The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-11
Whole Matter ent Back
On Protest of Old Do
minion Captains.
WORK OF YEARS
HALTED AGAIN
After Refusing Development
Plea, Board Votes $3.50 to
Send Delegates to Rivers
and Harbors Congress.
Bliley Raps Effort to
Block Progress.

Opposition on the part of two cap
tains of the Old Dominion Steamship
Company resulted in rccommittal Of
the ordinance appropriating $4,000 for
erection of city wharf by the Board
of Aldermen last night. The line for
the proposed bulkhead follows that
laid down by United States government
engineers. beginning at the present
shore line at the mouth of Gillies
Creek and extending $40 feet along
city property to the foot of Nicholson
Street, at which lower point the pro-
posed wharf would project nearly for
ty-hve feet from the present shore In
TO shoal water. Even as proposed. the
city wharf would not project so far
into the channel as the present Rich
Inond Cedar Works wharves just below
the city limits.
Tho appropriation was recommend
ed by the Committees on James River
Improvement and Finance. and had
been adopted by the Common Council
and came up for fnai concurrence. 1t
merely carried the appropriation for
timber wharf. on plans to be secured
from the Committee on James River.
Old objections Ruised.
The objection was raised by Mr..
Adams. at the request of SIR. Richards.
OIL the lower DtdnCn. MT. Adams stat
ed frankly that he was not familiar
with the situation. and had not served
on either OF the committees which had
studied the problem. The letters hand
ed him by Mr.. Richards. he said came
from Captains Harvey and Wyatt. both
practical men, and experienced navi-
gators.
They were the same letters that
were read by MIR Richards in the Com
m lrf.ttrt taa nal tt,r
propriatior was made. and took the
ground that such Al construction as
was proposed would SO narrow the
channel would make navigation
dangerous
Mr.. Bliley. of the James River I'm
proyement Committee, fought hard for
the appropriation, telling the Board
plainly that Tor four years the business
interests of the city had demanded
shipping facilities, and that each time
the matter had come to a final vote.
some such objection had been raised.
usually emanating from the same
source-the one most opposed to the
development of independent river
trade and freight competition The
city had purchased the water front, at
great expense, for wharves. and had
since let II lie idle. II the city pro-
posed to admit Its domination by the
railroads which control the Old Domin-
ion steamship Company. and so control
freight rates, he did not see why the
water front property should not be
sold. But he was convinced that TO
this the taxpayers wound never agree.
and that sooner or later the Council
would be forced to erect a proper
wharf along the government lines. The
only objection In the lower branch mad
come from Mr.. Richards. who had f-v-
ored giving the wharf contract with
out competitive bids. TO H. NJ Airport
6; Sons. on their plans. and only when
that was rejected, had secured the let
tiers from the Old Dominion CAPTAINS
Have "somethinS Up Their Sleeves"
Mr. Rennolds came to the support or
the wharf matter. saying that the
pending resolution merely made the
appropriation. adopting no plans, and
that the matter of plans could be set
tied by the James River committee
with the letters before 1t. for whatever
the protests might prove to be worth
Mr.. Grimes, of the James River COM
mittee, explained the proposed govern
ment line. and said II would not pro
ject into the channel-merely covering
what is now shoal water, and into
which no Old Dominion vessel could
now come.
Mr.. Bliley again protested that the
captains had Something up their
eiee'es -tndt tnelr company did not
want the wharf built. and had fought
IT for years Mr.. Powers favored
recommittal. saying he preferred to
take the experience of the river cap
tains to that of the engineers-that
the captains should know whether
such construction as was proposed
was dangerous. The Adams motion to
refer to the Committee on James River
Improvement was adopted. IL to 5,
those standing out for the wharf be-
Ing Messrs. Rennolds, Bliley, Grimes,
Perdue and Whittet
Provide for Annual Junket.
Having effectually stopped any step
Tor harbor Improvement in Richmond
for the present, the Board then, with
out dissenting vote appropriated
$3.50 to cover the expenses of the an
nual trip of the James River Com
mittee to Washington to attend the
National Rivers and Harbors Con.
gress.
The Board concurred with the Coun-
Gil In repeating former resolution
for condemnation of the triangle at
Meadow. Hermitage and Broad Streets
on account OF excessive valuation:
then reconsidered Its action and sent
the whole matter back to the Com
mittee on Finance. 1t was stated that
the valuation OF this triangle, wanted
for drinking fountain. Is just four
times its assessment for taxation
Paving the way for a new armory
for the First Virginia Regiment tho
Board concurred In resolution IN
structing condemnation of adjoining
lots on Marshall Street, and trans
ferring to that account a fund of $20.-
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