Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-11
BIENNIAL REPORT
or the President Of the BOARD
Of Police and Fire Com
missions.
A Timely Paper on the Present
and the tGtrre Prospects
Of lhe City--A Good
ShOWi-g.


past two years was forwarded to the
Governor yesterday. It is a careful
and succinct analysis Of the workings
Of the government. To give an idea
Of The ;erseness of the report, which
touches fully upon all points, it may
be stated bal it wes written and
printed within twenty four hours from
the time President Hadden concluded
to make any remarks whatever beyond
the bare financial summary of the
Secretary.
0ne Of the first subjects touched
upon is tina Of delinquent taxes due
thu District, which is stated to be
sl43,l27,s7, aad for this there is no
remedy in law.
Reference is also made to a reduc-
ton Of S}o,0N ia taxes and S2,OO0,O 900
in valuations mad BY the free hearted
court Of squires. For all this some
remedy is earnestly desired A hand
so ne compliment is plid Chief of
Police Davis, of the police depart
ment, aud Chief Cleary, OF the FIRE
department, ard als1 the individual
members Of their respective forces.
1t is recommended that the Police
Commissioners be allowed to Increase
the force 70 sixty men when occasion
requires, and to add at least one more
company to the FIRE department.
The P=ssident's soulful ~clingiug to
the fast decaying National Board Of
health is made apparent by the fol.
lowing passage: Our local Board of
Health acts in harmony with the
State aud National Boards of Health
aud from both we have received ma
terial aid. The National Board of
Health gave US advice and pecuniary
aid when the deepest distress over
whelmed US, aud her strong arm has
ever been stretched forth to shield
and protect whenever there was the
least dagger ofinfeCtiOus or contagious
diseases approaching US"
Attention is called to the fact that
only about One-fOurth Of the patients
treated at the hospital are citizens of
Tennessee. The other three-fourths
are itinerants shipped here by other
communities who desire to rid them
selves ofthe burden. The problem Of
reform 10 this department is an obsti.
nate one. Repairs on the dilapidated
buildings will soon be made.
The amount Of judgments recovered
in the United States Circuit Court BY
creditors of the old city is stated to be
$35O,OOO. The question of compelling
the District to levy a tax for the pay.
ment OF the judgments is now pending
In the Supreme Court. The remain
der of President Hadden's remarks
on this vexed subject are quoted
below. 1t isan apt exposition Of the
situation and we'll worth reading.
Referring to the report OF INV pre-
decessor 10 Office, the Hon. b. T.
Porter: The object in creating the
Taxing District was not to repudiate
the debt OF the old city of Mempbis
but to have a cheap and efficient sys,
TEN OF government, so as to put the
municipality IN a good sanitary cop-
dition, pave the streets, and 10 enable
US to pay that debt upon terms
that may be agreed on BY commission
era that may be appointed and the
creditors" The Legislature at n
OF It's late sessions did appoint
commissioners, and passed an act
empowering them to settle at 335 cents
on the dollar. This settlement, II
1t could be effected, would be highly
satisfactory to the people, but SO far
the creditors have failed to recoFnise
that 1t IS to their interest to accent tbe
same. At a subsequent session of the
Legislature a bill was passed author
lzlng the settlemect Of the debt Al 20
cents on the dollar, and 6 Der cent
interest coupons receivable for taxes
but not to De in force until ratified bv
the Legislative Council of the district
Various conferences were held by the
Legislative Council and representa
tiyeS OF the creditors, at which this
bill was discussed, and it wa rejected
BY the Council, principally on account
OF the coupon feature, and also tech.
nicalities in the bill. Neither
was this bill satisfactory In
the creditors. The reiec.
ton Of this bill by the Legislative
Council Of the District, left the 39I
settlement still in force. There is 4
manifest and increasing desire on the
part OF a large majority Of our citizens
and property holders, that this debt
should be settled in some manner
commensurate with the ability Of opr
citizens to pay, and at the same time
acceptable to the creditors. Should
this DO carried out successfully bv sny
act which the Legislature may deem
proper to pass, this incubus, which
hangs over us like the sword IA
Damocles, would be removed. A,
long as this debt remains unsettled
whether the District is declared liable
by the courts or not, so long will IN
energies o. our citizens be numbej
and the value Of property depressed
Referring to the admirably arranged
exhibits made by Secretary O. T.
Rullen OF the financial condition M
the city It is found that there Il .
credit of 1926 70 to the police ds.
partment, $500 so to lighting. sl47Se
to public schools, sl7, 1853 60 to streets.
sewers, bridges and sanitary $5946 7e
70 printing, salary and expenses, and
SSof4 80 to account Of the wharf.
The ire department account Is over.
run $6369 Of, the hospital $3.50 81.
sewers, paving and sanitary S2Ol7 61'
The expenses Of the police denart'
ment for the past two years were
&8,0Z383; Of the fire department,
W414l 10; Of the engineers depart,
ment, $234,204 20; Board Of Health
and sanitary, $38,523 so; hospital.
az 900 o.; sewers, etc, $79,O50 a.
NIhA 49,