The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-03

| that has boon aud I9 10 DO h'a"o vi" viz 'S "
City Hall It's arguments arc these
lst Its cost 80 far makes our taxation this
year only $4,000 more than it would have
boon II we had built no City Hall, and S42.
600 ia mere trifc on. Of an annual income OF
81. 800. 900.
Several remarks are to be made upon this
proposition as follows:
al Forty.two thousand dollars is great
deal Of money to take out Of the pockets of a
people already staggering under the load that
they carry.
o. II the hall had been built for what 1t
could have been built for the entire annual
burden OF the hall would have been perhaps
$4,000
(c) But supposng the hall when finished
costs q. 500 600 (and it is conceded by friends
and enemies that it will cost at least this, and
| the money to build it with costs tho city
only - per cent. the annual charge when it
is completed will be sG7 500. as against $4,000
that 1t ought to have been. and the taxpayers
| OF Richmond will find that extra Sl7. 500 per an
mum a grioyous burden. besides having SO
many Of tho citys bonds issued that her
credit must necessarily be greatly injured.
The Dispatches argument amounts to this
Because we have large annual income we
can afford to throw away handsome pro-
portion Of it.. We insist that this large In
come is raised by very burdensome taxation
upon all property and all businesses in the
city. and that we should not waste dollar
1,..1a Il
directed towards saving our income and
reducing the burdens on the people. Instead
of congratulating ourselves upon the econ
omy OF our wastefulness let US waste nothing
and aim at reducing taxation.
I'd. The Dispatch says that the people
wanted the hall built Of Virginia granite,
which made it cost more than if it had been
built Of Maine granite. We don't know who
the Dispatch includes in the people, but
we suspect that the same people wanted
the pedestal OF General Robert i. Lees
statue to be made Of Virginia granite. and
vet because of the exorbitant charges OF the
owners Of the Virginia quarries the same
4people" had TO take granite from Maine,
and we doubt if most Of the taxpayers VINO
have to pay for the ball caro- a baubee whether
the granite comes from Maine or Virginia
What they want is a sufficient City Hall
built ofsubstantisl granite, and 1t Is a matter
Of supreme Indifference to them where that
granite comes from so that it is the best for
the money that can be got to serve the pur-
pose.
3D. The Dispatch asks If the beauty Of the
exterior the admirable arrangement OF the
interior and the excellent workmanship
are not good consideration for the money
we have spent in building the hall by
day labor. We answer No, emphatically
No! The building Of it by day labor
has made it cost much more-how much
more one cannot tell-thap 1t would have
cost if built by contract. And with so ell
Gent and faithful superintendent OF con-
struchon as Colonel Cutshaw IS exactly
the same and perhaps better results would
have been secured if it had been built by con-
tract. The concession of The demand that
work shall be done by day labor instead OF by
contract has resulted injuriously in many re-
spects. Il has resulted in the unnecessary
expenditure of the employers money, and 1t
suppresses and holds down the ambitious and
energetic workman II tends TO reduce the
most dilgent workman TO the level Of the
most trihing, commanding that no man shall
outstrip his fellow, and that the industrious
shall submit to being bound to the lazy.
1t is idle for the Dispatch to allose that
day labor" has cost the city but small part
ofthe increase over what it would have been II
built by contract. Before the hall was com
menced bona fde offer was made to the
Building Committee to erect it according to
the plans and specifications for $4,000 and
security was offered that it should be COM
pleted IN all respects according TO the plans.
Thus in some way or in many ways the city
has to pay for the difference $780, between
the offered contract price, S57O 900, and the es-
timated cost Of say 81 .5OO,OOO and yet we feel
sure not a dollar has been stolen.