Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-02-08
THE CITY FATHERS.
MESSAGE OF MAYOR BALTHIS-GENERAL
CONDITION OF THE CITY-THE FINAN-

/
CONDITION OF THE CITY-THE FINAN-
CEs,
| &C., &C., sc.
The Council met on Tuesday night with
President Fultz in the chair and Messrs.
Abby, Bledsoe, Burke, Byers, Cochran,
Powell, Todd, Weller and Witt around
the board. The following BUSINESS was
transacted:
Reports Of Conamittees.-Finance Com
mittee, through Mr.. W itz, granting the
petitions of Miss Kate Nelson. j. g. Schef-
fer and Frank Ware, and that it had
disposed Of ST., 172 of city bonds. Street
Committee, through Mr.. Burke, reported
granting the petition of Misses Baldwin
and McClung of the Augusta Female Sem
nary asking sewerage facilities. The re-
| port was adopted, Mr.. Todd dissenting.
Water Committee, through MI. Byers, re-
| ported granting the petitions of D. F.
johnson, W. A. Burke, W. A. Burke, W.
| A. Hudson, Thos. Taylor, VIM. Irvine and
| r. G. Blckle and rejecting those Of Levi
Shaver and Virginia Halter. Poor Com
account of Overseer Kurtz for January
being $3.50 which is ST. less than thesame
month last year.
Resol1tions.-By Mr.. Todd, lnquiring
| into the contract with the Staunton Gas
Company.
Petitions petition of Jno. W.
Cline, the occupants of the Court House
| Alley law offices, the Board of Supervisors
of Augusta, D. B O'RoSke, J. Fl. Camp
| bell, J. B. Scherer, Jr., and Of an insurance
company asking to convert Stapnton cou-
pom bonds, held by them, into registered
bonds, were referred.
The Water Works. The Finance Com
mittee reported that they had turned over
the remaining 5000 due Menifee & Par
| kins and taken their receipt in full for all
claims. A resolution offered by Mr.. Coch-
ran rendering the thanks Of the Council to
! the Special Water Committee for the
| faithful and efficient manner in which they
| had dis charged their duty, was unani-
mously adopted. A petition was received
| from Messrs. Menifee Il Parkins, asking
| payment of interest on the bonds withheld
| from them after the city was enjoying the
| service of the water works, and setting
| forth that they had been compelled to put
in another well by the engineer, which did
no better than the one condemned. They
also offer to sell the city 500 perches of
| rock, which they have on hand, because Of
| an over estimate by the engineer. Nh.
Witt said the water works, including in
| terest, cost $1,000 year, and the water re-
ceipts were only 81, 200 year.
The City 1reasurer's Ofice.-Mr. Witt,
| from the Finance committee reported
having examined the accounts of Mr., Jno.
M. Carroll, City Treasurer, and found them
correct, and the work of the office we'll
done. The delinquent list was the small
est for many years, and the committee
could not too highly commend the Treas
urer and his assistants. The delinquent
capitation and income tax were only $3.50,
and the real estate $193. 1t was the small
est delinquent list the city ever had.
Clerk of Cona'aitees.-Mr. T. N. Argen-
bright was employed to do the clerical
work of the committees, at the rate of 800
per annum. Messrs. Todd and Witt voted
against the resolution on the ground of
economy.
The TreasawY.-Treasurer Carroll re-
ported SIT ,O55 disbursements for January,
s99 As remaining in the Treasury.
The BARRIERS Sunday Bill.-The Sunday
shaving law petitioners were announced to
have withdrawn their petition, whereat
Lit. Pemberton who had been detailed by
Col. Wehn to address the council on the
subject, got up and left the room.
MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR.
The message Of Mayor VIM. L. Balthis
was received and read. He itemlZes the
| city debt from 1856 to date and shows the
aggreea ate on the 9th of last January to
be 1856, 100. He thinks that with the pres
ent rate of taxation, per cent, the city
can if strict economy is practiced, meet all
it's obligations. He calls attention to the
fact that the bonds ($14,000) issued for the
purchase of the Donaghe property will fall
due in three years, and advises the consld-
Grafton of that fact in making up the next
levy.
He SAYS the public schools have exceeded
the most sanguine expectations. On the
| 9th of Oct. 1873 a school was opened in the
Academy building with $50 pupils and in
the same year two others were opened with
SO pupils. In 1874 there were 430 white
and 212 colored scholars enrolled, and on
the LIST Of January. 1878, there were 1872
scholars. The thanks of the public are
due the officers and teachers for their zeal
and efficiency in the promotion Of popular
education. He thinks the street approach
es to the public and private schools should
receive the especial attention of the Coun-
Gil.
The Department Of Charity is well
managed by Overseer Kurtz and since
July the average per month of paupers On
his hands has been So in the proportion of
81 colored to Is white. The inmates in the
hospital are comfortably situated.
The fire companies are well organized
and differed and do effective work The
Chef Engineer states that 800 feet Of new
hose, and fire plugs at the corner of the
Lunatic Asrlum garden. one on Aalorama
st., near Mr.. Weller's and one on Lewis st,
near the residence of Mr.. B. F. Fifer are
wanted.
The Mayor .ecomends that the water
works be made self sustaining.
The police force he says is active, vigi-
liant and effective. They have made COS
arrests in eighteen months. The fines
paid into the treasury aggregate s767 80
and the amount worked out in the chain
gang was Sle6.05.
He urges that the city ordinances be re-