The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-03-06
CONDITION OF THE CITIS FL
NANCES JUST ONE YEAR AGO.
WAS DELAYED BY HOSPITAL AUTHORITIES
A Bad System of Making City Reports That
Ought to be Changed. Health Office Sale
Recommends Purchase Of a Farm
For Dumping Ground
For Garbage.

f0r 0drDage.
\ bit of rather interesting ancient
history came from the Christian Advo-
cate press yesterday morning.
II is entitled. Annual Report Of the
Mayor and Officers of he City Of RAJ
cigh for the fiscal year ending Fcbru-
AIRY IS. 1899"
This report should have been issued
= wear ago. and certainly not later than
last May.
II will be observed that the fiscal year
ends with the month of February. One
month after that ought to be sufficient
fer closing up financial statements, com
pieting reports and having them in the
hands of the printer. There is no reason
for the document being delayed till Sep
trmber. for the school report. The
schools belong to the township and not
10 the city and the report Of their con-
duet and condition shonld be a separate
document.
And If the hospital authorities neglect
to furnish their report, as was the case
with the present document, why such
reports as are III hand should be printed
Oh time and the responsibility for the
missing ones placed where it properly
I~eIongs.
But the report now before us. bclated
rs it IS. gives some interesting Informal
ton. In course of his official letter.
Mayor Powell says, touching municipal
ownership:
The board Of aldermen should take
into consideration the purchase of the
WaterWorlS by the city. and if a salts
factory price can be obtained, VIC should
ask the next Legislature to pass an act
authorizing the issue of bonds 10 pay
the purchase price"
Our street lights are one hundred gas
lamps. supplied by the Raleigh Gas
Company. These burn regularly and IT
satisfactory. The electric lights are sup
piled by the Raleigh Electric Company
and have been very uncertain and CORE
Spondingly unsatisfactory. The Electric
Company has however, lately put in new
and expensive machinery and we hope
that this trouble. will soon be over. IN
candcscent lights from both companies
do we'll"
CITY CLERKS REPORT.
The report of the city clerk shows re
ceiptS for the year. March /. 1898 to
March |. 1897, &S~1.S4S.05. Expendi-
lures exclusive of streets. q 9fS. 10.
Expenditures on the streets. ~S43.249.2O.
Indebtedness of the city $3.50 .443. 81.
This indebtedness IS given as follows:
Six per cent. Funded Debt
bonds. due July ]. 1907 S41 800 90
Five per cent. Consolidated
Debt bonds, due July /,
1919. ....... 81 800 90
Five per cent. Street I'M
bonds, due July /, 1929 - . 90
Five per cent. Public I'M
provemCnt bonds. due July
/. 1929. ............. - 600 90
FIVE per cent. treet and I'M
rrOvement bonds. due Oc-
tobcr [. 1927. ......... 80 600 90
Five per cent. Current En-
rense bonds, due May,
1908. .......... p coo 10
Warrants outstanding on
March /. 1899. : i13 o.
HEALTH OFFICERS REPORT.
The Health Officer Mr.. Sale. report
that the total-nlmnber of deaths durin.
the year was 2oO-whiteS. 126: colOrcd
124. The ratio per one thousand inhabit
ants was for the whites 11.5: for the color
cd. 1873. For all colors it was, I'D. TIL;
average monthly mortality was-for the
whites. 100; for the colUred. 1913: for al
coIors it was, Dos. Deaths under ::
years OF age-for the whites was. IL:
for the colorcd, 80: for all colors it WAS
IS. Deaths over 20 years of age
whites, %: coiored. s: ali coIorS. 81
These two added together make 12J.
and is over fifty per cent. of the cntir,
number of deaths. This is indeed ::
very remarkable showing and is Il record
OF which no city of twenty thousand
inhabitants can boast.
The whole number Of births reported
was $50, Whites III. colored 159.
Mr.. Sales report further on contains
the following important recommends
tons:
Your attention is directed to the FACT
t3"t out Of our School census Of 6.ooo
there were enrolled in the school
2.I34. leaving 3.491 not enrolled. Even
WHEN we deduct from this balance 81
",f9l. all over fifteen years OF age. al
VINO are attending the excellent privat,
schools Of the city. all who are away II,
school or college. and al individuals OF
school age. We shall find that the mum
Ter OF abScntcrS Is far greater than i
>hotid be. If it is a good thing fol
Raleigh 10 maintain, by taxation. free
schools. for the protection and wclfar,
"f,thc community. then illitcrHcy is IL bad
tltiuG, and should not be tolerated. Wiz,
t' enlarged accommodations now made
possible. would it not be wise to con
Ntd'f the question of taking steps to rem
Ger u impossible for any child of SCUM,
hIlIld ana body to grow up in this com
HllihtH without learning at least how te
icd". write or spell. and the Fundamental
F"c'>St> OF arithmetic! No country n
,'' Wo'ld. 40 state in the Union. which
LaH IN ciilclelt system Of public schools
WITHOUT some form of law rcuuirin.
't''i'1anc" at school. While it is Prob
ably true that our State at large i no
YET prepared to take any steps in thi>
dlFectlon.l am convinced that conditions