The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-27
READY TO BEGIN
WORK ON LINES
Annexation Committee Concludes
Preliminary Sesries of
Hearings.
WILL PREPARE ITS PLAN
After Publication, Will Invite
Criticism Before Reporting
to Council.
WILL PREPARE ITS PLAN

Preliminary hearings on the subject
of annexation were concluded by the
special committee of tho City Council
last night. On June g the committee
will meet to begin actual work I'm
drawing on n map the lines it will
recommend for adoption. When this is
done. and tho tentative lines have been
published, it is the plan of the com
mittce to hold further hearings before
a formal report on the subject Is made
TO the Council. y letter was read last
night from a. w. Patterson. opposing
the annexation of his country place
west of the city and south of the Cary
street Road. MIR. Patterson stating that
while in favor of annexation. no saw
no benefit to be gained by goin,, in
that direction farther than was neces-
sary 10 control the Belt Line Railroad.
as the section Is mainly built up with
large country places, which will prob
ably never be subdividcd. and which
VIII yield but little aggregate popula-
tlon. and ask nothing from tho city in
the way of improvements.
puliiam Fights Annexation.
II. J.. Pulliam, who led the fight
against the consolidation of Manches-
tor. talked against annexation for more
Than an hour. speaking especially for
citizens of Forest Hill. which he
claimed was 4 country district and
should not be subjected to city taxa
mittcd that the city needed n proper
extension of the corporate limits. but
he suggested that ii secure from the
next Legislature tho right to make q
permanently low tax rate in tho sub
urbs. where only suburban conven-
fences would be supplied. and no effort
would be made to bring them up to the
standard OF city construction.
r. Il. Walden. OF Buck Hin. speaking
for more than 1000 people living In
Swansboro. took the opposite ground.
Tho crying need OF Swansboro, he
said. was for water and sewerage
the sanitary problem a pressing
and immediate one. From the way
Richmond had treated Manchester
since consolidation, he was quite Will
ing TO take his chances on improve
ments In an annexation. He was pay
ing considerable taxes to the county
of Chesterfield now. and getting little
or nothing in return. He could not
be any worse off under the slightly
higher tax rate in Richmond. and. at
all events would rather trust his tax
money TO Richmond than to the county
when 1t came to the question or get
ting some adequate return in the way
of public improvements. IN answer
TO question, he could not state
whether II was a fact that milk barred
from the Richmond market by the
health authorities was being Deddlcd
in the suburbs.
Don't Want to Comc In.
r II. Johnson. president of the Rich
mond Guano Company, which has its
plant located on James River below
tho Virginia Carolina Chemical Com
pany, said he saw nothing to be gained
py anneNtng his property. that its Sc
gregation was desirable as the fertil-
izcrs Manufactured were not exactly
perfumery, and he saw nothing the
city could gain by taking il in
W. l. Brittle. proprietor of dairy
farm near the National Cemetery east
OF Richmond, within the lines proposed
by the Chamber of Commerce. did not
want to come in. as he feared anncXa-
ton would break up the dairy bust
ness in which he had expended u large
sum for modern equipment
Julien Gum spake in favor OF an
neNation. representing Virginia Place
near the Hill Monument. and n large
section directly west OF the city. The
people he represented did not ask any
specific tcrms-they were willing 10
truN the city in view OF its very lih-
eral treatment OF the section annexed
in 1896. and of Manchester, in both of
which cases. he stated, II had Ear moro
than complied with It's obligations
lie told of the partial dedication OF
Monument Avenue for one and three
quarter miles west OF the city TO
uniform width of 40 feet. giving tho
city the opportunity to make ii in timo
the most beautiful and extended
thoroughfare OF It's kind In America.
On motion of Mr.. Fuller. the clerk
was Instructed TO make n list OF ali
petitions presented to the committee
Tor or against annexation, and OF
eleven citizens who had appeared in
person with the section they repre-
sent. With the understanding that
the general public hearings have
closed. and that the committee will
at It's next meeting, begin work on ac-
tual lines, the committee rose 20 meet