The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-08
and WI can form. concerning II, AN
equally accurate and reliable judgment.
AN ILLUsTRAIIOS.

Is about the size OF flvnmOno' upon
which you and your ancestors FOR many
years had eapended your labor and money
IN making Improvements, building roads
and houses, draining the marsh lahnS'
and fertilizing the hills until II had pc
come highly productive and capaoie Oh
yielding an enormous revenue.
! am your neighbor. owning poor
tract OF go acres, which Is about the
size OF Manchester. I have poor houses;
poor roads. my land is unpTOductNe, l
am running behind my expenses. and get
ting worse every year; come 10 you anu
say. MY friend. you and l are Soo9
neighbors; let's go into partnership. ,oo
viii put my GO acres against your -fH'
! Will break up Housekeeping ana come 10
live with YOU which Will reduce expenses.
We VIII manage the property Jolhly
we Will have a common treasury anu
out Of the Joint revenues we VIII make
my land as rich and productive as yours.
You shall have fOur-ffths Of the feFe-
nucs. and One-ffth. We viii nave Dig,
5Oinr estate. How fine Il VIII
sound 10 say that we own 1900 acres or
land" Certainly you could not fail TO see
the great advantages which such Dusi-
ness arrangement would bring 10 me.
But If you entered INTO sqch ,eIsi,i19
your friends would think you needed
"a committee or a guardian And yet
that is just the sort Of a partnership
which IL IS proposed that we shall form
with Manchester.
Compare the two cities.
Here stands Richmond with 2.40. acres
and 20 90 people: with her elaborate
gas plant and water-w)rks. her gicrlous
monuments and lovely parks, her hfe ue1
partment superb I'm it's equipment anu
efficiency: her handsome and Costly mill
fary armories, high schools, pubic llee
schools and market piaces her hires
upon miles OF paved streets her masnll,,
cent CITY Hall. public property Nalue1
ut more than 10000: a city famed for
her beauty and attractions' a weatHy
city and solid as the granite nils tnat
rock-rib the noble river flowing at her
base.
OUR POOR NEIGuBoR.
Across that river is our poor neighbor,
with her 1000 people, hKlns IN hvu.Se11
lighted by oil and candles FURNISHES.
with water from a siand-pump; streets on
dirt and mud or 50 badly paved that lhe
work would have 10 be done over ~
want Of everything that beauties, adorns
or renders "A city attractive and cXpcctiiis
10 get everything at our expense py
means Of annexation. The solitary arr
current IN favor Of the project is tndt
we viii add 10 our population tht lp'VV
people living I'm Manchester; am ~
pared to conccde that population IS u'1
eirable but not every population, ana
not population under all circumstances
and conditions 49,. ...,.,
Suppose there was nciFhhoflns loWH
inal classes largely predominated. or
SUPPOSE 10 was suburb with popuia-
non compogod principally OF paupcrs or
hecrarg. YOU surely would not ccnsider II
desirable TO annex such a SUBURB tIeit
II into an additional ward. and invite y
Ia send representatives 10 your cry 'ouh~
ell. to tax the property ana business or
Jefferson. Madison. and Monroe w ards.
In order 10 show that the population Is
desirable YOU must show -hli IL VIII
bring Won either an incIeHed business
an enlargement Of the bdhis gi FHnl'
credit. or at least that IL will bring IeVe-
nue. enough TO prevent the new Maiu ~ y, q
being a III rihen upon the old wards. lhat
has not cen. and cannot be proved. j
Will show the reverse, . =
First. II will bring you no Increase OF
hrsircss Manchester, so iar as ous III
is concerned. is already a part OF klch-
mOnd Tic two cities are conccted pf
five bridge and I'VE railroads. lheso
bridges and railroads gives ample ldcu,-
they accommodate The people o. Man
chester trade with us as naturally as Vt
fhoy were our own citizens. The merging
of her government INTO ours couln h'
mere increase business th4h ~ M IA
iug of a throc-Dint measure OF MIX anu
a ore-pint measure into tW1-qudrt nc@-
sure would increase the quantity OF Inllh'
In the second place | Will snow thal
annexation viii rot enlarge the OASIS oil
your municipal credit. W nen you an
noxod Lee district, at the earnest soHcl-
fation of its property YOU got
the property substantially without popu-
laticu. Nou gave IN no representation ~
the Council and you took IL Tree OF
debit You arc authorized TO issue bonds
In the amount of Is per cent. on Inc
assessed Vauc Cf your real estate. ihS
real estate Of Lee distinct was aSse $50 go
"a Sqn1O,0. rs per cent on Whlcn rs Sln-W,.
