The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-02

Judging from statements made by
members of the stareets and wharves
committee and others in a position to
know, it is only a question of a very
short time now when work on an ex-
tensive scale will begin on McAdam
and vitrifed brick paving for certain
streets which are most in need Of i'm
provement. II is probable that the paw
ing OF Princess street from Front TO
Fourth street with vitrifed brick will
be the first work inaugurated.
The streets and wharves committee
has already selected the vitrified brick
which is to be used, and the agreement
on h part of property owners to bear
O~ne-third of the expense is also well
nigh perfected.
The committee has within the last
day or two gone carefully over a num-
Der of PROPOSITIONS for a rock crusher.
steam street roller and other street inn
provement machinery, which have been
procured from leading manufacturers
throughout the country by Mr.. Hugh
MacRae, the chairman of the, commit
tee. The preliminary arrangements for
the purchase of the machinery has
been so far arranged that the order can
be placed and the outfit delivered here
in a. very short period Of time.
AS is well known to Messenger read
ers, $4,000 was appropriated in max
ing up the budget for the present fiscal
year for street improvements and the
year is more than half gon and a COM
partively small per cent. of the appro
priation expended. There is a proviso
in the laws governing the disposal of
city funds that all none left unex-
pended at the end of the fiscal year
from all general appropriations COM
posing the annual budget, shall go into
the general sinking fund. 1t was on ac-
count of this condition that the fear
has recently been entertained by many
that at least a very large per cent. of
the s25, 600 street Improvement appro-
priation for the present year would be
lost to this most desirable purpose and
find it's way into the sinking fund be-
cause of the failure of the board OF
aldermen, or more exactly speaking,
the streets and wharVeS~ cOmmiUtee &c
prosecute the work.
However, there seems now not to be
the slightest danger of any part of the
fund being sidetracked, as the purchase
of the street machinery, the defraying
of the city'S share of the expense OF
the purchase of vitrified brick for Prin-
cess street. the buying of rock, etc, fol-
matchmaking will take a good slice
Of the fund. And as a gentleman
prominent in the administration of the
city'S affairs remarked to a member
of The Messenger staff yesterday, wher
the work of matchmaking and other
paving is fully inaugurated. money wi
be spent very fast under the most eco.
nOmic administration of affairs, and i
is more probable that the whole funC
will be expended before the end of the
present fiscal year than that any par
of 1t will remain to go into the sinking
fund.
1t is understood that the chairman
OF the streets and wharves COMMITTEES
will make a detailed report of the
status of the work at the next meeting
OF the board OF aldermen. The regular
time for the meeting is tomorrow (Mon-
day. night, but it is expected that they
will merely assemble and adjourn tc
some other day of the present week
tomorrow being New Years day.