The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-03
WITHDRAW APPEAL
IF CITY AIDS ROADS
H. M. Smith, Jr., Special Counsel
for Henrico County, Out
lines Proposition.
HEARING SET FOR WEDNESDAY
Means Immediate Annexation and
City Control of Important
1915 Assessment.

while the official approval of the
county authorities is lacking" said
Harry NJ. Smith. Jr.. yesterday. 81 am
in a position u say that hcnrico Co,In-
~ will abandon it's fight against the
annexation lines as laid down in Judge
Camrbclrs decree If Richmond makes
the proposed 100000 appropriation for
the permanent Improvement Of The
main county hishwIy5 leading into the
city.
- would lave made Il statement to
this effect To the Common Council on
July %, when Councilman Haddon in
troduccd "a paper 1T my request SuC
resting that the Council make such an
appropriation by September l. 1914
The rules of the Council. however. pre-.
vented my addressing II at that time.
THE plan would. Of course. hare to
be approved by the Iicnrico County
Hoard OF Supervisors. This body has
not as yet taken any action. but have
discussed the matter with Individual
members. and am prepared to say that
they Will approve the bargain The
same view is held by the Common
wenlth's attorney of Henrico County"
Nh Smith played a prominent part
in the procecJinIs before Judge Camp
bell. assisting the county in it's fight
against what IL regarded as an absorp-
tor of its lost prosperous distric:
without satisfactory reimbursement
to The rest Of the county. In his de
cree Judge Campbell recommended that
the city make some such provision foi
permanent highway Improvement as
the county now asks.
COUNTY PREPARING
FOR An Appeal.
"Whilp Tho l,t !, 10
appropriation be made by September L.
1914. OF before the present Council goes
ont OF existence" SAID Mr.. Smith. ~
nave no doubt that the matter viii be
satisfactorily adjusted IL the appropiia-
ton has to 20 over TO the new Council
That body will organize on September
|. and with prompt action should he
able To put the measure through no
later than October.
in the meantin. We are going ahead
with the preparation OF our bill of cX-
ccptiCis. Judge campbclrs decree was
signed on July ~, ana We have thirty
days from that date To present the Fill
TO The court and have it signed. We
hav" m:uc:: 3":s ::!.,.!" which To pre-
sent it Ia the State Supreme Court OF
Appeals"
Mr., Smith was asked his views as to
the possibility OF the county accepting
an appropriation smaller than 100000.
"As far as | can learn. there is no
disposition on the part of the county
authorities to accept Il less amount"
said Mr.. Smith. 1T is little enough
when 1t is considered that by far the
the city anyway. Looked at in the
right light. The appropriated don which
the county asks is nothing more than
IN appropriation to improve roads
which are part of the citys SUBURBAN
transportation system as t-uly as its
suburban trollcys.
COUNTY WANTS MONEY
IN LUMP APPKOPRIATION
There is a decided feeling. also.
that this money should be appropriate
ed at one time. and expended i'm the
same manner. don't think that q
plan for extending the improvements
over several years. or for breaking up
the appropriation into several INSTALL
ments. would be acceptable To the
county
III the new Council passes the APP
propriation measure as late as Octo-
Der. or possibly carly in November,
litigation Will be ;tVcrtcd That would
still give the city the control Of the
1913 assessment and would mean prac-
tically the return of the investment in
good roads, and in increased taxes
The Council Committee on Finance
has fixed o'clock Wednesday after
noon for general hearing on the
whole question. All Interested per
sons. whether living in the county or
in the city. will be given an oppor
tunity to express their views 1t is
probable that the committee will act
tanned in the paper introduced by
Councilman tIaddon. That document
reads AS follows:
1T Is suggested that the Council Of
the city Of Richmond shall. OH or pc
fore September l. 1914. pass. and Ahc
In, 81, al
propriatng 100000 to be expended
during the year 1915 on the permanent
Improvement Of the main highways in
the County of IIcnrico leading into
the city of Richmond. at points not
more than ten miles beyond the cor
poratc limits. The money is to be OK
pended In each district in proportion to
the loss of revenue sustained by each
district as Il result of annexation, ana
in such highways. in such places. and
in such manner as may be agreed upon
by the joint action of the City Engi-
neer and the Board of Supervisors OF
the County OF Hcnrico.
I'm case of disagreement between the
City Engineer for the city Of Rich
mond and tile Board Of Supervisors
such Il person as may be agreed upon
by the City Engineer and the chairman
of the Board of Supervisors shall be
called in as arbitrator"
PLAN INDORSED by
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
The proposed appropriation is re
ceiving wide support from business
men, who believe that il is the wjsost
way out of the annexation tanglc The
plan has been Endorsed in particular
by the Chamber of Commerce and the
BUSINESS Mems Club. Its adoption
would mean that annexation would be-
come effective in November without
further litigation. While IL Is he
lieved that the state Supreme Court of
Appeals would sustain Judge Camp-
bells decree, there would be n delav of
months In securing the final settlement
OF the case. with Il possibility that the
decision would come too Iotc 4, on,hIa