Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-03-16

SPECIAL REPoET OF TIE ConfITTEE on PAEKs
AND PUBLIC GRoUEDs-The Committee on
Perks and Public Grounds made the follow
ing special report to the City Council at its
last session, Tuesday evening:
To THE CRY CoUKon:
Gentlemen-TheC Committee on Parks and
Public Grounds, believing that the man
agement of the City Cemeteries, the lead
ing interest in their charge for the past two
years, has been such as to merit their warm
est communication, deem it proper TO sub
nit TO you, in a manner more formal than
is customary from the Standing Committees,
the following special report:
Prior TO the commencement of the term
of Warren G. StedmaD, the present City
Sexton, the book and official records Of that
Office were greatly lacking in system and
clearness. Doubtless the various inoum
bentS of the Office ofCIsy Sexton understood
them while in charge, but many of the
Council remember that former committees,
both general and special, from time to time
reported their inability, fully, to under
stand them. Apart from the manifest i'm
portsnce of having the books aud accounts
of every department of the city, through
which money is passing, kept upon such q
system that its precise condition may be at
any time sscertsined without the aid of any
| official, 1t is clear to every one that the
constantly multiplying records, by which
are preserved the names and precise rest
ing places of the dead, should be kept in
such manner that, at any time, by any per-
son, the precise information can be obtain
| ed, for which such records are kept. Your
Committee are happy to state that our pres
ent City Sexton has inaugurated and per-
fected a sy stem of accounts and records 50
clear and accurate, that without aid from
the Sexton himself, or any one connected
with his Office, any member of the Council,
or citizen, can at any time, ascertain the
precise financial condition of that depart
ment, and also obtain full information 81 TO
the condition of lots, the place of burial of
any individual, and any other matter per-
tanning to place in which are centered 80
many and strong affections ofa circle which
widens with every passing year.
Your Committee would also call attention
to the increasing revenue derived 10 the
city from this department since it has been
under the charge of our present City Sex
ton. Prior to the commencement of his
official term, the receipts to the city, from
this quarter, were comparatively light. The
change in this respect is due, in the opin-
ion of your Committee, to the correct sys-
tenn the exact care, and scrupulous fdeli-
ty with which the City Sexton has devoted
| himself to the duties of his office. The re-
suit of his efforts in this direction may be
seen by the following comparative state
ment derived from reports on file.
1t appears, that for the year ending
March 81, 1861, the total receipts from all
the Cemeteries were $2,5OI "a. By the
City Auditors report of the same year,
there was at the close of the year, 81 ,O7s.-
1 4 < it,4 ba CarnaRarrr
toms report for the year ending March 81 q,
1851, shows the total receipts from all the
Cemeteries to have been 81 $40 80 and the
City Auditors report for the name year
shows deficiency in the Cemetery Fund
of So SO. From the ssme source it appears
that tho total amour received from all the
Cemeteries, for the year ending March 81,
1852 was g, $50 81, and the amount in the
Cemetery Fund at tho close of the year,
$548 81, and for the year ending March
81, 1858, the total receipts were S., ,285 80
and the balance at that time in the Gene
terry Fund was S3,065 81.
For the year ending March 81, 1854,
which was the first year of the present City
Sexton, the total receipts was S., 1882, and
for eleven months of the present year up TO
March l, 1855, the total receipts were SIO,-
863. The balance to the credit of the Gem
etery Fund, March 1. 1865, ss derived from
the Auditors Books, is SI3 ,45O.S9. Thus it
appears that for the four years prior to the
commencement of the term of The present
incumbent, the aggregate receipts from all
the Cemeteries was Sl3, JOY 81, while for one
year and eleven months since, they have
been $I9,s4
At the commencement of the term of the
present City Sexton, there was, as above
stated, in the Cemetery Fund, So ,e65. 81, of
which there was, at the close of the year
ending March l, 1859, already in that fund
from prior accumulstions, l,217 %, show
ing that in the four years prior to March 81,
1854, the increase had been 81, ,s48.3 81, while
for the one year and elev en- months under
the management Of the present Sexton the
increase had been $I0, ,3s4,35. These figures
sufficiently sustain, without comment, the
testimony your Committee bears to the fidel-
ity of the officer who now discharges the
important dutiesO of the Office City Sexton.
Believing that this statement is due to 8
faithful public officer, and will be accepts-
bic, and crafty the community, your Com
mittee submit this special report.
HENRY BLAIR,
AEsEL ROBgRTs,
Com. on Parks and Public Grounds.