The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-06

ed. Witness said the sanitary condition
| OF the territory between Paramount and
| Richmond is very lad.
| Mr.. Bernard Gallagher. tho Mayor of
| Irairmount. took the witness stand. lie is
familiar with F'nlrmount affairs. Tho
tondcd debt of the town is $4,000 in
| six per cent. thirty-ycar bonds. The
| floating debt il nbut $1,GoO. The bonds
! were issued aud sold III September. 1904.
and the proceeds were used for laying
water mains and sewers. In building
| these they wcro made to conform to
| Richmond's water and sewer system In
anticipation of annexation. so that now,
nll that Richmond will have 10 do to
properly drain the town will he to con-
meet It's big pipes with F'airmounts sewer
system. Mayor Gallagher testified that
there are Isl houses in Fairnount, and
in tho adjoining territory sought to be
annexed, there are about 6fO, Including
the little one room shacks of which there
are very many" There are about 1.20
people, including negroes In this terri
tory. There are 100 people In Fair
mount, all white except one negro family.
This statement OF the Mayor surprised
Judge Nicol and he asked. How In the
world do you keep the negroes out?"
Tho Mayor replied: We Just won't rent
or sell them houses or lots
Be Higher Taxes
The Mayor said unless Fairmount shall
be annexed there will have to be higher
taxes In the town. He further said that
when the Anderson bill WAS passed all
Fnirmount commenced at once to discuss
annexation and 1t being demonstrated
| that the people were overwhelmingly in
favor of annexlng, tho officials made all
permanent improvements to conform to
those of Richmond. Witness regards an
nexntion absolutely necessary to Fair
mount; the town cannot reach the river
with sewer and water pipes except
through Richmond. Practically all Inc
population of F'airmount arc Richmond
people; 1t Is simply Richmonds over
flow population.
In reply to questions by the court. the
Mayor said the citizens OF Paramount
pay the same county tax as other cit
izenS OF IIcnrico, but the road tax is
refunded In addition. they, OF course.
have to pay their town tax While Fair
mount has fire plugs the town Is en-
tirely dependent upon Richmond's gener-
osity for engines and water to use there
to extinguish fires.
Mr. j. l.. Mitchell. n member OF the
Fairmoun, Council was the next witness.
He agreed in full with Mayor Gallagher.
giving the same reasons for desiring an
| nexaton. and laid special stress on the
| fact that annexation is absolutely neces-
sary for sanitary reasons. For proper
| sanitation Falrmount must connect with
Richmond's sewer system, and annexation
| is necessary for that. IL nothing else.
| Witness also laid stress on better fire
| projections, the quickest and best route to
| which is by annexation.
Mr.. p. II. Thompson, another council
man, agreed thoroughly with the Mayor
| and Councilman Mitchell. and added: I'VE
| cannot properly drain Paramount without
connection with Richmond's water and
| sewer systems. This alone would make
| me an unnexationist." Mr.. Gordon here
rested the Paramount case.
| Mr.. Pollard introduced series OF reso-
| lutlons passed by the City Council Of
! Richmond TO show that Richmond is in
| favor of the annexation OF Fairmount.
! Court took II recess to O'Clock for
! dinner. and TO give Mr.. wendenburg time
| TO assemble his witnesses.
Afternoon Session.
! Court resumed business promptly at
/ o'clock. when Mr.. Pollard recalled two OF
| his former witnesses TO ask them certain
| questions overlooked when they were on
| the stand last week.
| Mr.. Jackson Bolton. assistant city en-
/ gincer. testified to facts concerning Rich
/ mond's street paving accounts. and City
I Accountant Crenshaw was recalled to
/ complete his testimony of last week con-
4 corning Richmond's present bondedc in
4 debtedness.
| Mr. Wendenburg then commenced to
| get in testimony against annexation. Mr..
| John p. Branch was the first witness IN
! troduced. In reply to the usual intro
tluctory questions, he said he was sew
! cnty-hvc years of age, citizen of Rich
/ mond, and was a banker. Had been ider-
| titled with Richmond since 1871. He was
| shown the map OF Greater Richmond, as
1T will be IL annexation prevails Witness
| examined It carefully, and then, In reply
| to question, said he has made n study
of Richmond's financial condition. He
| was then asked ii he thought Richmond S
| financial condition would justify such
| extension as the map sets forth. The
| question was objected to, because Mr..
1 Branch was not an expert on street
| building and other city improvements.
| Tho judge framed the question thus:
| In your opinion, how much money per
/ year can Richmond afford to spend on
permanent improvements more than she
4 is now spending?" Witness thought
100000 per year, Mr.. Branch opposes
such extensive annexation because he
thinks If justice Is done TO the annexed
territory the city tax rate will have to
be Increased from $40 to 50 on the hun
dred He had noticed that wherever
cities have taken in large outlying terri
/ tory Increased taxation has followed.
4 Witness expressed the opinion that the
death rate of Richmond Is too large, but
it Is not due. as Mayor Mccarthy thinks.
/ of ,1o}i ny, L,,t ~
use of bad food and to dirty streets:
thinks Richmond would have better
health IL water was more freely used on
the streets.
In answer TO Mr.. Christian Mr.. Branch
said he thought the Do6ley property
should not be taken In. The property
being hllly and rocky. could not be used
| for city purposes, and the only good that
I! would accrue to tho city would be to gel
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