Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-08

MAarsrRATEs AND POLICE.
With the administration ~ ,r.,,, A..
Hagistracy has considerable ~ ~ nv .ns
~ ns.s arc made up in manner similar
~ snae preventing in our city government
~, 'l erin'nal cases are tried not by 1ury.
;uSc court consisting of the local
!guge, aided by two citizens drawn fron,
the Jury list, who have a fnli and onOni
vote with the judge. The eybitratorse S "a.
.nat useful institution, the courts of arb;l
Iatlon, are also selected by tho ma
gstrscy. AS assistants to the courts in fha
guardianship of orphans. etc. small cor,
mittees are selected for service In tho va
nous wards. comprising III chsirmen eSg
os.,IIens, and some hundred ladies'.
A.. IN beriln and some other large cities
Vhe police Is administered by the State in,
stead OF the city. The force consists - 90
something like three thousand men he
SIDE their officers, and the expense
amounting to nearly $1,000 annuallv "a
oorne by the city. Certain branches 81
tne police not concerned in the preserva-
tion OF the peace, but in the general public
welfare, are administered by the CITY. such
rs looking after the trade societies. be-
nevoient institutions, de-, as well "a
sanitary, matters, the construction OF
streets, &c. "
INFECT OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION.
tHo kIeat CHARACTERIZATION In the aD-
pearance of the streets in Berlin which hos
taken place within the past fourteen wears
IS due TO change of administration from
the state to the city. The State up to
1874 had tho maintenance of the Berlin
streets IN charge and was reluctant to
grant sufficient appropriations for the pur-
pose; therefore visitors were astonished
at the wretched condition of the pave
ments, sewers, bridges, etc. Now, how
ever, SINCE the city has assumed the
work, II has been carried on with nap
nlhcent enterprise and energy, resulting in
the perfect pavement, beautiful new
bridges. fine public carriages, the best
street-rallway system in Europe, an excel
lent water supply, and the gigantic sewer
age system that now 60 so far to give Ber-
lin Its character.
KINDS OF TAXATION
The system of taxation comprises an
income tax of per cent. on all incomes
above certain amount, q house and rent
tax, apportioned between the landlord
and the tenant, and various minor special
taxes.
The relief of the poor is performed by
223 local commissions, each composed of
between four and twelve citizens or homo
rary members with the assemblyman of
the district as member er-o1icio. Some
thing like l,6o0 citizens take part in this
work, and the methods employed are di-
rected toward assisting the worthy poor
people without the imposition of degra-
ding conditions. One feature is the assign
ment of certain city land to the
poor for planting with potatoes. Only vaga-
bonds and altogether unworthy per-
sons are sent TO the workhouse. The chart
tab institutions Of the city are numerous
and well conducted. The relief Of the poor
in 1SSl-lSS2 cost over one million one hum
dred thc1sand dollars. This system pro-
baby accounts for the marked absence of
evidences of distressing poverty. The con-
trast between Berlin and London in this
respec: is almost'as marked as that between
Paradise and the Inferno.
The fire brigade of Berlin is military
organization OF $50 men. beside officers
and was maintained in 1882 at o cost Of
about $4,000.
The cleaning of the streets is admira-
bly, done. II always takes place between
midnight and o'clock in the morning, a
marked contrast TO the methods prevail
ing with US in Boston, where we frequent
ly see street-sweeping machine operating
at midday, filling the air with filthy dust,
to the ANNOYANCE of multitudes. Dirt,
snow, and ice are promptly removed, and
the sidewalks, as well as the roadways, are
thoroughly cleaned by the city.
THE RAILWAYS OBLIGATIONS.
"The cost of the paving is very considera-
bly, diminished by the street-railway CON-
pany, which, by its concession, is obliged TO
pave the whole of the streets through which
its tracks pass with the best of pavement,
besides paving alcertain percentage fits re-
ceipts to the city. This source of revenue
for the municipality now amounts to some
thing like $3.50, 900 year, besides having q
large proportion of its streets paved with
out expense to itself. and in 1911 the street
with its entire equipment, be-
comes the property of the city.
CITY GAS AND wATER-woRKs.
1.-THE municipal gas-works yielded at
last accounts something like Is per cent. of
the entire annual expenditure of the city
as profit.
profit of considerably over quarter of a
million of dollars, and even the great
sewerage system has produced a net reve-
nue. of something like the same figure,
through the annual rate imposed upon the
house-owners for the use of sewers.
The figures last at hand-thosef for 1885
show that the net revenue from the vari-
Gus city works was about $l,OOO,OOO. The
real profit was, however, very much great
er than that. for the gas-works not only
paid the interest on their cost and NJ the
entire city without expense. but yielded
profit of 81, 1875, 900. The amount saved in
the public lighting of great city like Berlin
must have been a very large sum. The
water-works yielded a profit Of $425,OOO
besides furnishing the water for public
purposes without expense. The markets
showed profit of S75, 900. As there was a
deficit in the sewerage department for that
wear amounting TO S625, 900 the net profits
were reduced to the aforementioned sum.
SCHOOL DoAED OF 1900.
= .,EI
the brides of the city. 1t controlled by
school board composed of members OF the
city government, superlntendents or the
church dioceses, together with the dean OF
the Catholic churches and eighty-seyen
local committees, upon which something
like thirteen hundred citizens serve. there
were in 1881 11S large common schools, at
tended by rich and poor alike, with
IA head-Inasters, 1,471 male teachers,
ia school-lnistresses and 515 technl-
cal instructors. There are besides
/ attn schools, 2 real schools, cor
to our English high schools,
,wo industrial schools and four high
schools tor girls, all very largely attended,
bes1de six State schools, comprising four
yxynnesiufns. one real school, and one
bigh school for girls Another important
,lsss of schools, die Forbildungsschulen'
OF supplementary schools, was iounueu Nv
he citv to enable apprentices and clerks
10 continue their studies. There are
twelye schools of this kind. There are
aIso Sunday classes for young. people OF
both sexes, maintained chiefly by, ,prl-
vate subscription. Every school building
has q gymnasium, large and well equipped,
for athletic instruction; and BESIDE there
q Turn Halle, O great and model instltu-
ION for athletic training; also, something
Ike ninety private schools that nnd u
more and more difficult to compete with
he nublic schools, 50 excellent are the
after. These private schools are also IN;
Ter the supervision of the public-scbool
,nthorities aud must conform to pubic
,tandards. There are also. twenty-five
nublic libraries. mostly IN the charge OF
he head masters, for sending out instruc-
i've books free of charge.
SMALL CITY DEBT.
"The net debt of the city in 1888 was but |
title over ightmillon dollars, the charges
mon which were met by less than half OF |
ne profits from the city works. Tins Is |
.ontyast OF New York, whose net debt ID
,yer one hundred million dollars. and Dos |
ON with a net debt of something over