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May llth.
<br />
<br /> At_a regular meeting of the City Council, held May llth, 1937., at 8:00 P.M.,
<br />there were present:
<br />
<br />John P..Leith, Leslie T~ Fox, George L. Grimes, James N. Howard, W.R. Hut-
<br />chins, F. D. Lawrence, C. E. Warren, H. Earl Weiseman, Pearls J. Wilson,
<br />City Manager.
<br />
<br />Minutes of regular meeting held April 2?th, were read and approved.
<br />
<br />The folio~ing communications from the City Manager were read:
<br />
<br /> let - "At the last meeting of the City Counoil~ the application of the Tankar
<br />Company for the location of overhead tanks on the Seaboard property on High St., at Pearl
<br />St., was referred to the City Attorney and City Manager.
<br /> This application D~s been wlthdrawn~~
<br />
<br />On motion ordered filed.
<br />
<br /> 2nd ~ ~During the last twelve months, the Oi~y, with ~he aid of the Federal
<br /> Government, has been able to do a great deal of street improvement work in Harrison and Lee
<br /> Wards, particularly in Harrison Ward~
<br /> The old A & D track sets up about twelve or eighteen inches above the
<br /> curbi~ng and stree~ grading~ through most of this eection~ It not only looks bad, but is bad.
<br /> I recommend that the Council pass a resolution requesting the Belt Dine Railroad ~o have this
<br />_ track lowered to co.~form to the grade and curbing of th~streets."
<br />
<br />Mo~ion of Mr. Hutohins to concur in the Manager's reoommendation~ was adopted.
<br />
<br /> 3rd "I recommend that the Oouncil appoint a committee of three members to
<br />act with ~he City Manager and Mayor, in an effor~ ~o secure lower telephone rates for ~he
<br />people of Portsmouth.
<br /> I am confident that ~he Telephone Company can give us a lower rate
<br />and still make a reasonable profit.~
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Weiseman to concur in ~he Manager's recommendation, was adopted,
<br />and the Chair~opointed Messrs. Hutchins, Fox and Weiseman on said Committee.
<br />
<br /> ~th- ~On account of several minur matters in the Virginia Electric & Power
<br />Oompa~y contract, which had mo be ironed out, I was unable ~o ~e~ the completed agreemen~ in
<br />the hands of each of the councilmen in ~Ime for them ~o familiarize themselves with i~ be-
<br />fore this meeting.
<br /> I suggest that a special meeting of the Oounoil be held on next Friday
<br />or next Tuesday evening, for consideration and ~nal adoption of the contract."
<br />
<br /> On motion of Mr. Hutdlns, the privilege of the floor was granted ~o anyone
<br />fnteres~ed.
<br />
<br /> W.J. Rowe, E. R. Stublen and Harry Land spoke on the question, and on motion
<br />of Mr. Fox, the ordinance was continued on the table until next meeting.
<br />
<br />UNFINISHED BUSINESS -
<br />
<br /> The following ordinance, placed on its first reading, at la~ meeting,
<br />taken up and read:
<br />
<br /> "AN ORDINANCE TO CLO~E PORTION OF BART STREET, RUTTER STREET
<br /> AND CAND~ AVENUE".
<br />
<br />was
<br />
<br />vote~
<br />
<br />On motion of Mr. Hu~ehins, said ordinance was adopted, and by the following
<br />
<br />Ayes - Leigh, Fox, Grimes, Howard,
<br /> Weieeman, Wilson
<br />Nays = None
<br />
<br />Hutchins, Lawrence, Warren,
<br />
<br /> The following ordinance, placed on i~s first reading at last meeting, was
<br />taken up and read:
<br />
<br />"AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND RE-ORDAIN SECTION SEVENTY-FOU~ OF
<br />THE LICENSE TAX ORDINANCE~ ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL APRIL
<br />13th, 1937".
<br />
<br />The following petition was read:
<br />
<br /> "We, the undersigned merchants in ~he 0ity of Portsmouth, who own and oper-
<br />ate one or more coin?in-slot machines respectfully call attention to your honorable body
<br />that on the 27th of ~pril~ 1937, you passed an amendment to Section 7~ of the License Ordi~
<br />hanes, in w~ch you fixed a license of $300.OO for each slot machine operated u~eee licen-
<br />ses were paid, ranging from $3000.00 to $~J3Op..OO, in which event the person paying such
<br />tenses would have the rig hZ to operate from ~O to 1OO machines depending, of course, on the
<br />amount of licenses paid.
<br /> This, as you readily see, would create ~ monopoly for a person who owned as
<br />many as ~0 machines, allowing them to operate them or place them in stores for anywhere from
<br />$~0.00 to $75.OO for each machine so operated,
<br /> We are reliably 2nformed ~hat there are several persons who are in this bue~
<br />
<br />
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