|
R.O, P.
<br /> 213,
<br />
<br />AUgust 12, 1913.
<br />
<br />Hon. Common Council?
<br /> Gentlemen:-- Your ,Special Committee appointed March ll-18, 1915, "to
<br />
<br />take such immediate action as may be necessary 2n an effort to secur~ the general office build-
<br />
<br />lng of the 9eaboard Ai~ Line Railway for this City" begs leave to report thereon as follows:
<br />
<br /> On the night of Frida~,~July ESth, your Committee met to discuss the report of the Council
<br />Committee and General Commzttes, which had been adopted, and to decide wh~t further to do and
<br />what report to present to the Council.
<br /> There were present at the meeting of the Committee: E. B. Hawks, Jno. Howard Hall of the
<br />Common-Council, and L. H. Davis and C. N. Markham of the Board of Aldermen. His Honor the Mayor
<br />was also present and participated in the discussion.
<br /> Mr~ Sadden, Assistant to the President, having stated at a previous ~eeting that President
<br />Hazahan~would be pleased to see the Committee, and the Chairman of the Council Committee having
<br />been later informed that President~Harah~u would see the committee on Saturday morning, July
<br />B6th, at any hour after 10 a. m., the Committee discussed the advisability of calling on the
<br />gentleman, and finally Mr. E. B. Hawks made the following motion, which was adopted, Mr. Mark-
<br />ham votingN_p_o~
<br /> Resolved, That the Chairman of the Committee phone Mr. Seddon tomorr$w morning, July B6th,
<br />and ask him if President Harahan desired to see the Committee~ with the view of presenting a
<br />new phase of the So A. L. Offices, or is he willing to gr.~'t the Committee a hearing under the
<br />impression that the Committee desired to see him.
<br /> This was done and the following reply was received:
<br /> Mr. Harahan expected the Committee to wait upon him to either aceept~or reject the propo-
<br />sition made to.the B. M. A. Committee.
<br /> To which, after giving this reply to several members of'the committee, I again called Mr.
<br />~eddon and told him that, after having gotten.in touch with some of the Committee, ou~ reply was,
<br />not having been delegated by the Ooun~it with any authority ~o accept or reject any proposition,
<br />it was useless for us to come under s~c~cOnd~tio~s, and that all ,that was left for the .Commit-
<br />tee to do was to make its report to the Oouncil~
<br /> To which Er. Seddon replied~ that to a question if M-r~ Harahan would see the Committee,'he
<br />re~lied yes. Th~ ietter sent by him to the B~ M. A, had not been answered, and Mr. Harahan had
<br />been waiting for the rep~y and fe~sls that if he receives none he will have to act without it;
<br />but that it is the~d~sire of the President to co-operate with. the City of Portsmouth and to pleas~
<br />the citizens as far as possible.
<br /> To a question from me if the letter of President Har~han to the B. M, A.'embodied all that
<br />he was willing to do, he replied, that that letter expressed his conclusion of the matter.
<br /> Wi~h the above statement in the hands of the Committee and a most exhaustive statement of
<br />the p~ltion of the City having been previously submitted to Mr. Harahan by Messrs. Sherwood,
<br />gawks and Hatton, and the Committee having no authority from~the Council to make to the President
<br />on behalf of ~he Cit~ any proposi~ion, or to accept from him any proposition, there was nothing
<br />left for it to do, except p~esent its~report~
<br />
<br />(Signed)~ Jno. Howd. Hall,
<br /> Chairman.
<br />
<br /> Together with report of the Council Committee was a report also of the sub-committee Frank
<br />L. Crocker, Jno. W. Happer, and W. G. Parker, appointed by the General Committee on the S..A. L~
<br />Ry. Offices; and embodying sundry communications between Mr. Harahan, the B. M. A. and general
<br />business bodies, between November ll, 151~, and June 25, 1913.
<br />
<br /> The report, with accompanying papers, having been 'read~ the Chairman, Mr. Mall, discussed
<br /> quite fully the various et.eps taken to secure the S. ~. L. Ry. officzs for this City and the re-
<br /> sults reached; but he stated further that there wac no definite promise given by Mr. Harahan to
<br /> retain the ~50 clerks in the City, nor was any definite time specified for retaining them.
<br /> Mr. gawks moved that the C~ncil accept the report, adopt the following resolution recom-
<br /> mended by the sub-committee, and instruct the Clerk to forward a copy of the resolution to the
<br /> President of the Seaboard Air Line Railway: "Resolved, That~t~e ~2ty-of Portsmouth will consider
<br /> the removal of any of the general offices of the Seaboard_Air Line Railway from this city as a
<br /> violation of the moral obligation of the road ~o the city, and as a breach of the 1Qng friend-
<br />,ship '~
<br /> existing between tn~ city and the road." .
<br />.mightEr..Hall then moved that the privilege of the floor be accorded to any citizen pre~ent who
<br /> wish to discuss the matter. The motion was adopted.
<br /> ~Whereupon, Mr. ~ ~ Moo~e took the floor in opposition to the ~esolution, remarking that
<br /> its adoption would mean Mr. Harahan's rejection of his prOpOsition to retain the $~ clerks in
<br /> this City.
<br /> However, the motion by Nr. Hawks was adopted and by the following vote:
<br /> ~yes--Corbitt,
<br /> Hall~ Parrish~~ Hanvey~ Herbert, ~Johnson, Walker, Cross~ Withy, Tyler~ Hawks,
<br /> Hutchine, Parker, Beisel~ !~.
<br />
<br />The report of the sub-committee with accompanying papers were ordered to file.
<br />
<br />men
<br />
<br /> UNFINISHED ~JSINESS.
<br />First. Matters adopted by. the Common Council Ju~y~ ~8%~,and~ reierr~d" ~
<br />for-concurrence.
<br />
<br />to the Board
<br />
<br />of Alder-
<br />
<br /> To refer to Street Committee a bid of Virginia~Railway & Power
<br />street, between ~ffingham street and ~nth avenue
<br /> Concurred in.
<br />
<br />Co. for a fr~anch~se on High
<br />
<br /> To inst~ct the City Attorney to take steps for acquiring the land of Mr. Frederick~Alle~,
<br />Miss Lizzie Townsend, and Mr. Morris Katz, for the extension of Dinwiddie street southward.
<br /> Concurred in.
<br />
<br />To authorize the Finance Committee to have ~ouoher drawn and payment made of amount, approx-
<br />imating $8,000.00, due the contractors for worko. er~ormed~ in paving upper High street, when bills
<br />for same ars orooerlv aonroved_ and zn v~o~ ~ ~ ~+ ~ .... , ..... .~ ....
<br />
<br />
<br />
|