Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-03
The New City Hall.

In council ana business circles sOmo
concern is expressed as to what further ex.
penditures will be necessary to bring the
new City Hall to completion.
This is well The more interest the pub
lie takes in municipal affairs the better it
will be served by those who have been
called to Office. 1t is well always to keep
an eye on our income and expenses to the
end that we may exercise wise economy
and keep our credit at the top-notch.
But the new City Hall is often held an
swerable for condition which is not
wholly nor indeed chiefly attributable to
it. 1t appears that the cost OF it has been
so far Ss6s,4S7. The bonds issued for this
purpose bear per cent. interest. and the
annual charge thereby imposed upon our
treasury is less than $4,000.
No doubt we made q mistake in under
taking such costly building. but facts
are facts, and the increase of taxation with
which we are threatened from time to
time needs some explanation other than
this. The truth is that we have been
gradually increasing expenses all along
the line because the growth of the city de-
manded it, and looking over the whole ac-
count there are very few items to be found
which are not approved by the great ma
jority of the taxpayers
Now an additional 100000 is asked to
advance the work on the City-Hall build
ing. and before proceeding to vote for it
the Common Council has deemed it pru-
dent to inquire of the City Engineer about
what sum will be requisite TO finish the
building. As the work is being done by
day-labor il will not be very easy for the
Engineer to give the figures down to dol
lar, but he will no doubt be able to ap-
proach exactness nearly enough to give the
City Council and the general public some
idea of what the grand total is going to be.
We venture to predict that the figures
will not be as colossal as most people ina
CINE they will be. Anyhow, great or
small, it is information that is much
needed.
The engineer is not responsible for the
day-labor SYSTEM; nor eau he be held re-
sponsible for the cost of the building. He
has been skilful and economical, and this
il all that could have been expected of
him. AS for the day-labor system. it was
the best that could have been adopted at
the time and under the circumstances. 1t
has given us the best-built building in the
United States. And what Is scarcely less
notable, it is almost the only million-dol-
lar public building erected in this coun.
try to which no suspicion of jobbery at
taches.
We are going to have a beautiful City
Hall, and 1t would be pity now that it is
nearing completion to reduce the standard
of excellence which has been the Engi-
neer's aim all the way through. And yet
we must be economical, but how?
We know of but one way and that Is to as
certain our income precisely and live within
it. This we can do; this we should do.
From the moment that the City Coun.
Gil announces this as its infexibls
purpose there will be an improvement
in our credit and q beam of satistac-
ton will light the countenance of every
person who takes deeply to heart the fnan-
cial welfare of the city.
Living up to this idea. ii may be better
not to hasten too much the City Hall
work. We can do without the building
for awhile longer, and it should be re-
membered that when it is ready for occu.
pancy the fixed charges upon it will be
very heavy. This is matter that has re-
ceived less attention than it deserves, and
we should like to see as an dddendunl to the
resolution calling on the engineer for in
formation about the amount of money that
will be needed to complete the hall an
other asking how much it will cost per an
mum to maintain il in becoming style.
Richmond has great wealth and posi-
bilities, and our rate of taxation GLAD is
not high. but we are disposed to spend
each year little more than our income.
We ought to improve on this. Perhaps our
charter might we'll be amended by the in
sertion of section creating board of CON-
missioners of finance. The suggestion has
been made before, and arguments have
been advanced for and against it; but pos
sibly publ, opinion is more nearly ripe for
the change now than it has ever been here
tofore.