Minutes 01/10/1922 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Janua=y 10~ piece of land owned by the Seaboard Wharf and Warehouse Company, bounded by the River, Cat Hole, First Street e~nd Bart St~ This ~iece of land if thus obtained will cost the City nothingL There is now a gQod ~Omta~e on the Cat Hole for sm~ll boats, and sufficient space on the East end ~or small ~t~mersv~$un~ng through the 0aaals to ~orth Carolina to lan~. If, later on, more space is desired for small boa~s, Bart St~ could be dredged out as far West as the line of First St. This location h~s the advantage of being convenient to the wholesale and retail business section and the City Market. The resolutions of the City Council ~o not inotude ~mong the subjects to be considered the establishment of municipal docks and w~rehousss for the storage and h~ndling of freight for fore£gn shipment. We feel however, that it will not be out of place to call the a~ttention of the 0ouncil to the desirability of establishing such facilities in Portsmouth, in a locatic~ convenient ~or the several Railroads. We believe that the first step,.in such ~ development should be ~he construction of an up-to-dmte cotton compress, as with cotton as a nucleus for foreign shipment it shoul~ not be difficult to induce manufacturers of other commodities, designed for foreign shipment, to consign such freight to a municipal dock in Portsmouth~ It is probable that Xarge consignments of tobacco now sent abroad from the Nor folk side of the river could be handled fro~ ~ ~unicipal ~ock, as we have in Portsmouth large tobacco warehouses owned by the Imperial Tobacco Company~ Freight. steamers are consigned to piers where the greatest bulk of freight is assembled, and if we put in Portsmouth a municipal dock, with suitable warehouses, and ~ o~tton compress, the camtoad f~eight for foreign shipment hauled into this Port by the S.A.L., Southern, and · .C.L. Railways could be assembled at such a~munieipal dock instead of be'in~ transferred as at present via barges or the ~orfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Ry. to the Norfolk side of the river. We believe that with such facilities for foreign shipments, the land &djaoent ~o the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Ry. between the.Western and Southern Branches of the Elizabeth River will be developed by industries engaged in the manufacture of lumber, machinery, farm implements and other commodities necessary for balancing cargoes for ocean going vessels. ~nis suggestion should of course be carefully investigated by persons having infor~ktion on the subject and who would estimate with mccurao~ the cost of construction and operation of docks ~d warehouses, and the revenue that would be received. The recent drastic reduction of the working force in t~e Navy Yard, ~nd the obvious in- tention of the Government to curtail the activities of th~s Yard to a point where the number of men having steady employment will be n~gligible, create-a ~ost serious stituation for our community, amd makes ~he quesmion of attracting additional industriesf0r the employment of our idle skilled andunskilled labor a matter of first importance for the consideration of the City Government. Paragraph "E" "The housing proposition as it affects the City proper.and outlying territory." There are ample housing mocommo~tions in the class of average rental values. There is some demand for houses in residential locations where the cost and rental charges would be comparatively high. It is the opinion of your committee that the existing condition of unemployment has solved the housing problem, and that when activity is resumed in industrial plants,'the building of new houses will naturally follow and afford ample housing facilities. You~ s truly, Norman Cassell W, H. Colein, Jr. C. D~ Freeman W~ L. Davis John A. Norris Chas~ R. Welton R. L. McMurran J. R~ Stewart L. NeE. Jack E. W. Maupin, Jr. Commt tte~o ~ Whereupon, Mr. Whi~ offe~ed the following resolution, which was adopted: "REEOLVED, That the report of the Committee of~'Ten be received and filed for ~u _~e re ferenQe~ smd'that the City Mmnager .be instructed to ~e~somally investigate the se~eral ~tems co,rated therein andreport tO Council ~s early as POssible lity Ox putting the various suggestions in operation; ama that the tham. kS of the Council expressed by letter ~o each member of said Committee of Ten. "RESOLVED FURTHER, That this Oouncil feels that whi'le the res~oluticn appointing the Com- mittee of Ten automatically discharges t~e Committee upon the sending of this, report, ~hey wish the Committee to remain in existence and the Council would 'be pleased to rSceive any further recommendation they might .make." Next, the Finance Committee made the following report: