The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-26
FUTURE RICHMOND
TOPIC Of DINNER
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lUPlC III UlNNtR
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stem and the house committee had
modestIy termed smoker took the
form OF an cld-fashioned beefsteak
dinner, relieved Of the tedium Of
courses and the long waits between
the acts For entertainment keSs-
nich's orchestra Wed with a spendid
negro quartette, that rendered popu-
lar selections IN inimitabie style. Pres
! ident o. ii, unsten made an ideal
toastmastef ana his opening address
/ to the assembled diners, while prac-
tieal was a model Of conception and
| a gem in delivery.
To lie Roy r.. Brown, father of the
( movement to reform the inquitous
real estate mortgage tax WAS assign
1 ed the topic which might be termed
( the piece de resistance of the evening,
I ana The most important undertaking
( the exchange has set itself to accom-
! plish. iIosts and guests cheered him
! to the echo untl President Funston
! began To call on the property holders
| present for brief talks. and IL. w.
/ Rountree threw bombsheii into the
camp by announcing his opposition to
Z the proposed fblOEUI w ny Snpuiu
realty holders be excused from pay
ing this tax ?" lie advanced the idea
/ that the exchange would work to bet
ter advantage for all concerned if it
should advocate IL double tax on I'M
/ improved property.
Ends in Debate.
President Funston Immediately
challenged Mr. Rountree's position,
declaring that the exchange, as long as
he was at the head of 1t, would Idle
working To repeal the Ubiquitous dou-
BILE tax on real estate mortgages.
John C. Easley. in the role of pacl-
fer, rose to explain by illustration
the iniquity Of the state mortgage law
and what seemed a possible misun-
Outstanding on Mr.. Rountree's part,
but Mr.. Rountree declared that he
knew what he was talking about, and
promptly defended his position, the
debate for awhile waxing warm.
With the unannounced idea of eat
first and talk afterward," President
Thomas +. Bryan, of the business
Mems club. made a hit when he arose,
as the diners seated themselves. and
proposed toast ito the everlasting
life of the Real Estate exchange" TO
which there was spontaneous re-
spouse, and Il little later, when called
upon for n speech, he made a further
hit with the response that the fact
that Richmond had risen from the
village to the metropolitan class had
been due largely to the confidence OF
the community in its real estate
agents.
Big Plans Uovetall.
President r. NJ. Darlington of the
chamber of commerce and Business
Manager w. r. Dabney evinced the
spuit Of cooperation and showed
how closely the plans of the chamber
and the exchange fitted. President |
earring ON declared that the organi- !
2ation would do much toward break I
ing up petty jea4ousies among the /
men cr ged in the business. lie i'm |
pressed upon the real estate men who |
had not entered the organization the |
Importance Of cooperation, and
begged to he delivered from the man +,
who. thinks he can paddle his own |
canoe.
MIR Dabney gave the real estate
men some practical adviCa They |
tould nor way from the idea |
that landlord, tenant. seller and buyer |
were all their clients, and could not |
divorce that idea. Therefore 1t be- /
hooyed all the real estate men to be |
square with the people With whom (
they had to deal. and he advanced /
the idea that the formation OF the /
tables was the trademark of Rich
mcnd's real estate men---a square
deal for everybody
He caused laugh in opening his |
address by addressing himself to the
real estate men and those who con-
tribute to their maintenance"
President Adams Makes Hit.
prt sldrnt W, n. Adams, Of the !
board = If >alSlgrmeni-' representing
Mayor Aiusie, who was unable, by
reason IT "A severe cold, 10 be present. 4
received nm ovation wnen ne opened /
with a brief tax TO "the men who /
have made Richmord" and received /
urroa'ious an lauso when he iilus-
trated a very pretfy point with the /
story Of y "sculntoy who painted the
statue Of Opportunity That was
,ittle Slip If the tongue, however
that did not detract from the ALTER
mans heartily received assurance of
cooperation of the ely fathers
with ANYTHING the exchange set out
70 do that meant the betterment of
Richmond.
John c. Fasley earnestly advocated
me annexation project and reminded
the assembled company, without an !
friendlineSs to the. Richmond Fred
cricksburg and Potomac, that the
city must look after its own interests.
.. A. Hawkins talked interestingly |
on the sub1ect OF the present practice
of placing the responsibility for de-
iinquert gas and water bills on the
property owner which Is one OF the
reforms the exchange is seeking to
bring about.
Property Owners Appreciative.
Henry s, Wallerstein, representa-
tive of the propertyholder. paid high
tribute TO the Real Estate kAcnange,
which he believed was the best thing
hat has happened 10 Richmond In N
ong time. Mr.. Rountree was equally
complimentary, except that he took
EXCEPTION To the proposed reform nj
he matter Of mortgage axes and
precipitated a debate
a. T.. Adamson, OF South Richmond.
the newlyrannexed ter Z
rity, recoupted the possibilities. or
further annexation Of territory in that