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At a special meeting of the City Oouncil, held January 22nd,
<br />there were present:
<br />
<br />Vernon A. BrooEs, 'Leslie T. F~x, ~.R. Hutchins, Arthu~ Mayo,
<br />den Oast, Archibald Ogg, the City Manager.
<br />
<br />1934, at 8:00 P.M.,
<br />S.B. Moore, J. Al-
<br />
<br />Meeting calted by unanimous consent of the entire membership of the Council.
<br />
<br /> ~ The following com~mnicationsof the City Manager were read:
<br />
<br /> 1st - ,,WHEREAS, the attention of the Council'off the City o£
<br /> Portsmouth, Virginia~ has been' called tothe newspaper
<br /> reports stating that the employment of people under the
<br /> O'ivil WOrks Program will be curtailed, and
<br /> WHEREAS, the money spent through the operation of the
<br /> Civil ~orksAdministration has-relieved many worthy people
<br /> who would otherwise have beem in dire distress, and has
<br /> helped towards our National Recovery, and
<br /> WHEREAS, the curtailment of such work at this time
<br /> will'be a set back to recovery and will cause many people
<br /> to be out of employment, and will leave them and their
<br /> families in want during the winter months, and will leave
<br /> a number of projects which have been started in the 0ity
<br /> ~of Portsmouth and in the Norfolk Navy Yard and which were
<br /> expected to continue for a period off eleven weeks from
<br /> their commencement, in an uncompleted state, and
<br /> WHEREAS, the Oity of Portsmouth is without funds
<br /> and the Norfolk Navy Yard is without ~ppropriation to
<br /> complete said projects and the industries of this locality~
<br /> ~are not able at this time to give employment to those now
<br /> engaged in-the Civil Works Program,
<br /> NOW, THEREFORE, Be it resolved by the Council of the
<br /> Oity of Portsmouth, Va., that the Civil Works Administra-
<br /> tion and the Naval authorities be and they are hereby
<br /> urged to continue to completion the projects now in course
<br /> of construction and to authorize such additional projects
<br /> as may be necessary to keep in employment ~during the win-
<br /> ter season the many worthy citizens who would not other-
<br /> wise be employed and that our representatives in the Sen-
<br /> ate of theUnited States and the. House of Representatives
<br /> be requested to endeavor to have this beneficent work con-
<br /> tinued.
<br /> Onmotion of Mr~ 0gg, the~resol~tion, as presented by the City Manager, was
<br />adopted, and Dy the following vote:
<br />
<br />2nd --
<br />
<br />Ayes:
<br />
<br />Nays:
<br />
<br />Vernon A. Brooks, Leslie T. Fox, W.R. Hutchins, Arthtur Mayo,
<br />S~B. Moore, ~Jo Alden Oast, Archibald Ogg - ~.
<br />None.
<br />
<br />"Portsmouth, Va., January 20th, 193~.
<br />
<br />Hon. M.Hillard, Senate of Virginia, Richmond,~Va.
<br />Hon. R.F. MeMurran, House ef Delegates, Richmond, Va.
<br />Non% Robt. ~. Moffat, House of Delegates, Richmmnd,Va.-
<br />
<br />Dear-Sirs:
<br /> Before Mr. M~ffat left Portsmouth t~ .attend 'the State Legislature, I asked him
<br />to prepare and present a bt11 to permit the transfer of the0oroner'S ~tieS in ~ortsmouth to
<br />the 0ity Physiozan. The 0zty Physician can look after the duti~S~.of ~he-09roner along with
<br />his o~her duties, and as he is a full-time employee of the City, this arrangement would save
<br />the city approximately Ninety ($~1.O0) Dollars per month, or Eleven Hundred ($1100.O0) Dollars
<br />per year, which is the amount now being paid the Coroner.
<br /> In view of the urgent n~ed for Powtsmouth to reduce its expenses as much as pos-
<br />sible, I trust it will be your pleasure to see that this bill is enacted.
<br /> I have noticed from press reports recently that there is a move in some circles
<br />to allocate all of the revenue from the sale of liquors, except license taxes, to the State.
<br />I think this would be unjust to the cities for they will have to bear the cost of policing
<br />this business. Therefore, it seems nothing but fair and just that they should have the larger
<br />share of the revenue from this source. I believe the cities' finances are in ne~d of additional
<br />revenue as much as, if not more than, the State, and certainly most gf the cities~ financial
<br />standing is not as good as the State's.
<br /> In view of this, I ~rust you will use your best efforts to see that the cities
<br />get the larger share of revenue from the sale of liquorsl
<br /> I request also that you use your best efforts .in securing a larger allocation of
<br />the gasoline taxes to the cities for use of the public schools. If the cities were allowed a
<br />larger proportion of the gasoline tax for support of the public schools, this would give the
<br />cities a much needed relief and pezVmit them to do more for the schools.
<br /> I consider it imperative that Portsmouth find some way, within the next year or
<br />two, to relieve, to some degree, the tax burden on real estate and also reduce merchants' li-'
<br />cerise taxes. But unless other sources of revenue can be found, I do not see how much can be
<br />done along this line because of our present heavy debt charges which must be met if~t~e City
<br />is to be kept solvent.
<br /> Under date of June 19th, 1933, -I requested the Chesapeake and PotOmac Telephone
<br />Company to reduce their telephone charges and tolls in Portsmouth fifteen per cent in view of
<br />
<br />
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