The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-07
J|TMtY ORDIDANcE
BACK TO ALDERMEN
Council Reduces Bond BY Half and
Makes Other Amendments TO
Original Bill.
TWO CouNCrLMEN STAND PAT
Pitcher and English stick BY the Jit-
neg Ship TO the End. and Fight Its
Passage Through Council.

ney Ship to the End, and Fight Its
| Passage Through Council.
| After passing the jitney ordinance,
with amendments. and acting upon
number of other measures passed
along by the Board OF Aldermen. at a
/ late hour last night Common Council
adjourned. on motion of Councilman
! Rogers, to Thursday night, to finish
the docket
! The jitney ordnance occasioned much
debate. Leading members of Council
expressed themselves as being opposed
| to any ordnance. but said there should
be some restrictions upon the opera
| ton of the jitneys. In the interests OF
not only the pubic. but the jitney
owners themselves. All hands agreed
that there should be some restrictions.
After the debate, lasting for several
hours, the ordinance was finally
adopted. with a number OF amend
ments, and will have to go back to the
Board of Aldermen for concurrence.
| The amendments cut the bond from
s2.e0o for the first car and $500 for all
i others. TO $1,000 for the first and $500
for the others. The light requirement
was eliminated. This section provided
i for lights in each 1itney at night II
was shown that this was impracticable.
cut out. The fine was placed at
minimum of SIS instead of $40. with
the maximum at $500
| Opposed Bond Requirement.
Councflmen Jones. English. Haddon
and Radcliffe sought to have the bond
requirement cut cut. They said that
! with bond requirement, IL would be
the elimination of the jitneys. because
there were no bonding companies who
would issue bond certificates for the
/ jitney people. without a collateral
security.
| Mr.. English was particularly strong
/; In his argument. He said that IL the
I jitneys were to be bonded, then the
taxis and all other vehicles should be
/ bonded.
This is discrimination OF the
rankest kind" said Mr.. English. This
| body would not have the nerve or the
/ effrontery to place bonds upon the
taxi business. or the truck business, or
any other business This rs n fragrant
discrimination, and will not vote for
any such class legislation"
After considerable discussion. en-
gagged In by Councilmen Haddon,
/ Jones and Radcliffe. the amendment
offered by Mr.. English to cut out the
bond requirement was lost by the vote
/ of seven to eleven.
Those voting for the amendment
were: Cheatwood English, Haddon,
Jones, Pitcher. Radcliffe. Seaton; while
| those opposing II were: Batkins. But
| Ter. Ferguson, Fuller. Pollock. Powell.
J. c. Powers. Rogers. Sullivan. Welsh.
Peters
Previous to this vote Mr. Ratcliffe
sought to cut out the proposed tax fee
by SIS for each car He stated that
| the taxes against the jitneys was
more than against any other vehicle,
4 and should be regulated to minimum
so that the jitneys might exist. He
spoke strongly against any severe inn
| position Of restrictions. His motion
was lost by the following vote:
Favorable to the amendment. Bat
kins. English. Jones. Pitcher. Pwers.
/ Radcliffe. Rogers, Seaton: against:
Butler, Cheatwood. FERGUSON. Fuller.
Haddon. Pollock. Powell. Sullivan.
Welsh, Peters.
| Then Mr.. Jones presented resolu-
ton amending the ordinance 80 that
! the bond might be fixed at $500 for
the first car and $3.50 for all others.
In explaining his reasons he stated
j that the taxes were bonded to the ex-
/ tent OF $500. and that the jitneys
should not be any larger to any de-
gree.
Both Councilman Ratcltffe and Poi-
H lock argued that $1,000 should be the
bond. With $500 for all extra cars
Il This precipitated further debate. but
/ Ii finally prevailed, although both Mr.
tRatcliffe and Mr.. Pollock said the or,
! dinance a. whole did not suit them,
and they did not believe It would hold
| it's own in the courts.
The vote on this amendment was;
For the amendment: Batkins. But
Ter, Cheatwood. Ferguson, Fuller.
/ Pollock. Powell Powers. Ratciiffe.
Against: English. Haddon, Jones.
Plcher. Seaton.
4 Then, after much more debate upon
/ detafis, the ordinance was adopted.
| with but two dissenting votes. Messrs.
EnRlish ana Pitcher.
These two councilmen stood by the
ship until she sunk. There were sew
EerAl others who had fought all sides
Of the question and were opposed to
! the bonding and the high license. but
they fell into line. and left English and
| Pitcher alone.
Prior to this action Council sent q
] Recommendation from the Administra-
/ tive Bcard aAkinE Tor $500 for street
improvements generally: $4,000 FOL
j Gas department payroll; &3S,000 fot
4 city store1nouse; $4,000 FOR play
grounds: 9i0, 900 FOR damages to prop
erty, to the Finance Committee.
The City Attorney was directed 70
proceed with condemnation proceed
lings for the opening ana improvement
to Roseneath Road.
-. - A.