The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-16

q
1000, GOO gallons, for which we receive S17
: or at the rate Of 1880 per million gallons
sum rldiculously disproportioUate to Il
value Of the article furnished. The misfo
tune is that while the city gets lftsfe, man
OF the people who pay all they are asked r.
ssiye no equivalent. These are the twoeVi
to be remedfeGf. s. =, n<s. u,t Il
1append table Of comparison of tnetw
1886 years: " :>.,@ "ae.:3 - s.... ~:
Receipts. 81" 1878. - 1915 y
From water rents ,-,.~ .s5s,ss7. 4S se2,o4e 4
| Expenses.
| Current expeuses...-.... 25,IGO. 90 3994S 8.
sifsoz 5ss g
Total. 80. ..slso, 400 70 ss1o,5o7 4
curIeua espense.....- ss,es7 4s 81 ,os7 81
| The report of the Chief Ebgineer of the
Fire Department contsins the usual iuforEla
| tion concerning the FIRE record 90 TIE year
| The Department was called out sepenty.si1
| times during the year, being thirty-two times
| oftener thln.the year before, and the aegre.
gate Of loss was 1910, ,a4O, ,seainst JED, PCS the
preceding year. Ofthis large amount Of loss
SS74,000 was the result Of the burning Of the
Touring mills Of Haxall, Crenshaw & Co., on
ithe evening Of the 4th of April. .
The equipmeBs Of the forue,is 10. GOOD COZ
ditiou ;and The Chief Eugiuser reports that
in view of the prompt response of the Coun-
cilito his requests for new engiHe.hoase,
steamer, and hoserconpany. hehas no further
suggestion to maSe at this tune by Way Of
Improvement. .. a.. ...: ,-.r
Ihave already called attention. to the dcsis
rableness of separating the Third. police.
station from the quarters: Of Company "DzI7
at the corner of Marshall street and Brook
avenue. .a,:.
The appropriationafor current expenses OF
S35, GOO was not exhausted during the year.
Iam'gad to be able to endorse the e1gi-
neer's praises of the efficiency aud good con.
duct OF his force. Their zeal, promptitude,
and faithful work, VIXEN called on deserve
all his Communications. ''s.. VI
THE PUBLIC: SCHOOLS. .ir .,s,..t... ..
The school reports, as / have heretofore
observedL lose much OF their interest from.
the circumstance that the school session
closes nine months befors- the period Of au-
nual report, and all the statistics regarding it
have long been before the public. 49,.
uc sCuOOlS ulC uOW IuiI, duu pTOFA5fO0
must soon be made for enlarging the accom-
modations for the children in the western
portion of the city, where. the chief growth
in population Is TO be found. The erection
of plain building, something after the plan.
Of the Madison school Corner OF Cary and
Madison streets), may be accomplished, it is
hoped. with little aid from the oity, BY the
sale of the properly now known as the Brook
Avenue school, which is quite unsuited to.
its purposes, and the sale OF 4 large amount
of the vacant portion of the square on which
the Baker school (c0lOred) now stands, if
there shonId lie any early reyiyalof the prices
of real estate.
do not feel it necessary to add more than
cordial endorsement OF the Superintead-
ent's invitation to parents to visit the schools
in which their children are taught frequently
and without notice. 1t is the earnest desire
of the Board, and the preference Of the oili-
GERS and teachers, that there should be no.
thing like drcS'-plrades and formal exhibit
tons for the benefit Of visitors. We desire
what the visitors may see and hear to be the
regular daily routine work, and this is not
only not interfered with by visitors who con-
duct themselves properly, but is helped by
them especially. II those visitors are plrents.
The child who secs his father and mother
interested in bis study finds bis own interest
quickened, and it is q material aid TO the
teacher to feel that she may rely on sympa.
thy, if not active assistance, at home.
As each year passes feel it to be matter
of special rejoicing that the confidence OF the
people in the system grows, and that we
escape the difficulties and eDmtles which in
| so many quarters impede public education.
Perfection may be predicated OF no human
institution or endeavor. Our chance OF ap'
proacbing it is very much in the ratio OF the
numbers interested in its attainment and
the energy and honesty of their efforts to
reach it. 1t is therefore matter always OF
satisfaction to witness honest inquiry into
and candid criticism upon this comparatively
new work; and it is especially becoming
that the Council should foster every fair
move in that direction by personal inyesti-
CATION. l hope, therefore, that the lntelll-
gent gentlemen who form the committees IN
YOUR two branches on the public schools
may find it convenient to make frequent and
uunannoupced school visits, 10 see for them
selves the result Of the outlay Of the Coun-
ell for the education of our youth and The
methods and instruments by which they are
attained.
The condition and character Of the litiga-
ton in which the city is concerned being q
matter in which all the citizens are concern
ed. l requested the City Attorney to pre-
pare for Inc a list of the causes pending In
the courts to which Richmond IS party,
with a brief abstract Of the points involved,
and an account of the stage of proceedings
ip each. His report will be found herewith.
Cases are pending in the Supreme Court OF
Appeals, with prospect OF early declsiol,
involving the right Of the city to prohl0lt
the use by the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac railroad Of steam engines on
Broad street; the right to tax bank shares
owned by non-residents the right to im-
,ose license upon foreign corporations
doing business here; and the existence and
extent of the llaullity of the city for ne e.sonal
damage said TO be occasioned by the eondl'
ton of her sidewalks.
In all these cases the judgments OF the
courts below have been favorable tc'the CITY,
and the attorney expresses more or Tess con-
ideptly his opinion that the original Judg'
ments will be affirmed. 49,
The only case of special interest In the
lower tribunals is one involving the ilaolilly
of the city for the redemption Oh Tue sDaii
notes issued during the late war. The matter
wos decided fayorably to the city In another
cause sus af,oH by the supreme Court ot the United
states but the Plaintiffs have Instituted other
action actions, "a. apparently with the view Of con,
timing the litigation to the Sale trlounah. ~
IS M not likely that this purpose will be attained
and if moi il is quite certain, that the su
nreme Court of the United States ~ht aann'
| its first decision.
| coSCLUsIDe..
| 7 cannot conclude this message w'thoas
word Of meritea commentators ei Tue re