The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-24
THE STREETS AND THE sPOILs sys-
TEM

Our article OF a few days back arguing
that the city should. II necessary, sell
bonds to provide a fund for laying out
and grading the streets of the new West
End addition to the city, has certainly
had one good effect. at least. II has
caused the plan upon which the money
| appropriated by the Council for street
Improvement is divide out to be promi-
nently brought forward end discussed.
The plan is this: The budget, when made
up, a%ppropriates, let us say. 100000 for
! streets, for the year 1898. The city has
| six wards. The Street Committee divides
this $780, 900 into six parts and appropriates
| one-sixth TO the streets Of each ward.
The plan is the spoils system. pure and
simple, and ic exactly the plan which
| all safe-blowers adept for dividing the
results OF their night vigils. The ques-
| ton of spending money where the needs
OF the city require IT to nc spent has no
place whatever in "the plan" the deter
mining consideration being that each To-
| cality is to get its arm as deep into the
| public Treasury as It can he thrust. Ig-
| ncring the city's needs. 1t has not even
the pretence Of equality. for, under 1t,
Jackson ward, needing little, which con-
tributes a very small proportion TO the
common fund, gets as much as Clay ward,
needing a great deal. which contributes
a very large proportion to the common
| fund. And one of the absurd results
-.1.-L -. IA L.. 4EaN a. faWa.u - ON
Of the wards money for streets that they
nave no real use for. and we conse-
quently see improvements constantly taxi
ing place in Madison and Monroe wards.
for which there is no sort of occasion,
whilst Clay ward and others with their
large suburbs, need all they can get, yet
are compelled TO leave their improved
streets unattended to. In order that they
may spend their whole quota on those
which have had nothing.
The whole principle of this thing is, as
we nave said, a manifestation Of the
spells system, degrading to public morals
n injuriously restrictive of the city's
development. There is but one equitable
and sensible plan for ~appropriating money
TO streets, and tina is to have it spent
where the needs of the city call for 1t;
and the people of the city should promptly
rise up n demand Of their Council that
the spoils system shall be abandoned, and
III public money shall hereafter be
spent according to the demands Of public
needs.
The absurdity Of 1.-THE PLAN is brought
into full view when we consider the needs
and demands of the territory recently
added to the city in the West End.
Whether it was wise or not wise 10 make
the addition is not now to the purpose.
The addition has been made-it is an ac-
complished fact-and sensible men deal
with facts as they find them without
reference to a past which might have
been differently shaped. The main loca-
ton of new residences is on the skirts Of
the city-east, west and north-but, being
for the most part outside of the city
limits, the improvements bring no reve-
nue. to the city. Within the actual boun-
dairy Of the city the trend Of new private
residences is to the west. Within the
old boundaries Of the city there is but
little ground in this direction upon
which residences can be built. Parties
proposing to erect expensive residences
will not build them in the Lee district
addition unless streets are laid out and
permanent grades are given. Otherwise
fhQir rnonaV MIGHT no thrown pyVaV
through subsequent changes. This new
territory can be graded and streets laid
out, for little, if any, more than $4,000.
Spending this amount on 1t would cause
values to increase there at once, so that
the returns to the city would be many
times the interest on the cost. Common
sense and every right principle which
should control our city fathers demand
that the city should at once provide the
money necessary TO grade and lay out
the streets OF this territory; but 1.-THE
spoils plan stands in the way and make
1t impossible for the Council TO appro-
pirate 1900 here. where 1t will bring
an enormous return to the city, unless IT
will appropriate $50, 900 to Jackson ward,
where 1t would bring no return, is not
needed and would be in a large part
sunk. How long will the taxpayers Of
this city continue 10 let politicians spend
their money upon such a vicious princi-
pie, instead of directing that IT shall
be spent in accordance with the general
good of the city?