Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-10
MAYOR TESTERS REPORT.
THE CITY GOVERNMENTS TRANS.
ACTIONS DURING 1884.

THE CITY GOV iN1ENIsS TRANS
ACTIONS DURING 1854. Il
The Receipts Greater than in 1888, and
More Money in the Treasury-A De
crease in Expenditures for 1885, and
a Consequent Reduction in Taxation
The Cfty's Bonded Debt-Expenses of
the Departm River and Har-
Dor.
Mayor Lester, in his annual report for
1854, gives a comprehensive statement Of
the transactions OF the city government
during the year. The NEWS presents
summary showing its principal features:
The receipts tor the year, exclusive of the
balance on hand at the commencement Of the
year. have been s67032l y. OF this, $325. 4S4 Oh
from taxes on real estate, SIS, Z92 from ground
rents, Ss9,S62 - from specific taxes, S33,SZ3 10
from liquor licenses. 50, $50 80 from transient IL
censes SlT. 7I5 81 from personal property, S9.440
- from stick IN trade, S6,0I4 80 from shipping,
and S6I5 % from dog tax. showing the total re-
ceipts from tax AMI ground rents to be S5lS,
030 so. From the water works, the Board OF
Health, and other sources, there has come ME I
the Treasury SlS2. 1870 10
The expenditure have been s66l, $50. This
lnelilues al current expenses Of the city gov
eminent in all its departments, the payment
Of judgments, the retirement OF bonds. the IN
terest on the public debt lSl90,135 ~, the
sinking fuud $50 O64 50B the extinguishment
~ the boating debt So 367 3d. oDening streets
1874. l22 81. extending city limits tSl,4l1 a.,
the extension Of the water works mains $780,
425 6l), etc.
The balance in the treasury is s5l,4Sl 90.
This balance includes a sum of money for
some years held in the treasury to be paid
over TO the persons entitled TO receive it.. 1t
is the balance Of the proceeds of sale OF Lot
s., Brown ward, sold b7 the city under the
ground rent ordinances in 1881. The prlnci-
pal and interest of this amount to something
over $4,000.
There will be adecrease in the expenditures
for the year 1855, and in view of this the
Council has been able to reduce the rate of
taxation very materially.
The bonded debt of the city now consists Of
the following outstanding bonds:
1881 300 of the issue of 1879, per cents.
1886. $50 of the issue Of 1888. per cents.
SlIl,l00 Of old bonis issued prior to 1879, not
| yet exchanged.
$1,000 Of Atlantic and Gulf Railroad in
dorsed bonds, not exchanged.
The total bonded debt of the city therefore
| is S3,SI2. 100.
The floating debt amounting to s43. 367 90,
has been paid OF during the year, and the city
owes nothing but its bonds.
THE CITY DEPARTMENTS.
The police force needs an increase IN Its
numbers, which the financial condition of
| the city does not at present warrant The
| expenses Of the department have been SOL
| COS -.
The expenses of the street and Lane De
/ partment for tine year have been SIS, l3S 81
/ The receipts properly 10 be credited are
/ SsIS 20. During the year a number of streets
/ ia the western portion of the city, commonly
| known as lamacraw. have been opened and
/ others have been widened. The expense of
| this, including the purchase Of the right OF
| way, have been $4. 422 81. It has not been
| within the means OF the authorities to 10 any
thing toward the purchase OF the land neces-
| sarv for the streets aud lanes IN the extended
limits Of the city. but the entire extension has
been surveyed and laid out upon plan con-
| forming TO the plan of the city. The expense
I f.f has knpu 81 AZ Ii rs NOgCt
/ that some progress viii soOu be made to put
the plan into practical effect.
The cost of the Fire Department for the
| year has been s. .40S -. which includes $1,000
| paid for rebuilding the Barlow fire engine.
| The expenses of the City Court have been
| Sl.l61 q. This includes S2i7 q, salary OF the
Judge from Dec. to Jan. 1, 1854, from which
time this salary has been paid by the county
The expenses Of the City Pamp Department
have been $2.S4j o.. This includes the salary
of the Pump Contractor.
The drainage OF the city and adjacent lands
is in charge of the Dry Culture Department.
The expenditures have been S9.539 o.. Besides
the ordinary work. permanent sewer has
been constructed ON the eastern side of the
city at a cost OF $500, charged to this depart
ment.
The receipts from the market have been
.2l3 45 and the expenses ) i,9l3 showing the
net income for the year Of Sii,3j0 10, an IN
crease Of S26l s. over last wear.
Three Thousand nine hundred and eighteen
dollars and thirty cents have been expended
on the parks and squares. This includes 50
for the salary OF lEG hctptE OF EDTsA III place.
and s. .95, s. for hands employed.
