The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-28


/ last evening al o'clock IN room No. l.
/ OF the city Hall Of this city. with the
/ following members present:
| Messrs. Wailersfein chairman. Brock.
/ Cottreil. and Tanner, Of the Richmond
committee. and Messrs Utz, Hart. Nun
naily. Wells. Weisiger and Bradley. OF
the Manchester committee.
Messrs. Wallerstein and Uz, the chair
men or the TWO respective committees,
who mad been appointed sub-commit-
/ tee 10 prepare report in regard 10 the
annexation of Manchester. presented the
/ following report, which was read by the
/ clerk.
THE REPORT.
Your subcommittee beg leave 10 report
the following. Is the result Of their IN
Nestisation:
We herewith submit five papers. mark
I cd, respectively. Exhibits A. b, G. u. a.
L.. by referring 10 Exhibit \, you will
see that the actual revenues obtalued by
/ the city OF Manchester for the year enc
| INK January 81, 1896, IS $5i,e2S ~. and the
probable revenue under consolidation Tor
tine same period would bee S14.lG9.eS. The
Increase OF about, 5000 is caused by
/ the revenue that Will be derived from
/ this year from culvert taxes. which is
based upon s. per house for each abut-
/
shown the actual disbursement for the
period referred 10 above, which amounts
90 y5j.55S a.. and the estimated require
monts for running every department Of
tho government. $500. under annexed
conditions. Exhibit Il shows the as
sessed valuation of real estate. as well
as tho amount OF the bonded limit and
the present bonded debt. Exhibit &
shows the detailed statement of the
bonded Indebtedness, when issued. when
due. and the percentage OF the bonds.
Exhibit - shows. the cost Of conducting
the public schools of the city OF Manchcs-
ter. The object Of this exhibit is TO
show the cost Of maintaining The same as
special school tax Of 20 cents IS levied
for this purpose. Exhibit T. shows the
valuation Of taxable real estate and per
sonal property in the city of Manches-
ter.
Upon examination OF these figures. your
committee will find that the actual reve-
nuos for the past year are $5192S and
the expenditures Si5.s5S.5 by which il
is demonstrated that the CITY government
has been conducted within the receipts.
TIE ESTIMATES.
In estimating the probable income UNI
der annexation. We base the receipts Tor
taxes upon the Richmond rate, which Is
a total of $40, while Manchester Is N.6O.
which includes the school tax. In csti-
mating the disbursements for conduct
Ing the government. you will observe that
We ind the actual cost under present con-
muons boo Manchester is Si.lt3.sN, while
the disbursements under annex condi-
lions are estimated at $500. I'm making
up these estimates We have endeavored
TO make liberal estimate Tor the con-
IL. rim
siderable increase above the present re-
quirements, as your Subcommittee thinks
that under consolidation such changes
will be required as will make the cost
Of conducting the various departments
considerably more than the present ex-
penditure. For instance. we have esti-
mated the cost Of police az about 5000
higher. schools. $500. FIRE department.
$500. poor. 500 health. 5000. streets.
$500. and we have made an allowance
OF $1,000 for an additional clerk that
may be required in the Auditors office
Ia a few instances We haye estimated the
cost less than the present expenses. as
they would not be incurred under con-
sOlidation, on account of better facilities,
which now exist and would not De in
creased by a larger population. We have
omitted the present salary list OF s2.653.SS;
also. the expense Of Hastings Court
s2.2g0.l2. We believe that i'm making these
estimates. we have been very liberal in
providing for better police and fire re-
Guirements.~ and additional school IA
cHnties. We have also more than doubled
the estimate for street purposes. The
nroecut item Of interest charged, amount
ing 20 $500 can be materially reduced,
ass The bulk OF the bonds issued by the
city are callable. and such as are pay
inq 5 and per cent. can Doe called. ana
ner cent. bonds issued 90 take their places.
The bonded limit OF the city of Manches-
ter. which Is based upon 20 per ce.t.
Of the taxable real-estate values. is now
within $4,000 Of the amount allotted. and.
based upon the rate of is per cent, which
is the limit Of the city OF Richmond.
there will he no opportunity for larger
bond issue. under the present limit
ENTIRELY FEASIBLE.
Your subcommittee believe that. from
the figures presented. which are taken
from tho official books OF the city OF
Manchester. by representative OF your
subcommittee that annexation is entire
lv feasible. and would prove very beue-
fetal to both cities. when we consider
that the two communities are really
about one. that the only division b. the
river. We should not hesitate under these
conditions to advocate the consolidation
of the two cities Many OF the large and
Drosperous cities Of the country to-day
owe their progress and larger increase in
population 10 the fact that they have
taken boz their suburbs at q very rapid
rate. and in this instance We have the
opportunity Of joining "A fairly prosperous
city 90 10000 or 1900 inhabitants. TO
ours. under favorable conditions. II is
"a well-knowu fact that Richmond. adj
vertised 10 the world as city with
population OF 1000 10 1900 people.
attracts more capital, more manufactur-
ers. and more newcomers than She does
to-day. under the present rating given
MS IN the census. The prosperity OF the
TWO cities and the common interests are
so near alike that Do rs. I'm our opinion,
that this action should De considered
from a standpoint OF the general good.
and we believe that consolidation Of the
two cities viii greatly lnure 10 the benefit
of both The city Of Manchester Il is
estimated spends through its merchants
and people generally from two 20 two and
"a half million dollars in the city Of
Richmond annually. and We believe that
II we can consolidate the two cities I'M
der a feasible plan. We should do so. with
the view Of increasing the large trade
which Manchester now contributes. Ac-
cording 10 our figures. n would cost the
CITY of Richmond very little more than
revenue obtained to conduct the mu-
uicipal affairs Of the city OF
Manchester under It's own government.
and such being the case. We should gladly
aid the prosperity of the city OF Man
chester. which contributes such a large
amount OF trade 10 the city Of Rich
mond. .