The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-02
Will 6uARAnIEf'To DoU1itt CAPACITY

wnl GUARANTEE 10 DoOstt cAfAon
OF M;M Plant it: Risht-ot, t,way is Give.
for Change ofRaaineed sesr.*Pro-.
v;d;"e Needed P'I'se Room.
The proposed ordinepce granting
a right-of-way for :.s.the. desired
change in the d. N. &ssN.> spur tfacl
to the brewery and Light 4 Waite,
power plant vas. No anticipated, q
bone of contention at the Tueaday
evening session of the council, the
property owners Claiming damage.
would accrue to their holdings be-
ing represented by Attorney Pick
ering, while the mill interests were
looked after by C.. H. Rogers, local
manager of the plant.
In his remarks Mr.. Rogers ex'
planned the desire of the company
which now has on its pay roll acme
$50 men and pays out Approximate.
ly $4,000 per month, to add another
band and re-saw to their plant and
thereby adding several hundred ad.
ditionaI men to their pay roll, but
contended this could not or would
not be done unless the room occu.
pied by the present spur track was
made available for piling purposes
Mr.. Rogers stated his company had
already purchased all land needed
for the right.of way of the spur az
proposed and now desired a permit
to cross the streets and alleys spec:
flied in the petition.
| Mr.. Pickering in response briefly
outlined the status of the case, the
manner of it's presentation to the
council by the Commercial Club
with representations that the pres,
ent spur track room was wanted for
big new planning mill; that these
representations were either incor-
rect or the plans had been changed;
that spur in the proposed location
would affect to a degree not only
the property Immediately adjacent
to the line but all property to the
west thereof; that the proposed line
would go within twenty-five feet
of three houses and across the rear
end of nine lots with five houses on
same. Mr.. Pickering stated that in
his opinion the proposed line would
tend to raise insurance rates in the
district affected as we'll as cause in
convenience alike to the schools
and to the residents of the district;
that number OF the property own
ers in the affected district were en-.
ployes of the company and were
not represented in the complaint.
Replying, Mr.. Rogers stated the
proposed improvements would be
impracticable without the acquiei-
ton of the land traversed by the
present spur, and put it squarely
that unless the right of way sought
was granted the company would
not consider the idea of making the
proposed improvement to it's plant.
The council, realizing .s does the
public in general the importance of
the mill and allied interests to Vir-
ginia, desired to take the. matter un-
der further Amusement before civ.
ing the ordinance it's second read
ing, and upon motion OF Alderman
Mcneil the question was laid over
for one week aud the council ap-
pointed as committee of the whole
to meet and consult with the mill
company and interested citizens
the following afternoon and thor
oughly look over the grounds and
test the merits of the opposing in
terests.
At this meeting Mr.. Rogers again
assured the council of the good
faith of the company in it's propo.
sition to enlarge its plant, and sig.
nified the willingness of the com.
pany to put up bonded guarantee
to fulfill it's agreement if the change
in spur track location should be
made. He also admitted that Ger.
tain property would be harmed to
an extent, and it 10 to be hoped the
company and property owners may
be able to amicably adjust matters
If this is found impossible a 90.
lution of the problem might be had
by the city taking direct interes,
in the question aud by condemna.
tion proceedings or otherwise &C.
quire all property for a specified
distance on either side of the pro.
posed spur for "park purposes" re.
tanning same to lease as factory
sites for new industries.
What is the greatest good for the
greatest number is a principle sup.
posed to exert an influence in the
public affairs of the world, and
while Virginia as a whole can i'll
afford to lose a proposition which
would mean steady employment to
from 800 to 500 additional men it !.
not the desire of the many to prof,
at the expense of the few. Acourse
as suggested would, however, pro
tect all interests and in addition
place the city in position to offe,