The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-24
Tables Resoh ton to Provide
$4,000 to Prepare Sherwood
Park for Mobilization Camp
COUNCILMAN MILLS
SAYS MOVE UNWISE
Says 1t Is Such Expenditures
as Have Put City Treasury
In lis Present Position-.Sum
Won't Pay Bill Says Beck

Richmond must lose tho proposed
mobilization camp allied for by the
fedcral government unless the federat
authorities are Wiling 10 hear the eN-
parse of ~ construction and equip i
mont according to the sentiment OF
ne finance committee last night
chairman Barton ". Grundy. member
~ he mayors committee which con-
f~rred Yesterday with local army OF
ficers in regard TO the camp site. and
Il l.. Peters, president of the coun-
81. also member of the mayors
committee strongly legged the finance
committee to recommend the s2o,ooa
appropriation asked FOR but they
We're {it1uiy opposed b. all the other
mem ners of the committee, and the /
ma ter was laid on the table for fur
ther cons deration.
The resolution, referred by the spe-
ciaJ coancil asked for last night, call
ed Tor al appropriation OF $4,000 /
out OF the fund for Emergencies.
and TO re uso} in putting in shape
the mobilization camp at Sherwood |
park. II was urged before the COM
n1ittee that Petersburg citizens are
eager Tor tho camp 10 be located there
ard are making every effort To have
the soldiers iueated on site just out
side their city hrrits. II was stated
thai thetr offer included goo acres OF
land wei adapted for camp purposes
ard that citizens had raised money
among themselves 10 bear. the expenses
OF pntvHg the camp in order.
Investment Viewpoint.
Nj i'~ters appealed to the business
sscwp"tri Of the situation. and pointed
"si th4i No small sum necessar, 10
re spcnf heTa ould b" the best IN
vosttarnt the city caIid make IN ad-
'~r.i~inq AVID Ia point og revenue
teiourl 'ilundV supplemented his
Toint 90 view ettb tho assertion that
SiC rrtle MS At stake. and that from
- cold hBsiress point Of view no
71ouut of money spent in any other
s"terpri@" could result IN such adver-
Semen' for the city. Both these gem
t'esnen stated that they frinly believed
ctere collar of the money would be
turned 10 he rify by the United
ayes government aud that IL the
Gvy ot the officials here 10 lay aside
MS amount FOR the purpose
Morgan Mills steadfastly opposed
Je measure. = don't believe IL is
WIS., Tropriat.on," h. declared ut
is lust this character Of appropriations
that have placed tho city treasury in
he plight i ~ now III. and think
the fuarce committee Should put up
yoins g open the gates nor take c%
'ha lid Il isn't right Ia AXE funds
FROM IRE puniic tiil fog such purposes
Nir l'~trrs thcU stated The troops
Il g {" Petersburg II this money
e Appropriated. and Mr.. Mills re
]il"t Wen. let them go"
I4ionei Grun.is's Vicw.
3or', ,eei mat Richmond. the
rieifop" g mis- part of the coun-
=, SAL otont GtNndA. can al
l"rd +" pass THIS matter by. feel
i's' il = matter Of civic pride. to-
f"taer = th the best advertisements We
to}'d s. bly, secure And to this
Iont NJ. Mills replied that the per
IONS who wth get the benefit of the
advertisement will he the merchants
~ the city, and that they ought TO
pay the price OF the publicity. "I be-
lieve the committee would do a good
Thing now TO put the city on notice
that no money will be spent for such
purposes. Mr., Mills added
S2O.0OO Wouldn't Meet Needs.
Mr., Reck, administrative board rep
resentative on the committee appoint
cd by Mayor Ainsiie. stated that $40
600 will not come anywhere near do
ing the necessary work for the camp.
He presented set of plans for the
proposed location, but stated that they
were not complete, since the army
headquarters had not given them a
full set Of specifications Mr. Jones
.old the committee he was unwilling
to vote on the matter until he could |
just what the idea OF the thing
was and wanted the matter laid on
the table until the administrative
board could furnish the city with the |
necessary data.
The question arose as to the amount
nf money to be spent after the first
$4,000 had been sunk. and the SEN
tirVent was that the first amount
would be mere beginning. On mo-
-tion of Mr.. Jones the matter was laid |
over until more details can he Sc
cured, which will nc presented at a
special meeting OF the committee |
within a few days
Mr.. Peters presented letter from
q citizen who owns land in the west
end OF the city Offering piece Of
ground free of charge to be used as
camp. "rf there were more men
with this kind OF PATRIOTISM mem I,
hers OF the committee said. this mat
ter would be adjusted more readily"
Petersburg Looms Large.
President Peters expressed the |
opinion after the meeting that unless I
Richmond does something soon. Pc /
tcrsburg viii get the camp. Other Of /
nrials diI not agree, but stated that !
III their opinions the government had /
:!ready selected Richmond as the .
logical site and that the expenditure .
OF money by the city would be use |
less Mr.. Beck said that he did not /
feel 1t was the duty of the city to
Apend any amount ON this camp. since |
$4,000 had been spent on Camp |
1tuart and the city has never been |
tContinusd on Second PAsAl
=