Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-10-26
oN1olrAb IMPROVEMENTS.
Report of the Recent Convention at Mo

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Report of the Recent Convention at Mon
| treai. Gansda.
Secretary Wiley mado the following
report to the Street and Sewer
Directors at thoir meeting Tuesday
week. F
Gentlemen: Iwould most respectfully
represent that was, accompanied by
our Street Commissioner, Plumbing
Inspector and your honored solves, in
attendance upon the sixth annual con
vention Of the American Society of
Municipal improvements, held Mt
Toronto, Ontario, from October 3D. to
9th. inclusive, the objects of this
society, as yon are aware, is to dis
seminate Information and experience
| upon. and to promote the best methods
| to be employed in the management Of
municipal departments and in the con-
struction of municipal works. The
meetings were we'll attended by able
and experienced representative per-
the United States and the Dominion
of Canada, who presented papers on
all subjects known to municipalities.
which papers were thoroughly dis
cussed, not in an argumentative man
ner, but by individual questioning,
which had the effect OF bringing out
the experiences Of practically the
whole membership on the questions in
hand.
Among other interesting points
brought forward during the meetings
was the fact that there seems to be a
universal tendency among all the
people of the world to concentrate in
large cities, for instance, nearly 80
per cent of the population of New
York Stare is concentrated in Greater
New York; this illustration is appli-
cable to our State of Delaware and the
city Of Wilmingt ton, showing as it does
the stupendous work OF under taking to
provide smooth highways well lighted,
sanitary drainage and many other
things necessary for health, con
venience, beauty and commercial pros.
perity when with sufficient funds in
hand for such work, while without
sufficient moneys the question is
simply an impossibility.
There are 212 cities in the United
States of $4,000 population or more,
and total population of 17,29s, ,662,
and from the returns made by rs of
them, assuming these to have beon a
fair average, the expenditure during
1898 for municipal improvement had
been: Streets, S49, 301, 1877; water
supply, S32, s67, ASS; sewage, s14,057,-
l42; public lighting and buildings,
s26, 779, s47; parks and bridges, s22,-
1893, 566.
The cost of police and fire protection
reached the enormous sum of S66, $780,
023 These figures he thought under
estimated rather than over estimated
actual expenditure. The figures quoted
do not include the vast sums expended
fnr water from improvements, edu-
cation, libraries, museums, public
baths, markets, charities, and COR
rections. Other vast sums are spent
for purposes distinctly municipal, in
which members of the society are
deeply interested, but which it is the
almost universal custom to leave to
private enterprise, such as railways
for urban and inter urban travel,
supplying light, heat and power, tele-
graph and telephone, &c.
The subjects discussed were: Electric
street lighting, electro. .ysis, sewerage
and sanitation, municipal data, taxa
tiop and assessment, street paving TALL
classes, damages from non repair OF
highways, experiences with Portland
SOAlCbtos Wutor WOEhS uUu WdIbr
supply, covering of reservoirs and i'm.
pounding of water, filtration plants,
disposition Of garbage and street clean
ing, city government and legislation,
coating of cast iron and steel pipes,
municipal franchises. These discus
sions were recorded by stenographers
and will be reported in full, together
with the original papers in the con
vention reports, thus preserving to
members information of practical
nature, most valuable to a municipal
management.
We were cordially received by John
Shaw. mayor and tho city aldermen in
the new City Hall, where the con
vention was held, most beautiful
structure Just completed at cost of
over s2,000,0oo, Just such another
building should be placed In our city,
and as such erection will require at
least two years. time it should be com.
menced at once.