The Wilmington morning star., 1942-03-19
CWYNN CLOSED
BY CITY COUNCIL
lhoroughfare Closed To
Facilitate Hospital
Expansion Plans

A resolution closing Gwynn street
Tor one block at James Walker Me.
mortal hospital was adopted by the
city council Wednesday morning
with Mayor Hargrove Bellamy cast.
ing the only dissenting vote.
The street closure, from the east.
ern line of Dickinson street to the
western line of Wood street. was
requested by, the board of managers
OF the hospital so that the hospitals
projected $61S,00O extension could
be connected to the present hospital
structure by passageways on each
OF the floor levels over Gwynn
street.
Explains Stand
In opposing the move, the mayor
reminded members of the council
that several weeks ago they had
unanimously adopted resolution
opposing the expenditure of any
more funds for expansion of the hos
pltal on the present site.
speaking for the hospital board
Alan A. Marshall told the council
that the passageways were a tenn.
porary expedient since elevators
could not be obtained during the
war and that as soon as the present
emergency was over, elevators would
be installed in the new building and
the passageways could be removed
and the street reopened.
Closing of the street. he said. nre.
vents a "bottleneck' in hospital ia.
cilities since otherwise only one
passageway on the third floor level
over Gywnn street could be con.
structed.
The council also adopted a reso.
luton declaring expansion of the
hospital to be necessary and for the
public good, similar to a resolution
adopted by the county board of com.
mlssioners several weeks ago.
The two resolutions will be used
by the board of managers in peti.
tioning the State Utilities commits.
sion for certificate of convenience
and necessity which will give the
board the right of condemnation
In reporting the successful sale
of the city's $635,O00 water and sew.
er extension bond sue in Raleigh
Tuesday. Councilman J. N. Brand
told the council that reduction of the
amount Of uncollected city taxes
would materially aid the sale of
future bond issues.
Representatives of northern bond
firms told him, Councilman Brand
said, that the amount of uncollect-
ed taxes listed in bond sale pros
pectures were major factor in de-
termining interest bids where the
firms were not personally acquaint-
ed with the city.
Uncollected taxes for Wilmington
for the year were listed as $177,0
through January / in the prospectus
that was sent out .,rior to Tuesdays S
bond sale, Councilman Brand said.
Councilman Edgar L. Vow report
ed that attendance at the Woodrow
Wilson Memorial Lut had fallen off
in the last few months and re-
quested that the rent on the hut be
reduced from $40 month to $25
a month. The request was granted
by the council.
City Manager James G.. Wallace
read a complaint he had received
against the negro shoeshine boys
operating u the business district
Of the city which declared that the
shine boys were a nuisance and
that: nothing is more indicative of
small town.
He said that he would conduct a
survey to determine the control the
city has over the shine boys by Or
dinances now on the books.
Emmett Bellamy appeared before
the council to request, on behalf
of the Open Air Market and the
Bell Telephone company, action to
reduce all-day parking on streets
Immediately outside the parking
meter areas, particularly, Grace,
Princess, Chestnut and Fourth.
Mayor BellamJ appointed City
Manager Wallace, Fire Chief Ludie
Groom and Chief of Police c. H.
Castee1 to investigate the situa-
ton.
o. H. Shoemaker, chairman of the
county rationing board, requested
the council to pay $25 in rent on
the quarters on the first floor of the
Trust building so that the ration
ire board could be moved there
TOM it's present offices in the Tide
Mater building.
His request was granted by the
council. The additional $25 rent was
appropriated by the county board
of commissioners Monday.
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