Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-04-16

the councilmen claiming tnat the en-
pIoyes of the ice company were ais
courteous to the housewives and that
1.-The employees OF the express company
luperate double charge system, charg'
ing for a package at each end OF the
line.
After tho council had finished the
consideration OF the tax ordinance,
the action of the board OF aldermen
in tabling the report of the retrench-
ment committee was discussed IN All
Informal sort OF way and both W. H.
Jones and w. c. Harris paid their
respects to the upper branch tor its
action. Mr.. Jones said that he had
read in the paper that one OF the
aldermen had moved to throw the
fetrenchment report In the waste
basket tie declared that this was
discoureous to both the committee
and the lower branch.
Scores Alderman Petzoid.
Councilman Harris had few words
to say about the motion to throw
| into the waste basket" declaring
that the man who seconded the mo
tion-Alderman r. c. Petzold-was
rot even qualified voter OF the city,
he having failed TO pay his poll taxes
and for that reason was barred from
running for rejection to the board
OF aldermen.
President Jones said that this was
the proper time to discuss these mat
| ters, but that when the proper time
comes he will have something to say
about the action of the city clerk In
placing the report of the retrench-
ment committee before the board
while the council still had 1t under
consideration.
Fourteenth Members Present.
When President ID. S. Jones called
the meeting to order. the following
members were present and answer
ed the roll call: Boiling, Cheadle.
Cox, Ford, Harris. Hutchens. w. K.
Jones, W. A. Spruill, w. L. Spruill.
Via. Wallace. Whitley and ID. S.
tones. Mr.. Fellows came in few
minutes after the session began.
After the call for the meeting had
been read, the council got down TO
business. The first section of the
license tax ordinance to be considered
was that of levying tax on steam
boat and transportation agencies.
The finance committee recommend
ed that this tax be Increased from
$50 to 500 and the recommendation
was unanimously adopted.
The First Tie-Up.
The first tie-up among the council
men came when the second recon-
mendation of the committee, that the
license tax on bill posters be increas-
I'D Coz m KIM faknp
Mr.. Ford moved TO make the tax $75
and Mr.. Boiling offered as substi-
tute that the tax be made $50, but
the substitute was lost. five to nine
Ayes-Bolling. Cox, Hutchens, w. f.
Spruill and Via, five; Nays-Cheadle,
Fellows, Ford, Harris, w. Z. Jones,
~ A. Spruill. Wallace, Whitley and
ID. 5. Jones, nine.
Mr.. Ford's motion TO make the tax
SIS also was lost. eleven 20 three:
Ayes-Cheadle, Fellows. Ford, Har-
ris, w. Z. Jones. W. A. Spruill, w. Z.
Spruill. Via, Wallace, Whitley and ID.
IS. Jones, eleven; Nays-Bolling,
Cox and Hutchens, three.
Compromise Tax Adopted.
AS a compromise Mr.. Harris moved
that the tax be made $50. Mr.. Cox
raised the point that the council
would have to suspend the rules to-
act on the compromise, but the vote
was taken. Mr.. Cox voted AYE" and
the motion was carried, twelve to-
two. When he found that he had
voted to make the tax $50. Mr.. Cox
wanted to change his vote. but the
president had already announced the
vote and the compromise was declar-
ed adopted.
The recommendation OF the COM
mittee that an increase of IS be made
in the license tax on the first pool
table In a saloon was lost. four mem
bers voting against II. The vote was
recorded As follows: Ayes-Cheadle.
Ford. Harris. w. Z. Jones, w. A.
Spruill. w. 4. Spruill, Via, Wallace.
Whitley and ID. 5. Jones, ten; Nays
Boiling. Cox, Fellows and Hutchens.
The tax OF so on the first pool table
and g. on each additional table re-
mains unchanged.
Vote Down Recommendation.
By a unanimous vote. the council
rejected the committees recommen-
dalton that the tax on any building
ehN tOhh d~oDts2tttu 4Vitk n P0iNlf
local business be increased from $25
TO 800. the tax remaining the same.
After brief discussion. the council
unanimously adopted the recommend
ed amendment t. section 2g-A, I'M
loSing license tax on general con
tractors and builders. The amend
ment imposes a minimum tax Of s.
on each contractor and an additional
graduated tax of from s. TO $3.50. the
amount OF the tax to be regulated
by the aggregate amounts OF the con
tracts received by the contractors
Tax on Electric Light Companies.
Following very lengthy discussion
and after one substitute had been
voted down, the council. by unani-
nous vote. adopted the recommends
ton Of the committee that the license