The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-02
FRIENDS INTERCEDE
AND AVERT TROUBLE
Ordinance Providing for Electric
Light Plant Adopted After
Long Fight-New Effort
to Reduce Gas to
90 Cents Per
Thousand.
ASS1NG the lie on the floor Of
the Council chamber last night,
Councilman CARRIER denounced

the Council chamber last night,
Councilman CARRIER denounced
in unmeasured terms as a Ill
rect and unqualified falsehood
statements made to the Council by
Thomas Maxwell as TO an interview
In regard to the complaint OF Maxwell
against Police Justice Crutchfeld. Ser
geant-at- Arms Ruskell got between
the two men to prevent any disturb
ance. Mr.. CARRIERS friends urging him
10 take his heat while President Peters
announced that the five minutes ac-
corded Maxwell to state his complaint
had expired. No action was taken by
the Council In regard to the complaint
OF Maxwell or the controversy and
sharp language.
For New Lighting Plant.
President Peters. on the floor OF the
Council, with the aid OF Mr. David
Meade White. called up and after a
: vigorous fight secured the passage OF
the ordinance long pending. providing
for bond issue for municipal elec-
trio plant for water pumping and street
lighting.
Not without severe fight was this
result obtained, the measure being
sprung suddenly by Mr.. White during
the roll call. The measure provides for
the issuance OF S35o.0e0 of per cent
thirty-four-year bonds for an electric
plant on the site of the Old Pump
liouse. The proposition was discussed
at length by Mr.. White and SIR. Rich
srds, the latter saying that the city
was now paying $4,000 year TO the
Passenger and Power Company for
tights In the old territory with lights
In the annexed district yet TO come.
Mr. W. L. White opposed the bond
issue. citing the past experience of the
city with the settling basin and the
Gas Works. Mr.. Mills hotly denied the
statement OF Mr.. White that the set
tI!ng basin had cost si6s,eo0, and de-
MED that the Water Department had
exceeded the original appropriation. ac-
rording to the estimates for this work.
Mr.. Graham Hobson wanted the
Council to wait for the Trafford re-
port on cost, when President Peters
carried all before him in a clear-cut
argument for the bond issue.
Say. Lights Cost Too Much.
He showed that when the new mains
in the annexed territory were put in
the consumption of water would exceed
the supply by as much as 100000 gall
Ions day. and that additional pump
Ing facilities were urgently needed.
On the electric lighting in the old city,
Mr. Peters thought the city could save.
u
for interest and sinking fund. There
Is not a public building or a school an
this city lighted by electricity" he
said. I'VE are choked by n monopoly.
We are charged three times the cost.
They don't want the citizens TO know
how cheaply electric current can be
made. Why does the Mutual Building
find it cheaper to make its own elec-
tricity than to buy it?'
Mr.. White said the Passenger and
Power Company had offered to give
the city its lights at cost. and M.
Peters replied that 1T was only bluff
ing. well they came to see me about
It," said Mr.. White. "They haven't
seen me-" replied Mr.. Peters, sharply,
amid laughter in the chamber.
motion to table the ordinance was
lost by vote of IS to 16. Messrs.
Davis, Don Leavy. CARRIER, J.,A. Hobson.
Lynch, Mills. Grimes, Pollock, Powers,
+. D. and W. T. Richardson. Umlauf.
d. ". White, Wiltshire and Peters fa-
voring Immediate action, while Messrs.
Atkinson. Barber. Cutchins. Cary. Fer
gusson. Gates, Hobson, Huber, Miner.
Pollard, Richards. Spence and w t.
White wished further consideration
or delay. Tho ordinance was then
passed "a to s. the opponents being
Messrs Cutchins, Cary, Hobson, Mnar
ana w. L. White.
Wants Municipal Park.
On the roll call, Mr.. Umlauf intro
duced series of ordinances, one ap-
propriating $4,000 for cleaning the
streets and alleys of the annexed. te--
rltory, and one directing the Superin-
tendent of Street Cleaning to use sprfs-
oners from the City Jail In cleaning
and repairing Shockoe Creek. both GO
ing TO the FINANCE Committee
Mr.. Umlauf also introduced ordi-
nances permitting G. w. Antrim & Sons
to erect a stable at Linden and Green
Streets. and one directing the keeping
OF a matron at the jail and First Po-.
lice Station, both of which were re-
ferred. ss
Mr.. Cary introduced perhaps the
most interesting new proposition OF
"A the evening--an ordinance providing
for the purchase Of the Mordecai prop
erty, on the Hermitage Road, for a
municipal park. The property en-.
braces 262 2-1O acres, including Young's
Pond and the woodland adjoining. and
is already admirably developed for
park purposes. An option has been
obtained by agents Of the city for
ninety days at $4,000. The proposition
went to the Grounds and Buildings
Committee.
Mr. Miner called up the burglar
alarm ordinance, already passed over
the Mayors veto, which was on the
table pending the acceptance by the
city of the bid of T. w. AIcCaw of $3.50
for the franchise for twenty years.
The offer was accepted, Mr. Lynch,
n being recorded as voting In the mega
tive S
Cheap Gas Ordinance Again.
Mr.. Lynch introduced new ordin-
ance providing for 90-cent gas, with
went to the Light Committees; an
ordinance to employ Twenty-Five addi-
tional laborers In the street Cleaning
Department.. and a resolution directing
lGontinued on Second Iage .g.