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T~e following letter was read and referred to the Gity Attorney:
<br />
<br /> "Portsmouth, Va., Narch 13, 1934.
<br />To. the City Council,
<br /> Portsmouth, Va.
<br />
<br />Dear Sirs:
<br />
<br />Nr. L.O. Brinson,
<br />Clerk, City aouncil,
<br />Portsmouth, Va.
<br />
<br /> I know your time is too valuable to be spent with petty g~ievances, but I am
<br />t~k.ing the privilege to bringcomplaing for you~ consideration, hopi.ngthat I can be releas-
<br />ea ~rom the 1933 taxes on the Building on Summit Ave., Nos~ 61~-61~ (double house). Permit
<br />was obtained'Jan, llth, 1933, and house taken down, as it just stood vacant year in and year
<br />-out. I had paid taxes on it several years. I was surprised when I was assessed ~axes on
<br />the building for. 1933. It does not seem quite fair to have to pay taxes on something that
<br />you do not possess.
<br /> Thanking you for any assistance rendered, lam,
<br />
<br /> Yours sincerely,
<br />
<br /> J.A. Fannin.,
<br /> The following letter was read and referred to the OityNauager:
<br />
<br /> ~10 Fourth St., Portsmouth, Va., March 5, 1934.
<br />
<br />Dear Mr. Brinson:
<br />
<br /> It is most regrettable that I, as a taxpaying iL'
<br /> c ~zen, find it necessary to, call
<br /> your attention to conditions now existing on the corner of Fourth and Fayette ets., chiefly
<br /> having its creation through a beer license havi~g been issued to one Mrs. Jacobson. In pro-
<br /> test thereof a copy of my letter you will find enclosed, for your info~mation.
<br /> I have tolerated this condition, after having repeatedly appealed to the Police
<br /> Depa2tment through the Chief of Police, to clean up these rotten conditions, and having failed
<br />nity.enti~ely' you will see in the body of my letter to Judge Bain the r~ason for my present indig-
<br /> I am appealing to you as a taxpayer and as a supporter cf the Demo~ratic Party
<br />to give me the protection that you get yourselves in your respective localities.
<br /> I know that it was not the intent of ~he beer law to allow te exist any such con-
<br />ditions, and is an imposition ~o respectable citizens.
<br /> Needless for me to state that I am net only speaking for myself, but for the de-
<br />cent respectable taxpaying citizens of South Portsmoug~.
<br /> I know that the Oity Oounoil of Portsmouth~has it within its power to clean uo
<br />these deplo~a~le conditions, and I trust you will bring my letter to the attention of that~
<br />Honorable Body. -
<br /> I trust you will not disappoint yolky supporters.
<br />
<br />Very respectfully yours,
<br />
<br /> John M. Breedlove.,
<br />
<br /> The following letter was read and referred to the City Manager.
<br />
<br /> "Portsmouth, Va., March 13, 1934.
<br />The Honorable Oity Oouncil,
<br /> Portsmouth, Va.
<br />
<br /> ~entlemen:
<br /> Owing to the fact that t have been ill for several days, I have been prevented
<br />from appearing before the aouncil personally to present the facts as I see them, and as they
<br />actually exist.
<br /> All of the information that I have obtained as coming from the Council has been
<br />through the newspapers. According to the papers, it appears to me that the semtiment of the
<br />Counci~was ~o deal fairly, especially after existing conditions had been explained to them.
<br />The wa~er bills 'of the Sergeant of Richmond, referred to , are paid from the revenue coming
<br />into that particular office and are not actually paid by him.
<br /> I gather from the City Manager, s explanation to the Oouncil t~hat he makes it ap-
<br />pea~ that the water bills for the jail have been reduced from one hundred fifty dollars per
<br />month to about forty dollars, owing to the fact that the water pipes have bee~ placed in ex-
<br />cellent condition, when,, as a matter of fact, nothing has been done to the pipes excep$ the
<br />repairing of leaks that develop from time to time. All fixtures, of every description, includ-
<br />ing ~2 ~oilets, ~ basins, 8 showdr baths, as well as innumerable valves and fittings in the
<br />plumbing corridors, are now just as they were when installed, except for the natural deteriora-
<br />tion caused by twelve years of.constant use.
<br /> As a further matter of fact, I can not recall an instance where the water bill
<br />exceeded ninety dollars. In some of the cases where the bills have approximated thio amount,
<br />the seeming excess has been probably d~e to mistakes on the part of the Water Department in
<br />
<br />
<br />
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