The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-02


animation am gratned in being able to say that
the work OF construction will begin in the coming
spring. Much difficulty has been met with III OBJ
tanning information a 90 what there was or is to
build upOn no plans OF the masonry OF the Wire
Bridge being IN existence The importance OF this
bridge means OF protection TO our citizens using
Bridge street from the Wire Bridge westward Is
beyond measure: for the want OF it the lives of many
The Councils OF last year by ordinance created a
Paid Fire Department and elected Board OF Com
missioners. TO organize and arrange this depart
ment will require time, energy, and Judgment We
have yet TO learn whether the hopes entertained by
It's friends Will be realized hopes not only or ue.
creased destruction Of property, lc sened rates of
insurance. less disturbance OF the public peace, but
hopes that our youth and young men may escape
the communicating influences that for years past
have emanated from the engine ana hose houses,
despite the influence Of many good and true men
experiment is a new one IN our city, and TO succeed
will require fostering care and support Let the
effort have fair trial. Let IL stand or fall upon its
our citizens were authorized to vote at the octo-
her election upon site for the public buildings
very large majority votad in favor Of locating them
at Penn Square. because Of the urgent necessity
for these buildings is to be regretted that the as5
SelectCounci refused to authorize the special tax
for the amount required by the Commissioners.
Unless this neglect be speedily Temedied by the pre-
sent Councils, their den ands must be paid from the
FUNDS raised for the annual appropriations, and at
the end Of the year we shall find deficiency to the
amount used By them. We should do our part in
executing the expressed will OF the people. The law
may not suit our views and wishes, but while we
In the effort of procuring better supply Of water
much progress has been made during the past year.
One of the reservoirs st Belmont has been partly
competed,s 80 as to enable supply to be drawn, and
water is now distributed from 1t. One OF the pump
ing engines OF the Worthngton patent contracted
for is in operation and has proved complete sue
cess, fulfilling in every particular all that was
ella lined for iC by It's builder The connecting main
from this pent to supply the Twentieth and Twenty
eighth wards will soon be completed, and viii give
sequence Of leaks which were difcult to lind, water
is now being pumped into the RoxborOugh Reser-
voir and the mains connecting that with the Mount
Germantown and its vicinity an increased supply of
water The embankments for the new reservoir ut
KensiDgton ale finished to the required height ready
for lining next summer.
More than one half OF the 3S-inch ascending main
for this work has been laid. either work, either
finished in progress, will be detailed more fully in
the annual report from the Water Department.
| regret that no system OF streetp paving better
than the cobble. stones has yet been determin ed
upon. Many experiments are on trial, and In course
OF time results may be Obtained that will justify the
| Highway Department In reporting favorably upon
| something better, more convenient and economical
The commission charged with the purchase Of
and maintaining our beautiful park are progressing
carefully with their work, ana as expeditously as
circumstances VIII permit. An examination OF
submitted TO you, will give you better idea Of the
magnitude ana Importance OF their work than can
here. 1t must not be forgotten that we have a far
| more useful purpose III the purchase of so large
tract of land and devoting it TO public uses than
| mere pleasure. The SO 100000 heretofore appro-
prated, twice told, if much should be required,
| would be trle compared with the preservation OF
the purity OF the present source for supplying the
city with water, AMI the cost Of procuring it from
: any other source yet known, and submit to you
! that every dollar expended for the purchase OF
ground for our park whereby preserve the purity
OF the Schuylkl water is just that much more
money expended for the health and webeing of
| cur constituents, even of those who may never be
| within the park limits.
An appropriation has been made for lighting the
lamps OF our city all and every night this year. In
addition the convenience it 10 Thought tas mea-
sure will be equal TO on additional police force.
trust ii may be so, yet with the continually expand
! ing limits of growing city, respectfully sug"
gest that more men are needed and that increase
| Of cur police force is absolute necessity which
cannot ignore without great injury 20 the inter-
ests entrusted TO US. ask your careful considera
tiOn OF The matter, that you may by your enact
| ment make Judicious increase Of the present
force, or seek such other legislative aid as shall
seem best to you.
Tie constant growth of our city requires in
creasng expenditures for the opening, grading and
| Lighting OF our streets, the building Of school
houses the construction Of water works, and pro-
per system OF drainage. These and many other i'm
provements that our citizens everywhere petition
for demand inquiry aa to how, when, and where we
to Obtain the means required for these purposes.
Upon ali sides we hear complaints Of high staXes,
and respectfully submit that it is duty to
| fully examine this subject BY a comparison of our
| system Ot assessing property real and personal,
with that in use elsewhere, it may be found that we
from the same resources raise a revenue suni-
cient to meet all onr expenditures with much less
tax rae aud without resortg to the present method
! Of creating loans, and aCcumulaung debt burden
| some 10 posterity. By The general law great
amount OF personal property can be and is taxed in
| all the cities towns, and villages outside OF Phia-
| delphia. Why should it not be so here? cannot
| think that any community can be prosperous on
unequally divided. Is 1t right that capital whether
invested in houses or lands machinery, goods, wares
merchandise, or stocks, should be unwilling 10 beal
its proper share of the expense of that protecting
| and fost ring care which IL requires and should
| always receive?
In the cities OF Pittsburg, Newark, New York ant
| Boston, and elsewhere every kind of property
whether real personal, including debts due, are
subject 10 and co1nDeted TO Pay proportion Of tht
| annual tax. Weconsequently find that New York
with its Immense expenditures for 1859, required
tax levy OF only 1921 upon the Sl00 of valuation
Boston but sl,37 upon the 500; while the owners o.
real estate in Philadelphia were compelled to pay
$3.50 upon the 500. On examination as to the
OF the great differ encc we nud by comparison o
the asseasment returas OF the two cities with Ou
own th01 here personal property pays little or nt
tax. while with the others it bears its equal share
For the year 1869 the returns OF taxable property
In New York were as follows:
Real estate. foS+, l53 VI
Personal, Isl, l42OS
s9G532e, 6l
Tax, S2'27 upon 800 valuation.
For the same year in Boston,
Real estate Observation-Disclosures .sS32, ,O5l 80
Personal 2l7459, 10
S549,5l 90
Tax rate, s1'87 upon 500 valuation.
For the same year in Philadelphia
Real estate $40 sol 50
Personal 5lSS, 81
sl79,O4O,07
Tax rate, sl 50 upon 500 valuation.
Can it be possible that S., lSSST3 is the sum tOta
OF the whole personal property OF all Philadelphia
with its warehouses and its stores, its fOundries an
its factories, its mills and its workshops, and til
machinery therein, its merchandise, stocks bonds
and tho other investments including furniture
horse ma carriages? II has been said that thes
returns are noC more complete because our stat
same laws operate in Pittsburg. There and thrOugi
out the State, even on our borders we lind the law
strong enough and good CROUCH TO procure retur
sufcient to justify tax levy very much below ou
OWD.
Cannot We men, without retardin9 either entel