Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-04-14
Aldermen Concur h Lower b1taaehs
Ordnance Directing Mayor
and Clerk TO ACt.
lIDeeT GOES THROUGH UNCHANGED
Tax Levy and License Tax Measures
= Also concurred In-clalrvoyants
earrsa-outiss Of Engineer and
Street Superintendent Not Pre-.
serihed-open Aimshouse.

An ordinance adopted at the last
meeting Of the common council d.
rectinx the mayor and city clerk TO
enter into q contract with J. w.
Davis for the street railway COM
panies. share of the street paving now
In progress. was concurred In by the
hoard of aldermen In regular session
hart night. MIR. helms was the only
member to vote nay. This means
that as soon as the ordinance Is ap-
proved BY Mayor Jones. as It Is ex-
pected It will be without delay. the
work Of paving upper Illumination av'
enne Twenty.eighth street and Chest
nut avenue will begin at once. The
council will contract for the work
ana collect from the street railway
companies as it proceeds. City Attor'
ney Massie having advised that this
can be done with safety.
Business Disposed OF Quickly.
The aldermen held busy regular
session. Many matters OF importance
we're disposed Of. and as all of them
had been considered by committees
and acted upon by the lower branch.
NO time was lost in discussing them.
The budget ordinance. making ap-
preparations for departments for the
coming fiscal year. the total being
about $l70.000. was adopted as re.
ported by the finance committee and
passed by the common council.
The ordinances covering the tax
levy, and licenses taxes were also
passed without change. The tax levy
measure imposes q tax Of $f.O5 upon
500 for general purposes, and 20
c0uts on 500 for school purposes.
The license tax ordinance Is amended
% a to place q prohtbitive tax Of
$1,000 . year, not to be apportioned.
upon clarivoyants or fortune tellers
Mr.. Read opposed this amendment.
but when he found that q negative
vote ould tie-up the entire license tax
measure he changed his Vote to aye.
Additional Appropriations.
The following measures. adopted by
the lower branch, were concurred in:
A resolution appropriation Of $500
to cover a deficiency In the incidental
fund of the Are department and water
committee.
A resolution appropriating $500 to
cover q deficiency In the incidental
fund Of the health committee.
A resolution. appropriating 5000 to
cover q deficiency In the Incidental
fund Of the almshouse and poor COM
mittee.
An ordinance directing the health
oticer to file with the health commit.
tee a list Of persons furnished anti
toxin at the expense Of the city.
An ordinance directing the city en-.
1ineer to correct discrepancy be.
tween the street line monuments at
Oak and Chestnut avenues by taking
the necessary number OF inches from
the alleys on those streets.
A resolution appropriating $50 for
. street scraper purchased by the
htshays and sewers committee.
"prsseribing Duties"
An ordinance prescribing the duties
Of the city engineer and superintend,
ent Of streets. which was passed In
the common council with only three
negative votes. vas voted down, to
.. Dr.. Longan and Mr.. Weston
being the only members to vote aye,
IutB MEASURE SET IOrtu tnSt the Guy
engineer should have charge OF all
WORK on the streets and bridges Of the
city, and that the superintendent OF
streets should report to the engineer
The vote was taken without discus.
sion.
A communication from Mr.. J. H.
Calee in regard to shoeing the city,
horses was referred to the highways
and sewers committee
Mr.. Read suggested that steps
should be taken toward opening the
new almshouse Mr.. Weston stated
that the almshouse and poor commit
tee would have a special meetfns
shortly TO take up this matter. Mr.
West suggested that the almshouse
should be insured. and the matter was
referred to the finance committee
Attending the meeting were Presi
cest Robinson. Messrs. Read. West
Nelms and Weston and Doctors Hos
kioa and loD1an