Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-03
NEED SEWER FUNDS.
uosnp or ALDERMEN TO coNsIDEl
REPORTS ON FRIDAY Nfcnr.
APPEAL OF THE STREET COMMITTEE.
c,,v should Appropriate $4,000 at
once for Immediate UscS-Rccom-
mcndation OF the Conference Com
mtstce the Special order OF Session.

BOARD Of Aldermen, has called a special
meeting Of that body TO be held Friday
evening al o'clock to consider the mat
Ter OF making on immediate appropria-
lion for sewer work. The question is one
which is Just now OF the most profound
interest 10 all the people Of Richmond.
since the Committee on Streets has made
a most urgent appeal 10 the Council,
which was rejected, for 81. 230.A for
sewer improvements needed at once TO
protect the lives and property Of the
citizens While the object Of this spe-
cial session Is TO take up the resolu-
ton reported by the. Conference Com
rnittee and passed by the Common Coun-
on. appropriating 1900 for culvert work,
the president of the Board has invited
the City Attorney, and Engineer TO be
present Friday night to give the body
such information as thex can regarding
the situation as 10 the city's sewerage
and its important needs.
STREET COMMITTEES REPORT,
AT the session OF the Common Council
held last Monday night the Committee on
Streets presented one OF the strongest
appeals for money for sewers ever made
I'm that body. 1t laid the situation bare.
placed the matter so that the people
would understand where the RESPONSE
bility rested, and the Council first tabled
the report. then sent It to the Committee
on Finance. 1t is said that this paper
will be introduced in tho Board Of Alder
men Friday evening. cit is as follows
Richmond, Va. November l, 1897.
To the City Council:
Gentlemen,-We are compelled to report
20 YOU the deplorable condition of affairs
as 10 the sewers of the city, with which
we are now contending. and have had 10
contend with for some time. Without
funds It is impossible for this committee
TO have repairs made TO sewers or TO
construct sewers after you have author
lied them 10 be built. For more than six
months we have not had dollar lor
even the smallest repairs or for un-
choking stopped-up pipes. which are so
ANNOYING 10 our citizens; and we have
mad 10 resort to every conceivable method
OF temporizing while waiting ana
hoping for an appropriation. Your at
tention has been called at various times
TO the need Of appropriations and the
proper explanations have accompanied
our recommendations. Sewers already au-
thorzed by you 10 afford connections to
new houses then being built have not
been touched, because OF the cam
ceiling of balances TO the sewer fund
early In the year. and the complaints
about them about their delay have had 10
20 UNDECIDED
WOULDN'T GIVE A SMALL FUND.
Five months ago this committee asked
that the small sum OF $500 be appropriated
10 meet the urgent demands for repairs
TIL something could be done towards a
regular appropriation. This request was
referred 10 the Finance Committee, and
has never been reported back to the
Council. Complaints from citizens have
been so urgent about having repairs and
connections made, a1d the committee 6h zee
suggestions of the City Attorney, we
have permitted them to dig up the streets
themselves. at their own cost, though all
this is violation of city ordinances. In
dire necessity this committee has as
sumed the responsibility of using small
sums from time to time from ITS already
limited street fund to make such small
repairs TO sewers as might prevent fur-
Their damage TO streets. and to avoid ac-
cidents. which the city might be held la
Bile for. This we cannot continue to do 4
and you should understand what the con- |
dillon of affairs will be. and we decline
TO assume the responsibility any further.
Certain sewers have been recommended
10 you TO replace defective stone cuverts
sible depths, notably. one in Fifth street.
TO replace the old culverts of Third and
Fourth, and other streets of that section,
and one In Twelfth street 10 replace one
under the Gallego Mills. Already the
amount paid for repairs and claims on ac-
count OF the FOurth-street culvert is
over $500, and we are now called upon
10 expend $500 additional on account of
the break in this culvert during the re-
cent rains. With this 1850 the city will
have expended in Temporary work about
one third Of what the permanent sewer
In Fifth street would have cost.
AMOUNT NOW NEEDED.
The $4,000 appropriation recommended
by the Finance Committee, which has
been sent back and forth from the COun-
ell, comes back from the Conference Com
mittee, as we learn. reduced To $500
Either of these amounts are totally in
adequate 10 our immediate wants. and
we. therefore. recommend 10 you, as
absolutely needed at this time. the |
amount and for the purposes given here |
With We feel compelled to lay these |
iacts before YOU 10 go upon record that |
this committee has done its full duty and |
has not been dereliet in apprising you of
its warts and its reasons why they |
should be provided for.
Amount 10 pay for work already
Amount to reimburse street
fund for repairs ordered
by committee ........ 1929 60
Amount 10 reimburse street
fund for inlet ordered by
COuDcn 80. ............ " u
- 1856 81 !
Amount to pay for repairs and
temporary s ever between
Fourth and Fifth streets. ... $500 90 |
Amount necessary for repairs and
contingencies til date of next
annual appropriation ............ $500 90 |
Amount necessary 10 construct
already ordered by the Council. 1859 80 |
Amount necessary TO construct
sewer I'm Twelfth street from
waste-way Gallego Mills be-
tween Canal and Byrd TO Cary
and Twelfth streets. etc.,. $500 % !
amount to construct sewer In
Fifth street from Bacon's -Quar-
ter branch TO Jackson, In Baker
street, from Third 30 Fifth and
In Fourth from Preston TO jack
son street .... ........ ........... 2, OS2 90 |
$82 go "A