The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-27
COMMITTEE FAvORS
EXTENSION OF PARKS
Councilman English Makes Strong
Protest Against Prolteering In
Any Respect.


Considerable discussion developed at
the meeting Of h streets committee
OF the council yesterday afternoon
over the joint resolution introduced
authorizing the city attorney to ac-
lqure the plot of lam as the intersec-
ton of Belvidere and Canal streets for
the purpose OF making a park and Of
opening up Madison street, which will
provide a clear road to the peniten-
tiary.
Alderman Gunst first made a motion
to table the measure. giving as his
reason the dire need Of all the city's
available funds to repair the streets.
Alderman Fuller and Councilman
English answered him. and made II
known in no uncertain terms that they
were in favor of the city acquiring
every playground and park 1t could
get. that health conditions demanded
such a policy.
After a vote had been taken. the
resolution was recommended for pas
sage with only one dissenting vote,
that OF Mr.. Gunst-
~ The property to he acquired II ut
the southeast corner OF Canal street.
and belongs to the Richmond. Fred
e~ricksburg n Potomac railroad COM
pany. City Engineer Boiling said that
the improvements should not cost over
tS.ccer
In speaking in favor of the resoiu-
ton. Mr.. Fuller took occasion to rap
the budget Just passed, on the grounds
THAT 1t was detrimental to the city'e
interest to continue borrowing money.
While other towns had provided for
their revenue by increasing taxes. he
pointed u that Richmond had stood
at the hitching post. and would be far
behind next year, facing a million dol
n y AAbf md -yn~ t.
creasing taxes. He said he was un-
willing for Richmond to sit still and
make no improvements until the first
of the year.
The policy OF identifying the city
and providing recreation for its chill
dren was a necessary one for the
growth OF the city, Mr.. English de-
clared. II necessary the money for
this purpose should be borrowed. but
he thought a bond issue for such i'm
provements and for repairing the
streets would shortly he passed.
He did not agree with Mr.. Puller's
idea Of raising taxes. because, he
pointed u ii would only result in a
still greater increase in rents. The
r raising OF rents he described as "out-
rageous and a most rank case of prof.
teering. There was no Justification or
warrant for the landlords to charge
their tenants twenty-five to hfty per
cent more money for houses on which
they had not just built or made re-
pairs"
In order to make a thorough In
spection of the property. IL was de-
cided to hold a special meeting at 4
o'clock Wednesday afternoon when
members OF the committee will decide
on tn petition OF the Long Coal Com
pany to close Goddin street. between
Greek street, and the Seaboard Air
Line railway property. The Goa com
pany plans to erect q tre@tie over God
din street. from the railway. in on
rection with the building OF an ice
plant to cost $780, 200 and a coal yard
costing $4,000. At this point. They
wish to start work on this immedi-
afcly.
The request Of the Virginia Railway
and Power company to allow the skip
stop ordinance to apply to First
street. between Broad and the end OF
the First street viaduct, was laid on
1.-THE table until the next meeting. when
citizens OF that section are invited to
present their side of the case
The petition OF the Chesapeake and
Ohio railway for . permit to ros
Seventeenth street. between Christian
and williams streets. with 4 spur track
to the property Of I. u. Wfngfield. was
recommended. a. well - the petition
Of the federal government for permits
sion to excavate under the sidewalk OF
Tenth street to widen the driveway to
the postofhce-