The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-11-11
IyEyING PROBLEMS GROW
OUT OF ANNExAT |0N
Water Mains and Sewers Are
Owned by Private Cor
SjEy pOratiOnS.
GAS COMPANY HAS FRANCHISE
City May Have to Duplicate Service
or Buy Out Various Holdings.
Mains in Some Instances Are Too
Small for City Purposes.

s. one of the by products OF annexation
is the problem of adjusting the water
and sewer service In the towns and
unincorporatcd districts which became
part OF The city on November 5.
The question was brought clearly to
the front yesterday when owen Toonc,
I; resident OF Woodland Heights, an.
piled to the Administrative Board for
city water. and the board found that
although the suburb Is now part of the
city and under its direction as regards
water supply. 1t was unable to author
.ze connection with the water mains
in that locality because the distribut-
ing system is owned by the Southsidc
Water and Sewerage Corporation u
private company.
1T was brought out that on May rs.
the Administrative Board authorized
the company to construct Il twelve
inch main designed to supply Wood
land Heights, to connect with .hc cit,
main in Scmmes Avenue. ut the COR
Poration line as /; then existed. An
ordinance was later introduced REIN
bursting the company for Its outlay In
constructing the main. If the ordi-
nance had been passed tho company
would have been paid by the city anu
the main would have become the prop
crty of the municipality.
MEASURE WAS TABLED
by BOARD OF ALDERMEN
Tho Board OF Aldermen at its juno
meeting, however. laid the measure on
the table, and the ordinance was never
passed Annexation on November g.
Thought Woodland Heights Into the
city. but the large main supplying IL
with water remains the property OF -
private corporation. The company
owning the 1o-inch main is Willing
10 allow MIR. Toone the connection he
Tor the water ut the nonresident ra te.
20 cents per 1000 gallons, whereas the
city rate is only II cents This con
dition Will obtain until the city ad-
1usts the situation, either by reim-
LursinG tho Southsidc Water and Sew
claSe Company for the construction
Of the main, or by laying an independ-
cnt pine.
This problem will come up from,
time to time until the city absorbs the
rights of all the private companies
now controlling utilities OF this ma
lure, SAID Henry r. Beck, of the Adj
mihistrative Board. yesterday. Just
how the city will adjust this matter
Is one of the important questions that
must be decided In the near future"
In the case Of North Richmond. High
land Park and Barton Heights, the
water ana sewerage questions will Of
fer no difficulty. These utilities were
tho property of the towns prior 10 an
neNation, and automatically became the
property OF the city on November 8
In taking them over the city. of course.
assumed the bonded indebtedness in
CURED by the towns In their installa-
ton.
SIMILAR PROBLEMS
IN GINTER PARK
Gintcr Park presents much tho same
problem rs Woodland Heights. There
the water and sewer utilities are the
property of the Brooklnnd House
Drainage Company. n subsidiary of the
Lewis Gintcr Land and Improvement
Company. which founded and developed
the suburb. The rights of this COM
pany will have 20 be acquired by the
city or duplicate water and drain
age system installed.
The problem Is complicated by the
fact that in much or the new territory
the service pipes and mains are below
the standard sizes adopted by the city
In many cases the pipes are insufficient
in size to take care of the demands
of outlying districts.
In Ginter Park many prqpertyowncrs
have. by the payment OF Il Specified sum
TO the Brookland House Drainage Com
pany, acquired perpetual sewer rights
and immunity from; .Irthcr taxation
for this service. The city levies a tax
of 10 cents per front foot against all
property located in street in which