The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-22
NAME COMMITTEE
TOCONS|DER DOCK
Council to Make Investigation
Into Its Value for
City Uses.
OWNERS DESIRE TO SELL
Property Will Be Offered by
Bondholders of Trigg
Company.
OWNERS DESIRE TO SELL

Announcement was made yesterday
of the appointment of a special COM
mittee OF the City Council to con-
| slider matters relating to the old Rich
mond Dock, the stretch of inland
water from Seventeenth to Twenty
eighth Streets. which has been tho
source of much contention recently.
The committee is named under author
ity of a resolution offered by Chair
man II. r. Pollard, Jr.. of the Com
mittee on Finance several months ago,
and approved on September Is, which
sets forth that the Richmond Dock
has become SO impaired as to render
Its service as such, useless, and that
the landing of waterhorne commerce
through this utility is a factor IN
Richmonds trade. The resolution.
therefore. provides for a joint com
mittee OF five, three Councilmen and
two Aldermen, the presidents of both
branches to be members. to "investi-
gate the condition OF the Richmond
DOCK, and report with recommended
tons to either branch of the Coun-
| Gill;"
The committee will consist of coun-
Gilman H. r. Pollard, Jr., chairman;
Frank NJ. Reade and President r. Lee
Peters; Aldermen. John B. Bliley and
President Robert whittet. Jr.
Has Caused Much Litigation.
The old dock has recently been the
source OF much contention and liti-
cation. and is now regarded in the
light of white elephant by its
owners. Originally the terminus of
the great inland waterways scheme
known as the James River and Kama
what Canal. and transferred with the
wreck of that great enterprise to the
Richmond and Allegheny, later the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. the
dock was acquired some years ago
| oy the William r. Trisg Company and
made g factor in It's .shipbuilding ven
ture When the crash came bond
holders of the Trigg Company bought
the dock and still own It,
| ln~recent years the amount OF com
merce which has entered the dock has
dwindled, the receipts from tolls have
fallen below the cost of maintenance:
! the basin has gradually filled to much
less than Its former depth, and the
main gates are out of repair The
owners some time ago sought permis-
sion to close the ancient basin. fill in
the hole and build warehouses front.
Ing on Dock Street. This was denied by
the State Corporation Commission.
which held the dock to be public
! utility which must be kept open TO
commerce. E8l
Last summer the old gates-worn
beyond repair-gave'w way. and the dock
was closed. No funds were forth
coming for repairs. The City Attor-
ney's office, under instructions of the
Council. proceeded at once and on
| last Wednesday secured an order from
Comnnra tee
| 1t is again held that the dock is a
public highway or utility for the ben
eht Of shipping, and the owners are
| given until December l to repair the
locks. TIE bondholders' committee
will appeal to the Supreme Court.
Want City to buy 1t.
Meanwhile real estate agency has
formally notified the Council that il
Is empowered to negotiate with the
city FOR the sale OF the old dock. with
its lock gates and abutting properly.
Efforts were made in the Council 10
delay the approximation for erecting
wharf on the river for use of all
vessels up to eighteen foot draft. until
the matter of acquisition or the dock
could be looked into.
But the answer was that even IL
acquired, only small vessels of licht
draft could enter, and, that the city
would at once be at great expense
probably almost as much as the initial
cost-in erection of new and larger
locks and lock gates. and in dredging
to a greater depth the entire basin.
| Under municipal operation. also there
would be salaried officials some of
them probably with offices at the City
iiall. TO manage the property, collect
toll from vessels passing in and ont,
and to employ and supervise the work
OF lock tenders and boatmen, all of
which expense has been cut to a mini
mum under the management of tho
committee OF bondholders at present
in charge.
Committee 20 Make Inquiries.
1t is expected that the special com.
mittee will look thoroughly into all
these matters. inquire just how much
commerce will really use such a dock,
ms opposed to the deep draught whsrves
lower down. what special advantage
, there viii be in shortening the maui
to the wholesale and business district:
what the initial cost and the cost of
repairs and maintenance will be. and
finally, In view of the fact that the
city owns wator front property on
the river proper. and in view of the
ruling of the Corporation Commission
that the present owners must repair
and reopen ard maintain the dock as
public utility, whether it is advis-
able at this time for the city to under
take Its acquisition and management.
Suffers RELAPSE.
The condition OF Brother Charles prin-
seriously Ai at the Memorial Hospital for
some tiir1s was last night reported 20 DO