The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-14
BOARD TO REJECT
RACLAND APPEAL
Will Sustain Inspector
Beck in Matter of Fifth
Street Stores.
RENDER FINAL
DECISION TO-DAY
Long Argument Yesterday Alter
noon Spirited, but Not Bitter.
The Buildings Described as
"shacks' and "Shanties.
Lowenberg Appeal
Turned Down.

Permit to j. f. Ragland to erect
six stores on North Fifth Street at
the corner of Grace will be refused
by the Board OF Public Safety. After
hearing number of arguments yes
terday afternoon. Mayor Mccarthy, she
chairman. announced that decision
on the Ragland appeal from the ruling
Of Building Inspector Beck would be
rendered to-day. 1t was practically
admitted, however, that the inspector
would be sustained.
Ordinance Unearthed.
The hearing in the Council chamber,
which began at 5 o'clock, did not end
until nearly three hours later. Soon
after 1t got under way Mayor Me-
Carthy unearthed an ordinance which
has not been complied with by Mr..
Ragland. The Ragland plans called for
six stores. fourteen feet wide, thirty
feet deep, and two stories high. III.
stead of having six apartments on the
second floor Mr.. Ragland proposed to
have only two, by dividing the en-
tire upper structure with one wall.
The law requires that the walls shalt
extend up and twelve inches through
| the roof. In other words, there We're
to he six downstairs stores and only
two upstairs. a distinct violation OF
| the ordinance.
When this matter was called to the
attention of Mr.. j. a. Connolly. MI
Ragland's agent, he admitted that he
knew nothing about It, but intimated
! that the specifications might be re-
vised. IN view of this finding. the
board ordinarily would have imme-
diately sustained Inspector Beck. but
Lappeal will be formally and ofhctally
rejected.
Long Argument.
i The argument was Instructive. A
large number OF scitzens were in at
I tendance. Including number of 4wo-
1 men. The discussion was without bit
se eteruess. although Nh Connelly s4waasss
4 Z, rather sar M times. lf Mr. Rag
'fland was abIe,S he said IL would sug-
! gest he use the lot at the corner OF
II Fifth and Grace Streets for a park and
Il erect monuments there for Grace Street
people
4 The speeches were strong and vigor-
4 ous,. and occasionally Mr.. Ragland's
stores We're designated as :shops' and
i .'shncks"
AT the outset Mr.. Connolly excepted
i to the authority OF the board to CON
4 slider the per nit to build simply because
LOT any protest from t;le neishborhood
IElc sale that no rights had been con-
Eferred on the City Council by the Leg
,lislature to deny q citizen the privilege
.tof using his property as he desired,
land none had been conferred on the
Board of Safety by the Council. He
Z charged Dr. Taylor with circulating
Z wrong report as to the use of the sec
llond floors as hall, which would be
ia nuisance. adding that the protest was
misleading and not supported by the
= facts. Miller & Rhoads, he said, eA-
II ipected to extend their property to
4r,... ,taI, tnln
q lexrhange had been erected. and Grace
street eventually was destined to be-
come a business centre from Fifth to
S.Ninth that the commercial interests
demanded more room was plain from
i the fact that a $4,000 offer had been
made for the Seventh Street Lutheran
q Church. 1T was an extraordinary pre-
\ cedent on the part of MIR. Beck In re-
8 fusing Mr.. Raglund permit" said
i, MR. Connolly.
Called Them shnnties.
, Speaking for the citizens of the
"A tneighborhood, AR B. B. Munford said
u tho Ragland stores could nor be dig
N nihed by, that name; that they We're
I. merely shops. HE would tear down ii
: line residence" said Arr. Munford. "toa
y erect sin buildings which would be
!, shnnties compared with the structures.
! NEARBY. He would pull down this fine
IlnOne, ,SSuOSLlLulesIS SnucRS, 8dIl(f AtCll us
Il that we are mossbacks and are imped-
ling progress because We re sent Ii. S If
they want to make rnouey, let them
get Il decent building which would cons
mend itself to a business man. Tho
n only argument here is that it j $. a aimanis.
; property, and that he can do with 1T
as he likes. That is tbs law of saw
i age land. BY the same idea they woul,l
II rent st. Johns Church tor skating.
4 rink and the WASHINGTON Monunlent
> for bootblaclSs ndSpcannt vendors. We
\ object to the plans If they are fixed
!. right 1t Will be anothc, question Y
i. Just here. when he quoted the ordt-
0 nance referred to above, Mayor Me-
{ Carthy said that the question before
the board was unusual, us never before
i had 1T been called upon to decide
q whether or not an owner could erect
any kind of building on his property
The ordinances. he added. We're anleagrpB
I the statutes few and far between, anA
{ the question Was covered bS, comn,n
!; law and deeisionsgo of the Court of .'5s
y fpeals. Ss
! vice-Pvesident Judklns, OF the CIVIC
! Improvement League, spoke against
q granting the permit.
! Other Protests.
!, 1T Is remarkable,'' said Mr.. 3. III.
i Berry. who followed. that the men
\ who appeal should come here and deny
s the power of this board, saying prac-
tically that While they come into court,
VI lIthey will not obey. VIII YOU allow the
commercial age TO transcend all decent
E hounds under the commercial plea OF
!" congeston?" Mr. Berry spoke OF the
a north side OF Broad Street. occupied.
& he said. by saloons, places with ins
= ferior goods and m inferior quality ot
people.
"Ruild good stores on that side nt
the street, he said s'and good peps
:, pie will vent them, believe this Fifth
ID street Sproposition Is nothing bat Il
\. spseulation prompted from behind b,'
IL larger commercial interests ", sbsarh
ii that nearby which would dtpfe late IN
d value 1 hope Millcr & Rhoaas VIII not