, 1872-12-03


1888. But the necessities Of that Administra-
tion obliged it to borrow therefrom 81, ,144,-
152, which the present Administration has re-
placed. It will be necessary 20 draw on this
maturing certificates Of Indebtedness. But the
money will be speedily refunded from the re-
ceipts of taxes.
There stood to the credit of the various spec
iel funds Dec. I, 1872, the following amounts:
Water Fund-Balance for tunnel extension,
pumping works, ,etc....,...'.-. go, ,S58
School Building Fund-Ftom sale of bonds,
city Brdewen Fund: HISS
Jonathan BUR- Fund, including interest.... 3s'745
s1.ol7,7o4
Cash On hand Dec. 1, 1872. 81 ,a7o
BoA20 OF PUBLIC woRas' EXPENDITURES.
The expenditures Of the Board Of Public
eight months Of the present fiscal year, and for
which vouchers have been issued, were as fol-
lows 81, 794, $50. This includes all that has
been expended for the restoration and repair Of
burnt public property Of all kinds, including
school houses, bridges, xiaducts... police
stations, engine houses, Water Works, City Hall,
Pnblic Library, and sidewalks, as well as sew-
erage and water extensions. It also includes the
large deficit for deepening the canal in excess Of
the 50. 900 900 authorized by law, amounting to
S276,025, for which certificates Of indebtedness
were issued.
There has been expended since the fire IN re-
building burnt bridges and viaducts the eum
For rebuilding school houses, including furni-
ture and heating apparatus, ,&c..........-..
There @ have been laid in the city since Dec. !,
1871, twenty-one and half miles Of water pipe,
making the total length laid up to this date,
3091z miles. There have been built eight and
one-tenth miles Of sewers since Dec. I, 1871,
which will drain 294 acres. The total length Of
sewers now in this city is 1863 1-10 miles, and
the total area drained thereby is 4,972 acres, or
little less than seven square miles, or double
the space burned over by the great fire. The
total cost of constructing these sewers to date
has been S. 19G,3S6.
The total cost Of the Water Works. including
all expenditures, amounts to about i've and o
quarter millions.
1O0M miles of sidewalk, of which $4,000 feet is
OF stone tagging, being something less than
constructed outside Of the burnt district. The
total length Of Sidewalks destroyed By fire was
estimated By the Board of Public Works at 122
miles.
SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.
I devoted considerable space in my inaugural
message to the subject Of special assessments
for street openings and improvements, and the
uncomfortable position in which certain e1traor-
dinary decisions of the reconstructed Supreme
Court had placed the city; and strongly urged
the Common Council to make no more special
assessments under the existing laws and late
IullIH6 u tuI tOuIts DuIt LII 418W OF I0GB6 uQ-
looked for decisions which oyerthrew all the pre-
vious doctrines of that tribunal on the subject,
to stop I'LL proceedings revoke all lettings where
the same was possible to be done, and
to repeal all new special assessment ordinances
contemplating street paving or street extern
sions, and to require property ty-owners who de-
sired to improve their streets to bargain directly
with the contractors therefor, as it was unsafe
for the city to touch street unless it intended to
foot the bills, as it was simply impossible for it
4o rr1,;o 1,..
by legal means.
This course has been strictly pursued during
the year, and the Board Of Public Works have
not been caught in the legal trap to the amount
of dollar. It is true that street improvements
have nearly come to a standstill, but better that
than incur liabilities for which no appropriations
have been made.
The General Assembly, at its last session, en-
acted an amendment to the charters Of cities,
known as Article X, which provides . new
ceedings, which, it is believed, will meet with
better favor before the Supreme Court. a
large number Of proceedings have been be-
gun under it for street improvements and
extensions. The process is somewhat tedious
and expensive but it is the only mode yet de-
vised safe to pursue, under the peculiar circum-
stances.
Whether the city will be eventually mulcted
special assessments, is not Jet determined. The
Court has modified some of its previous rulings,
and the property who have appealed may
eventually be compelled to pay for the streets
graded and paved for their benefit. But the
city has lost its suit against the Horse Railway
Companies for street paving. The Court has
decided that, under their charters and contracts
with the city, they are not liable to assessment
for grading and paving streets along which their
tracts may rum but arc only bound to keep in
good repair a stipulated width Of street.
There is due contractors for this class Of work
the sum Of S43, $50, which it will become neces-
gary for your honorable body to provide for by
appropriation and tax in the next fiscal year. as
tie Court has decided that neither the property
owners nor the Horse Railway Companies can be
compelled to pay it, but the city must
There is due contractors for work done under
street assessments S210. .130, which the pereons
whose property WAS benefited by the improve
ments refuse to pay, but have taken appeals to
tue Supreme Court. These claims are ia ad-
dition to those involved in tile horse railroad
dispute. The modified rulings Of the Supreme
Court seem TO hold out q prospect that new
assessments may be made in manner pointed
out in the decision, which will enable the city to
collect the BALANCES due and pay of the con-
tractors.
There are nineteen street-opening proceed
ings incomplete by reason Of resistance Of
property-owners in paying their assessments for
benefits received. The total amount assessed
damages for those street openings is s770, ,94o: |
the amount collected for benefits, S577,069. |