The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-03

ence to this, the Mayor did not mince
words In the least. He said that It was
merely hole In the ground and that
some one had gone there and erected
several small houses on stills. There was
no way to remedy the evil unless the city
bought the entire lot and filed It in
Unless water would run up,a hill. there
could be nothing done to prevent the
unsantary conditions at This place, said
the Mayor. And then turning his at
tention to the men who had built the
houses he characterized them as being
unworthy to live In Richmond. and men
who would do anything to get rent out
| of cents.
Following this outburst against the
owners OF this property the mayor gave
his version of the name "landord," and
said that 1t meant more than the gem
eral public construed 1t to mean. Tho
law OF real estate was an Inherited TYR
amy. he declared and thar the privilege
of the ownership of land should be tho
same as the privilege to vote All tho
land belonged to tho Commonwealth and
| not to the individuals. The landlord
should have no more right to eject a
man from a home than n grocer had
to collect a just bill. thought Mr. Nc
Carthy.
Clear and Forclble.
But the evidence of Mayor Mccarthy
as to feasibility md tho expediency OF
annexation was mono the less clear and
forcible than his side remarks as to his
views upon economic conditions. He was
pressed to answer the question as to
whether he was In favor OF a single list
OF taxation. and was only prevented from
giving MS .o1.nion along this line by tho
order of the judge ruling the question
out as irrelevant to the Issue.
There were other witnesses yesterday
for the city, who added their testimony to
the great bulk OF testimony now before
Judge Nicol 1t Is probable that the city
| will conclude with the evidence that can
| next week. or much of next week. will
| be given to the county In combating the
evidence now on record. Court Stenogra-
pher Winston Is following the case and
will have a voluminous record for the
perusal Of Judge Nicol when he shall
have returned to his home In Alexandria.
there to consider each side and to render
an opinion that means so much for the
city of Richmond and the citizens. who
| are now pressed for room.
Mr.. w. 8. Crenshaw, special account
ant. OF Richmond, gave interesting In
formation regarding tho financial condi-
ton of the city. showing by a pamphlet
issued by the Finance Committee, Just
what tile liabilities and the assets Of
Richmond were at this time.
In the morning session Mr.. w. s. Cope
land, editor OF Tho Times Dispatch. was
recalled by the attorneys for the county
to testify as to the accuracy of an edito-
rial in The Times Dispatch of date
In October. The editorial was one advo-
eating the private ownership of municipal!
| plants, and as an argument Mr.. Cope
land had said that perhaps a better wa
| ter was being drawn on the floor be-
water-works owned by corporation or
| private concern rather than tho city. A
paragraph in the article had said that
| the water pressure WAS so Inadequate
| that house with three stories could not
! have water on. the third story when wa
| ter was being drown on the floor be-
meath.
Had Corrected 1t.
Judge Nicol ruled that this question
could be asked. but that Mr.. Copeland
| could not answer unless he was put on
! the stand as witness for the county.
In his direct evidence nothing was ask.
| ed him regarding the water supply of
| Richmond, he simply having testified as
I to the sanitary condition of the property
| outside of the city limits, which was
| proposed to be- taken In. Mr.. BraSton
would not put Mr.. Copeland on the stand
as a witness for the county.
1 Parcnthetically here. It may be stated
that Mr.. Copeland had corrected this
1 editorial In an issue of the paper few
| days afterwards, and he would nave tes-
1 titled along this line had he been allowed
| to answer tho question or to have been
l used by the county as witness. !.
| Mr.. Moses Thalhlmer testified carly yes
| tcrdas morning that he owned a block
| or more of property in the western por-
\ ton of the territory proposed to be an-
| nexed and that he would build several
/ houses on this at once IL the city ex-
/ tended her limits so as to take 1t In.
I But as long as the land was III the county
he would not erect any houses on 1t,
Mr.. w. Z. Purcell, Jr.. who complied
4 for the real estate dealers of the city
/ the number OF houses and the number
Of feet per lot on all OF them, gave evil
dence that property in Richmond In many
Instances brought moro than Its assessed
value. Especially was this true of Jack
son Ward.
City's Financial Condition.
Mayor Carlton Mccarthy went on the
witness stand at 3.o5 o'clock. He testi-
fled that Richmond was now In better
financial condition than IN forty years.
| ono evidence of this fact WAS that where
s. per. cent. city bonds were discounted
at OF to pS cents on tho dollar, that 4 per
| cent bonds now sold above par, Tho
revenue for the city would BIO over 81, 900, 900
4 In the next year.
Financial papers, such ns the Financial
| Record had said that, Richmond was the
ranking city in the South, The Mayor
| witnessed the sale Of several hundred
/ thousand dollars OF per cent, bonds at
| JOG,