Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-18

and that he felt that we ought to lay this charge
to rest by renewing our offer This suggestion
was made de- to US at noon We got our people to-
cred 1T to Mr. George Bryan at forty minutes past
= o'clock. This letter stated expressly and plainly
that the offer was to remain open until p NJ,
ana Clat unless our lawyer received an acceptance
before o'clock, the offer was to lapse few
minutes before 6, MI. Bryan told Mr. Christian
mat ne had not been able to find DR. Tucker Mr.
Christian gave him written extension of the
hour before the Board was to meet. This extern
sion OF the offer was permitted to lapse at 7:3O
A reply that he had not had time to consider the
otter was read to the Board of Aldermen after
they had met and the ordinance had been read
and vote was about to be taken upon it. Our
offer was made in good faith and remained open
for i've hours, and right up to the meeting of the
Board of Aldermen and at 7:3O it became bv it's
terms Withdrawn, simply because he had not
chosen to accept it. The situation was in his
hands alone.
Just before the vote was to be taken in the
Board, member of the Board, on the suggestion
or DE- fuckers lawyers, asked that the proceed
lngs OF the Board be suspended for an hour, and
that lhe TWO sides be given an opportunity to get
together. His lawyers then made us an offer to
sell the property to us at $4,000, provided that
our representative in the Board would ask leave
TO Withdraw the ordinance. We told them that
we would not accept this or any other proposition
they next came to and offered to sell to us for
Sfz,oOO provided the ordinance was withdrawn
and we again declined In a few minutes thew
came out again and offered to sell for $72 800, and
we told them again that would not negotiate
on any terms with them, since they had not chosen
TO accept our former Offer but had permitted it
TO lapse, and that we intended to press the ordi-
nance regardless of the interests of ourselves or
or the Tucker SanatOrum.
The Board was called to order and the NOM
bers were in their seats, when Dr. fuckers law
yers came into the chamber and cried out to the
Board that they would consent to let us assume
ms contract. We again made it plain that since
they had fit to allow our offer to Lapse at
|:3O O'Clock, we did not propose to be forced to
make It again, simply in order to secure the pas
sage OF what we thought was right and proper
ordnance. We urged the individual members of
the Board to vote then and there on the ordinance
and to pass or defeat it as they thought was
right. A member Of the Board at this time moved
to lay it on the table until Friday night that the
parties might further confer, and this was ac-
cordingly done
Since this meeting we have done nothing to-
wards urging favorable consideration of the or
dinance by the Board. We are not fighting DO
htlcal fight and believe that in fighting as we did
until the meeting Of the Board, we were fighting
tor the interests of the city and for the welfare
Of it's citizens, as we'll as for our own interests
From the initial tentative suggestion to DR.. Tuck
er until thirty minutes before the ordinance was
to be acted on finally by the Council and virtually
to become law, we have been conciliatory and
fairly disposed towards Dr. Tucker He had the
opportunity to himself harmless until thirty
minutes before the issue between us was to be
finally resolved: He unwilling however, to
be relieved OF his contract until after the members
of the Board had taken their seats to vote upon the
ordinance with the dead and definite certainty
as his lawyers knew and as we knew-that the
ordinance would be passed, but until that time
demanded price for his acquiescence in propo-
sal to relieve him Of his contract On the other
hand, up until the last moment before the Board
met to act upon the ordinance our offer (not laps
ing until short half-hour before this meeting)
stood open In other words he chose to fight.
and did fight persistently and vigorously. We
continuously offered him fair terms, and when he
was beaten, he demanded the advantages of vic
tory IN the avoidance of loss, which is the di-
rect fruit of defeat which he himself and no
other had brought upon himself He now saws
that the ordinance should not be passed because
of the loss to him.
For this loss he alone has been responsible nv
permitting our offers to go unaccepted until they