The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-26
HIGHLAND PARKS
REQUEST TABLED
Council Committee Unwilling to
Sell Water to Suburb
Which Seeks It.
ANNEXATION QUESTION UP
Point Made That Pumping Fa-
cilities Are Inadequate, With
No Surplus for Outside.

On the ground that the pumping "a.
cilities of Richmond now need extern
sion. and that the city. therefore. has
no surplus water to sell 20 outsiders. a
subcommittee of the Council Committee
on Water last night tabled the request
Of the town Of Highland Park Tor the
privilege of connecting with to- city
mains. 1t was argued that were the
city TO grant at nominal prices All
manner Of city oonveniences 10 the
suburbs there would remain no sum
cient reason for annexation.
Mayor McCluer. Of Highland Park.
and a committee from TIE Town coun-
Gil presented the side of that COM
munity, The town. comprising about
500 houses. with taxable values OF
nearly $l.00e.oo0. has by means OF =
bond issue constructed q local water
plant with about six miles Of street
mains. supplying about 800 houses. The
surface wells. dug under the direction
Of Civil Engineer c. p. +. Burgwyn.
have failed to give an adequate supply
of water. and to supplement this sup
ply the township asked the right to
lay a six-inch main from the north END
Of Fifth Street across the viaduct.
Must Not NIX supply.
Chairman Mills stated that witf-ou.
rejecting on the purity OF the supply
, of Highland Park. the city Of Rich
mond and it's health authorities would
not consent to any physical connection
with an outlying system by means OF
which, under any conditions. the water
of surface wells could flow back into
the mains of the city. thus mixing the
sources of supply
Mayor McCluer thought this could
be overcome by the use Of check
, valves. The discussion in the COM
mittee was general. precedents being
pointed out In the cases OF Barton
Heights and Woodland Heights. where
to relieve emergency conditions. the
city had allowed two-inch pipe con-
nections for a limited period Mayor
McCluer said that as Highland Park
was now seeking annexation. and as
the general extension Of the corporate
limits of the city OF Richmond seemed
imminent. the township was unwilling
to lay out large sums in boring further
wells or in piping water from streams
further back in the county. All such
OUTLAWS would become useless when the
city began to supply water after an
nexation. and would merely increase
the bonded debt that the city would
have to take over at the time q an
nexation.
Must Protect City First.
1t was brought out by series OF
questions addressed to Superintendent
Davis that the old water power pumps
at the Pumphouse car barely supply
the daily needs Of the city unatded. and
that were they out Of commission, the
electric pumps have little more than
sufficient capacity. To protect the city
from any Ere hazard and TO prevent
any movement among the underwriters
to increase the ore insurance rates.
Chairman Mills thought the city should
not take on the burden Of supplying
outsiders until ample duplicate pump,
ing power had been provided to meet
any contingency that might arise
Other members Of the committee
thought it unwise to make concessions
to the outlying townships on tie eve
Of an annexation agitation.
The city already lends the use Of Its
Fire Department, its ambulances and
its mounted police, and allows many of
these communities to drain through
city sewers.
Other Requests Denied.
For the same reasons a. lad Actual
ed It in the Highland Park matter. the
subcommittee tabled the request OF
certain citizens of Swansboro for ex-
tensions Of water mains
The petitions Of Lee Camp Soldiers
Home and the Spring Street Home for
free water were recommended for re-
lection. Both IS these institutions have
by ordinanc, city water at the mere
cost Of pumping-the mini'nsn rate
given to the largest consumers. 1t
was recalled that when the Council
some years ago inaugurated the policy
of making donations - hospitals and
charities in the annual budget IL was
with the understanding that the insti-
tutions to which donations were made
would pay for their own water and
gas. Recently. IL was stated, severa! Of
these institutions have. in addition To
the appropriations made them. secured
free gas from the Committee on Light.
and several petitions for free water
are now pending before the Committee
on Water