The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-27
Aldermen Defer Final Action on
Ordinance by Vote
OF II to 10.
POWERS POINTS OUT DEFECTS
Madison Ward Alderman Thinks
Act as Drawn Faulty
and Inconsistent.

Eleven Aldermen at last nights meet
ms called FOR the purpose OF taking up
the ordinance granting a franchise
framed to permit the Richmond and
Henrico Railway 10 enter into the ligb,
and power business. ii competition with
the Virginia Railway and Power Com
pany. baked at the introduction of tho
steam roller and succeeded in exactInr
a week longer in which 10 consider the
proposition.
me protest against the ra!lroaiing
methods which have marked the pro-
gross or the ordinance through the
committees and Common Council was
registered when a motion was intro
'Iccd directing that the matter ne nut
10 final vote before adjournment for
The night i number OF the meUnbers
protested that they had not had time
, 10 so over the measure as carefully as
. tneE desired AMI were not prepared to
/ vote. Tho chair admitted as a substi-
ute for the original motion another
directing that the ordinance be laid
on the ahle. printed and submitted to
the Board for final action a; a nlcetin.,
to take place next Wednesday night at
o'clock The substitute carried by
vote Of !! to 10, the twcnty-one Alder
men present voting as follows:
Ayes-Atams. Bennett. Butler. Gil
( man. rTHh"y' Gunsi. Moncurc. Patram.
ferdue. Powers. Renuol1s; total. II.
Noes-Atkinson, Blilcy. Doaahoe. Don
l.eavy, Kahn Melton. Mitchell, Moore
, Nielsen. Whittet; total 10
Moves To Lay Table.
President Robert Whi,tet. Jr. called
. the Aldermen to order at $40 O'Clock
large audience crowded the Council
chamber and pressed against the rail
ing TO hear the franchise discussed
{ Z 'lIF R.4r1
ommcndation of the Common Council
I which passed the ordinance last week
ny vote of 20 TO :. An effort on
mis- part to read the provisions OF the
franchise met with a motion to dis
pensc with the reading. The motion
prcc!pi'ated the debate OF the evening,
which ended in victory for the r.e,f-
oers tavortng postponcment
In my experience Of ten yerrs in
the Council said Alderman Barton II.
Grundy. OF Henry. tho motion Just
made is Unprecedented. Never was an
ord!naa nee fraught with such Importance
as this one passed without careful
reading. l move that the ordinance lie
laid on the table and that i be printed
and presented to the Board for nnal
action at its next regular meeting"
Gmnst Fnvors More Discussion
The idea was inodrsed bv Alderman
Marx Gunst, of Lee. who wanted TN
discuss the pending ordinance He wa
anxious. he said. that every one who
wanted TO be heard on the matter be
given chance 10 express himself and
was opposed 10 rushing the proposition
through al high speed.
~ this point Alderman Grundy ac-
cepted as "a substitute for his motion
another one calling for final action
on next Wednesday night Alderman
j. w. Moore. OF Washington. spoke in
opposition 10 further delay. The mat
ter, he thought had received sufficient
publicity and had been sufficiently aired
to permit every one present to vote in
telligently. He asked the Board to
take vote on the ordinance before
adjournment.
Powers ArrniEns steam Roller
Alderman Joseph L. Powers or
Madison. took a decided stand against
precipitatc action and made "A strong
plea for weeks time in which to
examine the act In all its details.
II. for one" he said, have not had
reasonable time to examine into the
merits Of this ordinance. and am not
prepared to vote upon 1t until do.
The printed copy which have was
furnished me through the courtesy of
the Richmond and Hcnrico Railway
Company, and did not reach my hands
until last night. ] am opposed to
rushing through IN ordinance which
means so mu,h to the city OF Rich
mond 8liil it has been regularly
printed and submitted to every mem
Der OF this body"
Mr.. Powers stated that ne was ready
and willing to vote to give the Rich
mond and HenricO Company light
and power franchise If it were so
framed as to protect the city and
its citizens but not before. In its
present form, he said. he did not
I1ls
protection either to the municipality
or the people.
Points Ont Imperfections.
Taking up the printed copy of the
franchise, Mr. Powers pointed out a
number of sections which, in his opin-
ion, were drawn in faulty manner.
There was an apparent conflict, he
thought. between one section. which
conferred upon the streets commit
tee the power to regulate extensions
and another which gave to the CITY
Council the final authority in Inis
mater.
y situation might arise he said in
which the Streets Committee repre-
scented the will OF the people, but its
action could be nullihed by a Council |
which might or might not be in SYM
pathy with the committee.
glazing insuflcicncy. he thought. !
was contained in the section directing |
that certain distribution systems shall |
be begun within three months and be |
completed within twelve months after
final action by the Committee on |
Streets. The term action" he
thought. was extremely indefinite and
might be given a number Of interpre-
tations. Completion of the designated
work. he insisted. should be made com
pulsory within twelve months after
final approval by tho committee
Alderman j. F. Don Leavy. OF Clay
w wa. inelRs$ t9 minimize mini the. obiss.