Ia that case YOU enlarged your basis OF
credit to the extent OF Sl62.Wv ana NtI
YOU refused 10 take that property except
on condition that tho properly-oNn,Is
should pay for their own improvements;
Vow look nj the difference. The assessed
value Of real estate IN Manchester rs
50 S3f. SG2, IS per cent. on which Is Sll2 Ml.
But her public debt Is Si3pVb' so mat
aft the bonds which YOU can issue on her
rcal estate is SOP 000-which would NOT
he sufficient TO meet the additional
charges which she would entail upon
as for a single year
SERIOUS BURDEN.
Tn the third place. have 20 show that
her revenues would be so far from meet
Inc EXPENSES that she would be a most
serious burden on the taxpayers OF lIch-
mOnd In order to appreciate TINS you
must consider that IF Manchester Is an
ncxcd she demands TO come ia as TWO
neV wards win tea members Of your
Council and six Aldermen. our commit
tee insists that she shall be erected INTO
one ward. suppose then, she comes jill
as one ward. she viii have the same
number Of votes. the same influence in the
Council as any of the old wards. Having
the same right to vote upon an questions
of taxing the property ana business on
jefferson Madison. and Monroe Wards,
she will demand her equal share OF the
revenues 10 be diSburscd for her heneut.
Fer example. our Council now approprl-
atcs for streets, carts, hands, nc, $lpo-
90 por annum. This money and work IS
divided equally amongst our six wards
saw SIC Coo to each ward Manchester S
streets are more IN need Of Improvement
Than yours. You must then provide az
least an equal amount Tor hef Atfetts.
SO with your police force. IL c2s's ,r Eot
100000 per annum for SIX wards. lhat
is sl6cj5 for each. Manchester VIII re-
You spend about $500 R r, a, Sn M, on
your FIRE department N4.MJ LOT each
ward. You must give the same 10 the
You spend upon your public schools
epl-for each ward S-poW. You must
give Manchester "a similar amount You
spend $1,000 On your Board OF hedith-
81 500 for each ward. Manchester VIII re-
auirc as much sanitary protection as any
other ward.
] have thus mentioned In detail iiye
principal items Of your annual eXpen1i-
lures amounting Ia 500 90, or $1,000 10
each ward-for the sake Of comparison.
DO you SNOW hpw much Manchester
enonds upon these five prime necessities
OF "a city@ She spends Just $1,000, so that
if YOU make her an additional ward. you
will have 10 increase your annual eNpen-
dituros for these items hlone 10 the
amount Of about $500"
MUNICIPAL EXPRNsTs.
will now call your attention 10 the
total cost of our government and COM
parc it with hers. / md that after de-
Quoting interest on public debt charges
for culverts. gas works, salaries of ot1i-
GERS. construction and new property, the
annual cost of running our city govern
mont is about $500, 0od, or $4,000 for each
ward / 40 not mean 10 say that the
same amount Is expended for each ward
but IL nearly enough the same for the
purpose of comparison
. The total revenues Of the city of Man
chester are $35, 962 out OF which she has
to pay first the interest on her debt
..hLnh amnnuIs 10 SO lnl- Mhlch leaves