The receipts FOR fines in the Police Court
have been s4,si3 - for eleven months ending
Dec. D. Tie receipts for December. amount
ing TO $500. is carried into the January ac-
count Of the Treasurer, and does not appear
in the Treasurer report ending yesterday.
The receipts for twelve months are therefore
S5,4sl -.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
Extensive ssaltions to the water supply
Hsf 1sps1r made NeEV mains have been Ial4
extending 1875 feet. OF l6-inch pipe 9,tol
feet have teen used. 1850 feet Of l0-lnch pipe
ami z25 feet Of 6-inch pipe. Extensions of
g. 80 feet of 6-inch pipe. 420 feet of 4lnch pipe
and 10 feet Of pinch pipe have been made.
Thus ii appears that 2l.s4S feet,Or As miles of
pipe. have been added 10 the means OF supply
during the year. This addition to the old pipes
makes 81 miles Of pipe now laid. seventeen
new fire hydrants have been put on the line
Of the new mains.
The outlay for the improvements has been
$50, 4z5 81 and for the extensions from the
mains S5,037 81. The expenses proper for
Oucrat NJ the water works not including the
S5O37 81 above mentioned have been for the
year Sl956l s. The receipts from water rents
have iecn $t9.631 Is. The management aud
working of the department have been highly
satisfactory.
The city physicians and the city dispensary
and hospital accommodations have cost for
the year SIG. 1875 y.
Tie cleansing and disinfecting Of vaults,
wards and premises including the salary Of
The superintendent OF the disiufectIng corps,
have cost Slj,0H 6. The property owners are
required 10 pay for much OF tins work. and
the receipts have been $, 4l6 %, which, deduct
ell from Si5,0ll p, leaves $685. %, the net OK
pcnses of this service.
There has been 80 occasion to lease the
small pON hospital for patients during the
past ear. and there has been no expense in
keeping il except the salary Of the Keeper.
Tie amount paid out for account OF the
quarantine service at Tybee Is 81 S1l OS. The
effort has been made to make tile quar-
HntIUc station EelL-sllSfdluluE. 50 lar the ell
fort has been nearly If not quite successful.
The amount collected during the year for
quarantine fees has been S4,SJl o5 only S26 OF
less than the outlay. The entire expenses of
the Health and Cemetery Department, includ-
ing Laurel Grove Cemetery, have been for the
year $4,000 o.; the receipts Sl5,ll3 Is.
RIVER AND HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS.
The general government at present has en-
tire charge OF the matter of improving the
navigation OF the river The object Of the >
present project for improving the channel Is
% assure twenty-five feet Of water from the
city TO Iybee Roads at mean hign water. The
estimated cost Of this undertaking was $780,
600. The project, the plan and the cost were
set forth in Gen. GillmOre's report of Jan. is,
lSS2. On Aug. >. lSS2, Congress appropriated
$Z00.0 @, under which jetty work was COM
mcnced by the government in January, 1883,
and suspended IN September following. Dredg
ing ceased in December. Another apprOprla-
tiOn was made in lSSf but work was not re
sumcd until October. For some cause dredg-
ing, necessary accompaniment to the other
NUEh. HIS not DcEu yet IesulhEil. dllNDuEu
the contract was given out some time ago.
The main cause Of the delay in prosecuting
the work has been the lack of timely appr0-
priatiOn By Congress. Some harm has come
Of this by the action Of the tides on the I'M
finished work. Capt. Bailey, the engineer
recently IN charge, says: The enforced delay
through lack OF appropriation not only re-
tardcd the work, but increased Its ultimate
cost. Sh0aling has taken place which could
have been controlled by a less expenditure
than Will be required for Its removal He
SAYS dredging will soon be resumed. mo
fear Of further shOaling need ice entertained,
provided funds will be appropriated for con
tlnUOUs working until the project Is COM
pleted.'
Capt. Bailey Is certainly sincere in what he
saws on this subject, and there is every assur-
auce that the completion of the work proposed
viii produce the effects originally planned.
IL is TO be hoped that Congress will duly ap-
preclate the importance of this work and
make IL sure by proper appropriation of the
means at its disposal.
THE CTTY's POPULATION.
The population OF the city has increased
during the year. Several hundred new houses
have been erected, and the signs Of general
prosperity are evident Confidence in our
securities Is continually manifested by the
Increasing demand for our city bonds, and the
market prices continue steadily to advance.
The destiny of savannah Is IN the hands of
her own people, and when they shall realize
that tie large amount Of money squandcred
IN annual pilgrImagcs abroad spent or IN
vested at home viii most materially add to
the prosperity Of their city, and when those
who accumulate fortunes shall learn their
dutv to invest them here. we shall no longer