The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-16
TWO ORDINANCES
ARE PUT TO SLEEP.
Merchants Will Not Have to.
Move Skids at Pedestrians
Will.
BARS NOT c LOSE AT MIDNIGHT
Committee Lays Both Measures
OH Shelf--Police Ask Pawn
shop Regulation.

j \ . .
Interesting from start to finish last
night was the meeting of the Commit
tee on Charters, Ordinances and Re-
form. The session was. /. lengthy, and
decidedly spicy, and the two ordinances
that were finally voted down, evoked
much discussion, which became Just
terest.
Tho proposed ordinance affecting the
placing Of skids and similar distractions
across sidewalks, more particularly In
the neighborhood Of Fourteenth Street,
and which obliges the merchant in front
OF whose store the obstruction Is placed
to remove them at the request OF all
pedestrians, was the first on the docket
and committee representing the Whole-
sale Merchants Association was present
at the meeting to register their objec-
tons to the move. Those who spoke
were Mr.. George Bryan, Mr.. p. w.
Gates, and Mr.. Isaac B. Davenport.
Replying to the objections raised by
these gentlemen to the passage Of the
ordinance, Mr.. Miner. chairman Of the
committee made a strong talk In favor
Of the ordinance. He stated that such
an ordinance had more than once been
advocated by City Attorney H. r Poll,
lard and that 1t was necessary to pro-
teot the comfort and welfare OF tho public.
Change Of Heart"
Mr.. A. Beirne Blair admitted that he;
had .voted.for the ordinance when 1t had
come up before the committee recently
for recomm endation to the Council, but
declared that he had undergone q change
}of opinion since his recent visit to New
York City, and that now he would vote
against the ordinance. He spoke OF the
method that the great metropolis has OF
having the drays, ETC., back up to the
warehouses and force the pedestrians to
walk out in the middle Of the street.
IL He said5yit was the custom OF cities to
set apart certain places In the city for
certain business. and that by q long
iestab lished custom Fourteenth Street
had come to be this reserved territory
in this city. He advocated giving this
section over to.the commission merchants.
Mr.. M. Phil seay made q strong talk
for the ordinance. stating that the mer-
chants who had spoken before the COM
smlttee had said that they were carrying
fact, and that In his. opinion the passage
OF the ordinance would 4inflct no hardship
upon the merchants at all. Mr.. SelY said
the public had grown so accust to
submitting to numerous indfgn1tles and
Inconvenience that were not just that
they did not demur. but that neverthe-
less, thewrongs ought to be remedisd.
The vote on the motion to recommend
the ordinance to the Council FOL doption
was as i follows: n oes--Bla Dabney
Davis, Lynch and White: Ayes-G reen.
3Umlauf, seay5 and Miner. The ordlna nee
was laid on the table,
Opening of Saloons.
Next on the docket was the ordinance
regulating the opening and closing OF sa-t
looms the bars to close at midnight and
open again at sflve I'M the morning, Mr..
Blair was the first to speak, and he stated
that, in his opinion, the saloon keepers
OF Richmond were far above those OF any
other city he had ever Travelled In.
He said that the chief trouble lay with
the sogcalled social clubs, which, as
we know. are fake clubs, run as much
for gambling establishments ds for any
thing else, I. for one. an, going TO vote
against the ordinance.
/. Mr.. White took the same stand. as did
Mr.. Blair, stating that he had purposed
speaking along the same line, but the
former speaker "had saved himself the
expense OF a whole lot Of hot alr that y.
intended to give you. ''s @
When put to the vote, the ordinance
was lost. The vote Is as follows;
Noes-NIessrs Blair, Dabney, Lynch
Seay and White. !.
Ayes-N fessrs. Davis Gne se1 W Umlauf
and Miner, ESs I. !.
A. a communication from the Board Of Of
Police Comm ssioners wat3then read, ask
Ing for the adoption Of an ordinance GO.
closing oil pawnshops at 8 o'clock az
night and midnight on Saturday, ana
opening them at in the orntng This
was referred over to the subcommittee,
and II is likely that the ordinance will
he ready for the Council at their next
meeting. The communication from the
Iioard reads. IN part, rs follows:
4 1.-THE Board OF Police Commissioners
respectfully request that an ordinance be
adopted regulating the opening and clos
Ing OF pawnshops In this city. An ordi n
nance Of this kind would be Of great
benefit to the Police Department The
pawnshop is the first thought OF tho
robber after committing theft. A hall