the President, and after
some interchange Of opinion it was agreed
to let the ordinances lie over until the
next meeting.
About II o'clock the board adjourned.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The board was called to order shortly
before 8 O'Clock.
The first business was the report of
the finance committee communicating
the bid of w. S. Bars.Ow and associates
for the purchase of the electric franchise.
The committee also reported an ordi-
nance granting the franchise. Before
either was read,
Mr.. Spinks moved that before any ac-
ton be taken on the subject of the fran
chise that the Board of Aldermen be
invited into joint meeting, and that the
representatives of the bidders for this
franchise should be heard.
The chair ruled that one objection
would prevent any one not member of
the board from making an address
on the floor of the Council; he did not
think the floor of the Council chamber
the proper place for discussion OF the
matter between the bidders; the commit
tee room was the place for those gentle
men to appear.
Mr.. Williams favored the invitation to
the Board OF Alderman and discussion
of the subject ensued.
Mr.. Strauss and Others saw no reason
for a joint meeting, when all action on
the subject must be taken by each board
separately.
Mr.. Williams motion was not agreed to.
The ordinance granting w. $. Barstow
and his associates the franchise upon
terms, which have already been publish
ed, was then read; as was further or
diuance authorizing the making of the
contract with Barstow and his associates.
A bid OF D. j. Howell & L. f. Sim
clair was also submitted rs heretofore
published.
Messrs. Howell and Sinclair also pre-
scented a paper making another bid and
asking that the bids be submitted to an
electric expert in order that he may re-
port which bid is the most advantageous
to the city.
Mr. Leadbealer wanted some infOrma-
ton before action was taken; he thought
that tie consumer should be better pro-
tected than the contract seemed to pro-
vide. 1t might be that the price of cleo
tricity would be materially reduced in
future, and he though that some pro-
vision looking to that contingency should
be made.
Two of the representatives of the bid
ders sitting outside the bar sought to
make statements, but were informed by
the chair that they had not been given
the privilege OF the floor.
After further conderatioD, the board
determined to allow the Corporation A.!
torney and the two bidders to make
statements.
Corporation Attorney Boothe said that
the contract of both the bidders pro-
vided that the City Council should have
the right to require the bidders to fur
nish electricity to private consumers at
reasonable rates.
The Aldermen who had gathered out
side the bar were now invited with
in and took seats.
Mr.. Barstow then addressed the board.
He said that it was the interest of his
company to become part of the Alex
andria community for they knew their
success would depend on the good will
of the community. The rate proposed
to private CONSUMERS would be about