The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-05-14

| FOR FREE GAS-BUSINESS FROM THE
LOWER BRANcH-REsoLUTIo &C.
| The regular meeting OF the Board Of AL
dernen was held Yesterday afternoon
President Meredith in the chair. Present
at roll-call: Messrs. Bass, Beall, Crump
| Gasser, Gray, ,Lipscomb, Pickrell, Pitt
Scott, Smith, Spangenburg, Todd, Wagner
Williams, and thinner.
Mr. Todd stated that Mr.. Cannon was alb
sent on account Of sickness.
Mr.. Gasser, on motion Of Mr.. Wagner
was excused from attendance on account oil
| sickness.
STREET IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE YEAR.
Mr.. Todd, from the Committee on Streets,
presented report embodying various
street improvements, which was read.
Mr.. Williams moved to lay the report on
the table until the next meeting.
MIR. Todd suggested that the report be
considered on the last Monday in the pre-.
sent month, in order that the Common Coun-
Gil may consider the report at their June
meeting.
The motion to meet on the last Monday in
this month at 7 O'Clock P. NJ. was agreed to.
The committee also presented a resolution
to pay 1915 to j. D. Smelling for meals
furnished the committee on their tours Of
inspection; $197.31 from the contingent
fund to grade and pave gutter in the alley
on the east side OF First street and west
side Of Second, between DuvaI and Baker
streets, &c. Agreed to. :
The following is the areport OF the Com
mittee on Streets, laid on the table until the
next meeting:
RICHMOND, May 6, 1878.
To the Honorable President and Members
of The Common Council:
Gentlemen,-In presenting the following
report for your consideration the Commit
tee on Streets Generally deems it proper to
explain to your honorable body certain
facts concerning its financial status.
1t will he remembered that the amount OF
money allowed the Street Department for
the present fiscal year was only S25,000.
That this sum is entirely inadequate to
properly and creditably maintain our streets
in repair and to meet the Just demands for
new work which overwhelm your commit
tee from every section Of our growing city
must, Of course, be apparent to the Council.
That the amount OF new work will there
fore be very limited, and that our streets
generally will suffer for the want Of neces.
sary repairs, and consequently deteriorate
in appearance and comfort, must be expect
ed when comparison is made between the
appropriation for this department for the
wear 1878 and the six years which preceded
it-viz.:
Total expenditures on streets and sewers
1872, S12S,523; 1873, $113,185; 1874, $104,-
233; 1875, $103,5l6; 1876, $0S,2G9; 1877,
SS0,77S; total appropriation for streets and
sewers 1878, $6S,097; the appropriations OF
1878 being but little over one half what was
expended in 1872, whilst our area is much
greater.
In making our semi-annual tour OF in-
spection of the streets two weeks since,
your committee was confronted with the
fact that it had at. its disposal only $4,000
or the entire year; for out Of the $25, 900
appropriated February l, 1878. the sum OF
S., 900 was set apart for the Union-Hill ave-
nue., between $4,000 and $4,000 was paid
for the completion OF Brook avenue, and
the remainder was expended in carrying
out various orders Of the Council and in
keeping up the usual street repairs. -
Your committee thought it unwise to at
tempt to stretch this insignificant sum over
the remaining ten months OF the fiscal year
for the reason that, in justice to our con-
tractors as we'll as to the interests OF the city,
whatever work we could undertake ought
to be done promptly and in the best work
ing weather Of the year.
Your committee have, therefore, selected
from the many petitions before them such
pieces Of work in the various wards rs
seemed TO them most urgent.
l. Your committee particularly regrets this
at the present juncture, as it will leave to
the new committee Ito be organized by the
new Council july 1st proXimo) an empty
treasury, whilst our custom has been here
tofore TO leave about one half OF the appro-
priation for the incoming administration.
But not doubling ourselves that we nave
adopted the best course, all things consid-
cred, we content ourselves with presentln
statement OF the necessities which beset
US and the reasons for our action.
We respectfully present the following
resolutions and report for your consdera-
tion and action:
Appropriating from the streetfund 1925 to
place granite curbng on the east side OF
Twenty-tfth street from Broad to Marshall
street 1928 to place four fiaggings on the
south side of Venable street from Pickett to
Twenty-tTth street; $57 to place granite
tagging across Venable street, east side OF
TWenty-ffth street; S1,1S6 from the sewer
fund to extend the culvert on Marshall street
from Twenty-fourth to oTwenty-siXth street !;
s57 from the street fund to place granite
tagging on the east side Of Twenty-fourth
street across NJ street; $500 to pave
with new granite spalls the road-bed
on Franklin street from Fourteenth
street to the tagging on the eastern
line Of New street Tor Exchange alley) ;
1915 to relay the cutters on Franklin street
from Fifteenth street to the western line OF
Seventeenth street; 1906 to grade Twenty
eighth street from its intersection with
Leigh street to it's terminus at P street ;
1882 to pave granite gutter on the west
side OF Twenty-eighth street from Main to
Dock street; 1899 to relay the crossing on
Grace street at the intersection OF Twenty
third street, also to grade Twenty-third
street between Franklin and Grace streets !;
S577 from the sewer fund to construct q
culyert on Twenty-third street from
Main to Franklin street; S170 from
the sewer fund to construct street
inlet at Main and Twentieth streets !;
1919 from the street fund for repaying the
cutters on Fourteenth street from Main TO
Cary street; $500 from the contingent fund
to pave the alley between Main and Cary
and Eighth and Ninth streets, the cost OF
same to be charged to the owners OF prop
erty abutting on said alley-three-fourths
vote required); $3.50 from the street fund
to pave gutter on First street from Fede-
raj to Coutts street; S95 to 1,ave gutter
(cobble stones) on south side OF Baker
street between st. Paul and st. John
streets; that Cave street, extending from
Second sto5 hall way between Fourth and
Fifth streets, be closed as q street, the city
u l. 4~4 4 ~