Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-04-22
protection, schools and streets.
s. r, Buxton.

/
Mr.. Massie TO verify statement pre-
pared by him showing all OF the I'M
proved property, the assessed vaiua'
lions. etc. in the territory proposed
! to be annexed. Questioned by Mr..
Massie the witness testified that the
cemetery east of the city limits is
known as the Newport News Gene
terry and used as burying place
almost exclusively by Newport News
people The table OF assessed vaiua-
ton was offered in evidence and ident-
lifted. Mr.. Cumming cross-examined
as TO the valuation OF the street rail-
way property.
| Counsel for the defense made Mr..
Buxton their witness and asked him
whether he thought ii was necessary
for the city of Newport News TO ex-
tend its limits to take in the terri
tory proposed to be annexed. lie
replied that he could not say that
it was necessary. He thought there
were mere vacant houses in the city
now than there were in 1900. He
was of the Opinion that the finances
of the city had been in as good shape
during the past three years as ever
before. He deemed that the present
police force and fire department were
sufficient to protect the territory In
Newport News. He did not think 1t
would be necessary to increase the
fire fighting facilities of the city to
take care of the territory proposed TO
be annexed in Elizabeth City county.
| Evidence Not Allowed.
I Mr. Massie desired TO put in evil
Idence a statement showing the as
lsessed valuation of property in War
wick county in 1880 and at periods
five years apart thereafter, the OBJ
Iject being to show that the county OF
Warwick formerly managed to get
along upon an assessed valuation OF
something like 100000, and that 1t
easily could manage with the revenue
from property valued at three of four
times that amount, which would be
left in the county after all the pro-
lposed territory had been taken into
the city.
Messrs. Read and Wilcox and
Judge Christian urged an objection
to this and were sustained by the
lcourt.
Mr.. Massie noted an exception TO
1.-THE ruling.
c. o. West.
t9C. D. West. chairman of the finance
COMMITTEE of the city council and a
member of the firm of Barrett &
West, was examined at length as TO
the financial condition OF the city.
He said that as chairman of the fl.
nance committee he had had the an
nexation matter in mind in arranging
the finances for the coming year and
that ample provision had been made
for the contingency.
| Mr.. Cumming questioned the wit.
ness as to the retrenchment move
ment and wanted to know whether
the finance committee had prepared
two budgets. one to be adopted in the
leyent the annexation proceedings go
through and the other for use in
levent there is no extension of the
I limits. Witness said that this was
not the case Mr.. West said that the
budget for next year had been held
up. he believed. because of a mis-
taken impression in the common
council tc the effect that the retrench.
ment committees report had to be
adopted before the budget was pass
led upon. Answering Mr.. Cumming,
witness said that the council itself
mad taken no action on the annexa.
ton matter since September, 1909.
4 Questioned by Mr. Read. the wit
ness said that, on the basis of the
new license tax ordinance. the estf-
mated receipts of the city for the
Iccming fiscal year would be 5000 600
while the expenses estimated by the
original budget. not based upon the
retrenchment report, would be sI55..
ooo- Last year, he said, the ex.
tpenses were sfS9. 900 and the re.
receipts s1s5.0o0 He explained that
the city had last year $50 .043. s5 of ex.
traordinary expense that would not
nave to be contended with this year
including s11,004.59 spent in stree,
improvements from the general fund
$4,000 paid for the erection of a
new public school building. and S..
l5s spent for fire truck.
Mr.. Read asked the witness If nc
had not stated repeatedly that the
city OF Newport News would face q
deficit of $4,000 unless expenses Of
the government were reduced. Mr.
Read read from the Daily Press re.
por; of the last meeting of the board
OF aldermen In which Mr.. West was
quoted as saying that the city would
race a grave situation unless there
was retrenchment. Mr.. West admit
ted that he had said something &c
this effect
$4,000 Not Counted.
Mr.. West said, however. that since