|
Ma~ch E$,1921
<br />
<br />bills~
<br />
<br />We have been advised by the City Attorney that the City can not legally pay these
<br />
<br /> (signed} L~ G, Vnite, Chairman.
<br />
<br /> On motion, the report of the CommitTee was adopted, and by the following vote:
<br />
<br /> Ayes-- Brooks, Esleeok, Smith, Hall, Hutohins, Oast, Whites ?~
<br />
<br /> The following communications were read from the City Manager:
<br /> lst~ Notice of the resigna-
<br />tion of Miss Bessie Smith, nurse in the Deparmment of Public Welfare, effective March 9, 1921,
<br />~nd the appointment of Miss Minnie Williams to fill this vacancy, effective March lC, 1921.
<br /> On motion, the notice was ordered to be filed.
<br /> 2nd. Request that the $1Z,OlO. appropriated from current funds for Fire House on Lincoln
<br />street~ be ~ppropriated from Bond Fund. ~
<br /> On motion~ the request was referred to the Finance Committee~
<br />
<br /> 3rd. Enclosing a report on restaurant prices in Portsmouth as comp~ed with those in
<br />neighboring cities. "An investigation of these prices was made by Dr. B~ R. Smith.~nder the
<br />~up~vision of Dr. L, J. Roper, in ~orfo!~, Portsmouth, Newport Ne~s, Petersburg and iohmond.
<br />A study of the average prices found shows that these prices a~e lower in Richmond and Peters-
<br />burg than in Portsmouth. Prices in Norfolk and Newport News are, however, higher than in Ports-
<br />mouth and seem to be generally the highest of the five cities visited~
<br /> On motion, the report was ordered to be filed.
<br />
<br /> 4th. Submitted the following ordinance regulating jitney traffic:
<br /> An Ordinance Providing
<br />License Fees, Rules and Regulations for the Operation of ~Jitneys" in the City of Portsmouth.
<br /> The following being his communication concerning same:
<br /> "I am ~ransmitting herewith draft
<br />of ordinance regulating jitney traffic, which has been prepared by the City Attorney% I have
<br />gone over this ordinance carefully with the legal representatives of the $1tney cLriv~rs a~d ~
<br />these gentlemen were satisfmed wi~h~ll the clauses of the ordinance, excepting the one pro-
<br />posing bond~
<br />
<br /> Since my conference with them a clause has also been added automatically ~evoking the
<br /> driver's license in case of conviction.
<br />
<br /> The question of bond is one which must be very carefully considered, it is my personal
<br /> opinion th~t~it should be required, as by no oth$~ means can the City and travelling public
<br /> be protected. ~n fmirnese to the $iiney drivers, I deem it proper to point out that the impee-
<br /> Sion of this bond will put many of them out of business~ I have, however~ tried to view the
<br /> m~tter from the standpoint of the w~lfare of the whole City and the !0~trons of the jitney
<br /> line rather than that Of the drivers a~d fro~ that ~iewLpoint, I~oa~ me~ no other alternative
<br /> than to require the ~ondo As 16rig as there m~e no accidents, the~e is no need of the bond,
<br /> but undoubtedly there will be an accident and a serious aooldent at some time in the future
<br /> ~nd when that oc~urs, unless there is some redmess for persons injured or fo~ relatives of
<br /> those killed, very serious criticism of the City goverrm~ent will result. I may point out that
<br /> bonds are required in numerous cities and in Atlanta, Ga~ a progressive and modern city, a
<br /> bond of $5~000 ie required~
<br />
<br /> The ordinance fixes the minimum number of seats mt four (4). It .is my opinion thatif
<br /> the jitney transportation iS to continue,~ it must~eventually be done by incorporated companies
<br /> with a prope~ oapital stock, in order to insure ~espo~sible and efficient service. With this
<br /> in view, it might be well to PUt an additional oAause in the ordinance stating that after two
<br /> (2) ye~re from date of its passage, no jitney with a seating capacity of less ~ha~ eight (8)
<br /> will be permitted. This would permit the owners of sm~ller ji~ an oppD~tunity to either
<br /> go out of business without much loss o= to secure.bodies of larger cap~cit~."
<br />
<br /> ~Whe~e~pon, ~r. Brooks moved that the privilege of the ft~or be gr~nted to any la~y
<br /> present who ~esired to speak on the proposed ordiDanoe. One l~y spoke, saying she was opposed
<br /> to the bond ~$quired in the ordinance.
<br />
<br /> ~Then o~o~ion, the ordinance was placed on its first reading~
<br />
<br /> 5th. Stgomitted the following recommendations with regard to abs~udonment of the County
<br /> St. line and the Park View~$emetery line by the Virginia Railway & Power Co.:
<br />
<br /> "As directe~l by the Council at its meeting on March 15th, I have the honor to s~omit the
<br /> following ~ecommendations in regard to the mbandonment of the County St. line a~d the P~rk
<br /> View-Cemetery line, by the Virginia Railway & ~ow&r Co.:
<br />
<br /> "1. County Street line.~ This line is paralleled throughout its length by the High Street
<br /> line at a distance varying from two to three blocks. The section mraversed by this line, ex-
<br /> cepting its western end is a colored section.
<br />
<br /> "As shown ~y the statement of the Virginia Railway & Power Co~, the line has ios~ heavily
<br /> during the ~ast year. Its suspension will be a loss to the employees of the Seaboard Air Line,
<br /> but under the proposed jitney routing, both the Seabomrd Air Line employees and the people in
<br /> the vicinity of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Avenues will be served by jitneys running on County
<br /> Street vi~ Sixth Avenue to High, thence east ~n ~igh~
<br />
<br /> "The portion of the Sixth Aven~e line west of High Street should be connected with High
<br /> Street. This will cover the territory known as Scottsviile and mlso the southern portion
<br /> of Shea's farm into which the line shoul~ be extended as soon as the increase of population
<br /> on the ~ea tract justifies itc
<br />
<br />
<br />
|