The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-12

LITTLE OPPOSITION

| By vote of 81 to 2 last night the
/ Common Council adopted the report Of
/ it's Finance Committee recommending
! the purchase OF the Richmond DOCK
! at the sum Of $4,000.
The option on the property expires
! on March 18th, and the Board OF Alder
men must take prompt action II the
| city is to avail itself of the present
/ opportunity to purchase the dock.
! A letter WAS read from Mr.. h. L.
| Berniss. Of the bondholders' committee.
| denying the report which had been
| given considerable currency. and which
! was repeated on the floor OF thc
council last night to the effect that
the dock property had been offered for
| the sum of $4,000.
! The property to be purchased ex-
| tends to Seventeenth street. including
all of tho dock property proper. Ii
| is understood that the owners are
i willing TO sell the remaining holdings
extending about to TnIrt-enth strctt,
but which are not considered essential
to the city's interests for the SUN
! Ut $4,000.
Total Cost $,ss,oco.
| Councilman II. r. Pollard Jr.. chair
! man of the Finance Committee, ex-
pla ined that the total cost of the dock
| property. including repairs and tie
estimated cost of cleaning out tho
| dock. would reach about $4,000.
, however about So. 900 of this cost WAS
| estimated for cleaning out the dock,
and that could be done by the city's
! dredging outiit which might Just az
well be engaged, he thought. In uredg-
ing out the dock as In dredging the
| river.
Councilman Morgan r. MiIls ques-
toned the chairman of the Finance
Committee closely in connection with
the matter, saying that, while he was
not opposed to the proposal to buy
the Richmond dock property he desired
10 put the council on notice that II
would cost a great deal OF money ag'
| gregating In his estimation from $780,
900 to 100000.
. In a busy session of more than three
hours the council disposed OF great
volume Of business, Atnoug other
things II passed an ordinance increas-
ing the pay OF the forty three en-
ployes of the gas works per cent,
IL passed an ordinance regulating the
dealers OF old clothing. requiring them
to keep accurate accounts of Their
transactions, torbldding them II buy
second hand property OF any descrip-
ton from minors, and requiring them
= TO give hundred dollar bond for The
! proper conduct of their business; enc
1t passed an ordinance giving the
, British American Tobacco Company
, the right to close four hundred feet OF
. Moxelle street, at a point where u
: has never been used by the public. il
order TO enable the company t. huiIe
: It's plant in the manner that best
suits It's convenience. the British.
American Company owning all tn,
property abutting on that part of thu
street which Ia to be closed
As this request IL one of the pre-
. liminary steps to the erection "
great manufacturing plant the coun
cai voted gladly TO give the desired
/. permission.
, interesting Discussion.
As one OF the most imporvan,
, measures passed on by the council fol
y long time the resolution to pur
. chase the Isis nmond dock created con
, siderable discussion. Mr.. Mills ask
ed why the city should purchase IN,
: dock.
MIR. Pollard replied by saying fha
this matter had been before tho cUun.
Gil the last ten years. Now the whole
country was turning its attention Il
It's water-borne commerce. The shi >
pers and receivers Of heaW freight.
in Richmond were greatly Interested
; While he felt that the people Of Rich.
mond rather overestimated the gooc
that the dock would do yet he I've
lieved 1t unfortunate to ever allow
the dock to be closed. II was not til.
! idea to make 1t n free dock. bur t.
make 1t self-supporting. On nccoun,
, of litigation between the Old Domin-
ion Iron and Nail Company and the
city there was some question as tc
water rights, and that. should they be
cut Off II would make the dock 8
dry dock instead OF q wet one. bu. in
such a case il would be worth q graa,
deal more az real estate than IL would
cost the city. MIR. Pollard stated that
, up to the time that the dock broke
down Its gross receipts were $4,000 q
! year. and they were much larger than
that before the William r. Trigg Cam-
pany purchased It.
Blake For II.
Councilman Blake made a strong
, speech in advocacy OF the movement.
He deemed IL the most importan,
question the Council had had before
1t for years. He said he could re-
member the time when all the cof-
fee. herring and molasses the city
used were unloaded at this dock. He
J wanted to see II owned and improved
by the city of Richmond.
AIR. l@yhcfr expressed the opinion
that the property was worth the
| money and should II ever have to be
converted into real estate It would
be worth much more, so that in no
event could the city lose anything
! Mr.. Hirschberg moved that q rail-
Ing be placed around the dock. SO
that should anyone fall In and be
drowned there would be no suits for
damages against the city