Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-20

1 streets parallel to Broad. and about one
mile long from the corporation line to the
| boulevard. Each street having two fronts
would have, say IL, 500 front feet. or 165, 900
| front feet in the aggregate. The average
value of this land to-day Is not less than
$40 per front foot without counting
houses), equal cay to 81, 900, 900.
II this district were added to the city.
upon fair terms as 10 future improvements,
its value would undoubtedly advance in a
short time to 5000. 900. including build:
| ings. The city tax being $1.40 the annual
revenue on this S5.00),0 600 worth OF pro-
perry would be $4,000.
In addition to this you would have the
! licenso-taxes and other taxes imposed by
I the city, which would probably bring up
J the total to 800. 900 per annum. -,
This addition OF taxable property would
! enable the city TO issue under its charter
new bonds TO the amount OF 1Sper cent on
! g. 900, 00o-$9o0. 900. So much for desira-
bility.
WILL TIE TERRITORY DE ABsoRBEDf
%. As TO possibility.
| When the city goes before tho Legisla'
ture with request 70 be allowed 10 ao-
sorb this district, II VIII be confronted, IN
hii pIouapiieS' W 'i~"iN"' ""' VI S
! opposition.
In the fght which will onsue the follow:
ing among other objections Will DO urged
by the opponents OF absorption.
! Iwenty-three years ago the city took IN
Clay and Marshall wards. and for years the
property in those wards renamed without
substantial improvements.
To-day there is not street, believe, In
the CITY Of Richmond graded, guttered,
and curbed on both sides up 10 the corpo-
ration line. Few, II any of them, have
culverts and water up to or even near to
the line. Numbers OF the streets are mere
| mud-beds in winter and dust-holes in sum-
mer. .
Not only are these things true, hut ii
will be urged. Z he city to-day stands
confessedly unable TO take care OF the
! streets and to make street Improvements
within is existing corporate limits. much
less would it be able to care for and 10 give
needed improvements IN the new terri
| tory.
The approprati on for streets this year is
not more than enou n 20 keep the oldstreets
ia repair. Clay Ward is to have practl-
1 cally no street improvements during the
| present year.
But further. it will be said there is no
hope of a change for the better in this re-
spect.
| TrE COUNCILS POLICY.
The policy of the Council, and appa-
rently its settled determination. which has
been steadily persisted in for years, has
been 10 ignore the department of streets
TO first provide for all other departments,
and then give to the streets what Is left.
Under this policy, and under the annu-
ally Increasing demands OF other depart
ments the appropriation for streets has
now dwindled TO a mere pittance-not
more than 10 per cent. of the amount de-
man1ed and actually needed for improve
! ments TO which the propertv-owners are
| entitled and without which our growth Is
indefinitely impeded.
Further, still. il IS the settled policy OF
the Council 20 divide out equally amongst
the wards without regard TO their respec-
tive wants whate yer beggaTlv pittance is
thrown to the street department, so that
the new wards are left absolutely unpro-
yided for. while the money rs expended IN
| the old wards often in manner which the
property-owners consider Objectionable,
unnecessary. and even disadvantageous.
| Now il will 10 said to take new pro-
perty under such circumstances will be
| simply to subject il TO city taxation with
ont CITY improvements or advantages, and
will be not only unjust but equivalent to
partial contiscation.
! A PLAN SUGGESTED FOR TAKING IN LIE DIS
TRIcT.
! Nobody can tell how such fight would
| term nate; perhaps IN a compromise. This
brings me to your other request. You ask
me TO outline my plan. cannot say what
! pian would be acceptable to the property
! owners in Lee district. / throw out the
| following suggestion:
The city Of Richmond might reasonably
EXPECT TO get from Lee district revenue
of nearly 100000 per annum-at any rate
| after a short time, with power to issue
! $4,000 OF new bonds.
| Let the city agree. In consideration OF
| being allowed to take in this district, TO
set aside every year $4,000 OF per cent.
| bonds, the proceeds of which shall be de-
voted TO giving street improvement to the
new territory for q period of ten years.
This would he total issue of $500, 900 Of
bonds. on which the average annual in
terest would be Sl0.000-the first year
heinz $4,000 and the last year $4,000. At
the end of the ten years the property in
that district would he worth probably
$40 O0o, 900. and the annual revenue there
from something like S5OO,0OO; or course
other details would have to be arranged.
NV present object is merely to throw out
the suggestion.
MI. Thomas Potts.
lam clearly OF the opinion that the cor
tended. / think the limit on the western
side should include the avenue running in
front OF the Soldiers Home-say In d.
rect line from James river across to and
including Bartonsville and the land of the
Northside Improvement Company. known
as the old Deane farm. The extension
should also run along the outlying pro-
perty on Church and Union Hills and down
to the old Mayo homestead below Rock
etts.
The mistake has been made heretofore
in not extending the limits of our city. We
have erected a Chinese wall and forced
many to leave the city and 90 outside and
build. when the true plan would DO TO en-
courage the uphullding of our city and in
crease our revenue. With good electric
RAILWAYS running to the limits of our city
we will soon have population of over one
hundred thousand and buildings erected
for the comfort and happiness OF those who
cannot afford to buy land inside the pres
ent limits of Richmond.
Mr.. I. Wiley Davis
In reference to an extension of the cor
pOrate limits of this city, i see no room
Tor any but an affirmative reply. The ex-
tension should have been made sooner, so
IA TO have had its advantages in the census
Just taken. j have no special plan in mind
other than a. to the area 20 lie acquired,
which should be at least one half mile on
the east, from one to one and quarter
miles on the north. and two miles on the
west side. These figures are mere guesses,
but quite large area should be embraced.
TO say that this should be done simply be
cause il is the custom i'll northern and
western cities Is not sufficient answer.
REASONS FOR EXPANDING.
There could be very many good reasons
piyen not the least OF which is the fact
that we have a large (and rapdly,in-