The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-03

Making a total of..............y SOl 100 W
IL Will be seen from this statement
that we begin this fiscal year with
floating deOt OF Ss3.12s0l, and that we
are within S675.3i5.f0 OF our bonded limit.
The estimated receipts from all sources
for the year 1894. are $l,S3s $500, from
which. II We take Sii5,Oc00O for interest
and redemption there Will be left $Sg3, si500
for all other purposes. At the beginning OF
the last fiscal year II was estimated that
our receipts for 1893 would be 312Sl5.OO,
but we actually received 81 2sl.l4S.1i,
which was $s0,53l.s6 less than the amount
estimated as the revenue for the year.
Ihis falling Off was mainly in taxes and
IN receipts from gas The falling of IN
taxes from the estimated receipts being
N69h.l9; and from gas. ST.. 2Oo.Ol. There
was also slight falling of In the re-
ceipts from water rents. Ii may fairly
be expected that many OF the delinquent
taxes VIII bee paid during the current
year and that with the return Of prosper
GUS times larger revenues may be expected
from our water and gas.
Issue OF bonds.
In consequence Of the severe stringency
| in the money market last summer II
was deemed best to authorize the issue of
| $4,000 in bonds OF small denomination
| twelve months after date OF issue II
was found necessary TO issue only S2i5.Ov0
| OF these bonds. all Of which will mature
| on September /. 1894 Ii viii be necessary
TO make some provision for the payment
| Of these bonds at maturity, and this
should be borne I'm mind In all OF our
calculations for appropriations and the
issue Of bonds during the present year.
II will appear from this statement or
fal hat 81 f.cf
/ economy is necessary in the conduct OF
| our municipal affairs. We cannot ma
! terially increase the appropriations 10
any OF the departments during the COM
1 ing year, unless you are prepared 10
| increase our already too large floating
debt. | fully appreciate the difficulties
| you Will encounter in resisting the de
! mands for appropriations for many wOr-
| thy objects. but unless we conform
strictly to the rule Of keeping our expen-
| ditures within TIE limits Of our income.
we shall soon be confronted with the
necessity Of an increase in our tax rate
IN order 70 enable us 10 meet our current
obligations This can only be prevented
by the most earnest determination to re-
fuse all appropriations except those
which are absolutely necessary for the
preservation Of our public credit, and
the reasonable care of our streets and
parks, and other public property Any
serious departure from this policy Will
inevitably lead US to financial embar-
rassment. or else force upon us the ne
cessity for increased taxation.
Health Department..
our excellent Board Of Health in their
annual report make the gratifying state
ment that the city was never I'm a more
healthy condition than during the last
year although our population has steadily
increased, our mortality has steadily di-
minished during the last three years. In
1873 there was no serious outbreak Of con-
tagious disease. Twenty isolated cases of
diphtheria, with two deaths: one hundred
and thirty-One cases Of typhoid fever
with forty-eght deaths. and twelve cases
of scarlet fever with one death were re-
| ported The maiOrty Of these cases were
| directly traceable 10 mean and imperfect
| plumbing and 10 local filth, or 10 both
Each year the necessity is made more
apparent for the adoption OF rules and
regulations concerning plumbing. and the
Board Of Health again declares its need
Of expert assistants in the detection of
faulty plumbing. The Board acknowl-
edges its indebtedness to the Association
of Plumbers for their co-Operationin pro
noting the passage Of good and substan-
tial plumbing laws / renew my recon-
mendatiOn for the appointment of an in
spector Of plumbing, and an inspector Of
| food and milk. and / again call attention
TO the need Of a public hospital.
Accompanying the report Of the Board
of Health is mortality table of twenty
five large cities of the Union. According
TO the population Of the last census Rich
mond would stand tenth among these
cities in healthfulness. According to the
present estimated population we stand
fourth. Many of these cities exclude nom
| rfH Ind "a
cides, and others have their aims houses
and hospitals outside of the city limits
| all of which exceptions are included in
our mortality tables. The recommends
tons Of the Board of Health are valuable
and would, If adopted. enable the Board
in its annual reports to show steady sani-
tary Improvement.
Water Department.
The total appropriation to the Water
| Department last year was &5.S4l2, of
which amount p was consumed OF
the amount expended $46.S1SO3 was the
actual cost of maintenance, and $40 SOP p
was applied TO betterment. and was eX-
pended in laying pipes and making taps.
| Eleven thousand, six hundred and twenty
two lineal feet OF water-pipe was laid,
| % fire hydrants set, and 100 taps made.
| Besides this the nozzles of 5l6 fire by
| drants i'm the city were changed at a cost
Of Sl.O7l.21, which change conforms our
| fire hvdrants to the standard size in use
i'm nearly all the large cities Of the United
States. The receipts for the department
during the year amounted 10 $l43,SG "a.
This does not include the value Of the
water used by the city I'm her various
departments, nor that given 10 churches,
charitable institutions, and INDECENT fam
| lilies.
A low estimate of this value would be
sS5. 900. so that the gross revenue Of this
| department should be computed at Sl7S-
S6S.34 Deducting the actual expense of
| maintenance from the amount received
shows net revenue Of sy7 .55031. 10 which,
if we add the SS5, 600 just mentioned. would
make a net revenue Of 1892 55O.3l
In consequence of the large number OF
unemployed in our city during the winter
a much larger number Of INDECENT families
have been supplied with water than is
usual. making the number of families
thus aided at the present time three hun
dred and twenty-five.
The increased expense Of the department
over the preceding year is due TO the fact
that the cost of pumping the water was
greatly increased during the extreme cold
weather Of the winter of last year. re-
curing not only the use of extra force
day and night, at the pump house clear
| ing away the ice, but expensive repairs
TO the machinery, and the almost continu-
Gus use for two months Of the steam
| pumps, at a cost Of about $50 per day.
| The valve house at Marshall Reservoir
has been thoroughly repaired, and a new
watch house OF ornamental design has