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January 25, 1921
<br />
<br /> Personally I would prefer that these charges taken the usual course without counsel to
<br />represent the Director of Public Safety although I will raise no objection to theCity Attor-
<br />ney complying with the wishes and expressed directions of thetCouncil.
<br />
<br /> "Yours~t~uly,
<br />
<br />J. Davis Reed, Director of Public Safety~"
<br />
<br />On motion, the communication was ~ord~ed to be filed.
<br />
<br /> A communication was read from the City Attorney asking that the Council appropriate the
<br />sum of $151.91, to cover the settlement of $125. and cost of $26.91, to compromise the~suit
<br />of E. G. Smith vs. the City of Portsmouth, such comDromise having been agreed upon by Captain
<br />Happer, former City Attorney, and Mr. S. M. Brandt, attorney for M~r. Smith.
<br /> On motion, said communication was referred to the Finance Committee.
<br />
<br /> A communication was read from the City Attorney with reference to the instructions ~f the
<br />Council to him to immediately proceed in court to compel the Telephone Company to install the
<br />automatic phone in Portsmouth. He stated that since the meeting of the Council January llth,
<br />he has been approached by the representatives ~f the Telephone Company with the idea of af-
<br />fecting a compromise ~f the matter, if possible, and has been requested by them hot to begin
<br />Co'drt ~prooeedings ~ntil their General Counsel has had a chance to confer with the City ~ttorney.
<br />Believing them sincere in their effort to settle the controversy, and being assured that this
<br />conference would be held within aweek, he agreed to take no action until they had seem him
<br />again.
<br /> In this connection, Mr. Brooks, Chairman of the Telephone Committee, stated that he,
<br />with the Manager and City Attorney, had conferred with the Officials of the Telephohe Company,
<br />mnd~d dzr~ous~ed~Jwi~h~ s~i~0o~pany'four propositions, which the Company has taken under ad-
<br />visement.
<br /> Whereupon, the action of the C~ty Attorney and Committee were concurred in.
<br />
<br /> NEW BUSINESS
<br />
<br />The following communication was read from/the Harrison Ward Ci~.i~ and Improvement ~ea~ue:
<br />
<br />and
<br />
<br />il adopted and
<br />
<br /> "Portsmouth, Va., January 19, 1921.
<br /> "To the Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council,
<br />City Manager, of the City of Portsmouth, Va.
<br />
<br /> "Gentlemen:--
<br /> St a meeting of the Harrison Ward Civic and Improvement League, held January
<br />19El, after a liberal discussion of=the subject, the folloW, lng resolution was unanimously
<br /> ordered sent NeE for your oonsidera~ion:
<br />
<br /> "'Whereas, ~n Sept. 25 we outlined in a oommunY~oation to the Cit~UManager and later con-
<br />veyed him with the City Engineer over the ward, ~ line of temporary improvements, some of which
<br />the engineer was instructed to attend at that time, ~ut to date there seems to have been ab-
<br />solutely no action taken, and,
<br />
<br /> "'Whereas, The neglect of doing this work at the proper time has cmused these streets to
<br />beco~e~practieally impassible~ Mr. John L. Cherry, operating a laundry on Center Ave. andpay-
<br />lng $165.00 a Tear license, i~ ~nable to get h~s trucks in and out of this street, owing to
<br />~he ~d, ptorable condition of smme, and,
<br />
<br /> "'Whereas, The trash and garbage collected in the ward, consisting of glass bottles
<br /> tin cans, have been dumped in holes on Charleston Ave. and A St., making it impossible for
<br />.'automobiles to travel with any degree of economy to tires as well as being insanitary, and
<br />
<br /> "'Whereas, the mmjority of the streets in this ward are in such a deplorable condition
<br />that merchants have refused to make deliveries:~and,
<br />
<br /> "'Whereas, The League feels it has affected a saving to the City of approximately $15,O00.90
<br />bY not insisting upon the compliance of the cour~ order of the decree of annexation by main-
<br />raining fire and police protection and that in lieu of this, the City officials should bend
<br />every effort toward effeoting relief from the conditions aforesaid, mhd
<br />
<br /> "'Whereas, We again respectfully sub, it the following schedule
<br />~onsideration; streets to be.~improved:- Center Ave.; Richmond Ave.;
<br />Ave.; Des Moines Ave.; Air Line Ave.; Piedmont Ave.~ Jefferson
<br />
<br />for your most favorable
<br />Charleston Ave.; Lansing
<br />
<br /> "We also urge the continuation
<br />more satisfactory routes ~o Craddock,
<br />Of the ward.
<br />
<br />of Chestnut St. from O'Neil St. to l~aradise Creek as the
<br />which would also be a connecting link for both sections
<br />
<br /> "Installatien of lights on the following corners:
<br />R~ndolph & Richmond; Center Ave. & Pine St.
<br />
<br />Chestnut & Gayle; Jefferson & Des Noines;
<br />
<br /> "'Therefore Be ~t Resolved, That a copy of th~se resolutions be mailed to the Honorable
<br />~ayor, C~ty Council, ~nd City Manager, with the request that said City officials afford us re-
<br />lief from these intolerable conditions by applying a satisfactory remedy, at the same time pre-
<br />serving our streets, which will be a credit to the community instead of an eyesore and germ
<br />laden wilderness.
<br /> "Reepeotfully~yours,
<br /> "L. B. Barclay, Jr., Se'ty."
<br />
<br /> The resolutions having been read, Mr. Brooks moved that theprivilege of the floor be
<br />extended to a committee of three from Harrison Ward to present their complaints.
<br />
<br />
<br />
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