The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-16

NAtC TIC IOlIoH IIS casts III our StdLc
reports in support Of my opinion as
given above. Fawcet VS.. Mt. Airy,
1874 \. c.; Davis VS.. Fremont, 135 \.
c.; and Greensboro VS.. Scott, 1873 y.
c., the last case being decided by our
supreme court as it is now constituted.
The last case holds, "to provide the
city with a water works plant, a
sewerage system and for grading and
paving the streets is for it's necessary
expenes and hence the Issue of bonds
for such purpose need not be submit
ted to a popular vote"
Very truly,
MARSDEN BELLAMY, JR.,
City Attorney.
The General Discussion.
After these reports had been read,
Alderman w. H. Yopp desired to know
how many of the committee had signed
the report to which Chairman Johnson
replied hat two had signed il and
Alderman Brown would sign it.
He did not know why he was not
present. There was then a discussion
as to whether the report should be
signed by the three aldermen on the
committee or also the representative
from the chamber of commerce and
the n from the board of audit and
finance. 1t resulted in the report be-
ing placed on the table. Before the
meeting was over, however, Alderman
Brown arrived and as a member Of the
committee signed the report.
The mayor stated that there
were a number of business men present
and requested that the board hear
from them.
Mr.. Taylor, as a member of the
chamber Of commerce, first addressed
the board. He said it was his under
standing that when the Greenfield mill
pond proposition fell through that the
matter Of getting a water works sys-
tenn just at this time had been drop
ped. The speaker said that the ques-
ton of issuing bonds for all the de-
sired improvements, water, sewerage
and streets might not be feasible just
at this time and he favored good
streets frs. He was of the opinion
that nothing helped a town more than
having good streets, not mere macad-
am streets but vitrified brick. He
showed how the city could issue the
required amount of bonds necessary
to do the work and pay the interest
and have a sinking fund without rails
ing the tax rate n cent.
He declared that the present SUI
preme court had sustained the PROPOSE
ton of right of a city to issue bonds
for city improvements without a vote
of the people and the supreme court is
one of the ablest the state has had
in years. The question of issuing the
bonds for street improvements, he
cai6 UoC r1QQtinU with the almost
unanimous endorsement of the citizens
and a petition now out was be-
ing signed by nearly everyone ap-
preached.
Mr.. Taylor said the city now had
some kind of water system and also
sewerage but very few permanent
streets. He said in the proper sense
of the term the city had almost no
streets.
You hear today, Mr.. Taylor said,
more complaint in regard to streets
than ever before, and it is not be-.
cause the streets are worse, but be-
cause the idea OF the citizens has
changed and also the business cOndi-
tiOns and people will O put up
with the same Aind OF streets as in
the past. We want 10 present to you,
Lit Sa4O, "Adl q 1o4 sc L " liz
business men want for their business
needs. The proposition, he stated,
contemplated the appointing of a civil
commission, to take the matter en-
tirely out of the hands of the city
government. No board, he declared,
had such an opportunity and if they
did these things they would certainly
down in history as having done
~~ooGl;o ~ &ho{ u-oc , 1r-orlorf,1 hama
fit to the city of Wilmington.
Mayor Waddell said that Mr.. Taylor
had invited questions and he desired
to ask him one question. if the admin
istration had fallen short with the
means at hand.
His reply was that he had read Mr..
O'Brien's statement about street i'm
provements and die not believe they
could have done better.
Alderman w. H. Yopp said in MI.
Taylor's remarks he had stated that
streets We're built out to the edge
Of the city that it would cause the
business territory to expand. He said
business houses were further out
that under existing conditions there
would be no means of fighting a fire.
Those who have residences on st.
j dI1cS SqudlC uC So1O, OCSl1CN u Wa
ter works company to extend the main
so as to supply them, but they had
to do it.
The answer of Mr.. Taylor was that il |
streets were built to the edge of the |
city and business houses erected FUR
Their out that the matter of the water
works being extended would naturally
At the conclusion of Mr.. 1aylor's
remarks, Mayor Waddell requested Al
O'Brien to take the chair. /
Alderman johnson arose and began
10 address the board.
He had scarcely begun when Alder
man w. H. Yopp rose to a point of
order and said the board had agreed
o hear from the business men Alder |
man Johnson at once gave way and