Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-06-18
VERY INTERESTING
HOW RICHMOND HAS GROWN
Annual Report of the Board OF Public
improvements Amount OF
Public Work Done-The
Buildings Put Up.

| Annual report of the Board o
Public improvements, CITY Hall
Richmond, Ind, May 3lst, 1901.
To the Honorable Mayor and Common Council a
ne cjty Of Richmond
| / have the honor to present here
With the report of this department
containing a statement of it's cost
and expenditures for the year ending
Decent Der 31st, 1900, as shown by
the records on file in the office of the
city clerk. Also a supplementary
report of building permits issued by
the board during the year 1900,
| which shows an increase over 1899 oi
more than 90 per cent in value oil
buildings erected in the city.
| The total cost of improvements
made during the year un Ter this de-
| partment was as follows:
improvements chargeable to the
city of Richmond, 81, lo0.16.
improvements chargeable to the
property owners. IS, ,39o 20.
Total expenditures during the year
1900, 80, 575 45
For the benefit of comparison, we
submit a statement of the expendi-
lures during the year 1899:
improvements chargeable to the
city of Richmond, Sl1. .445. .46.
improvements chargeaOle to the
property owners, S13, 606. II.
Total expenditures during the year
1890, S25, ,05l5 5S
This shows total reduction in the
expenditures of this department for
the year 1900 of Sl3, ,476 l3, repre-
senting a saving to the city of Rich
mond of SO, ,265 30 and to the prop
crty owners of S5,210. 50. 1t is un
necessary to elaborate upon the eff
forts of the board to curtail expenses
IN every possible way consistent with
the absolute public necessities las the
above figures speak for themselves
The improveme is made by this
department have consisted chiefly in
the making of new streets, side
walks, curbing, cutters and the con
struction of drainage and sanitary
sewers.
1he construction and maintenance
of these public improvements are
problems that require earnest and
careful thought on the part of the
board and the highest degree of sci
entitic knowledge and skill on the
part of the engineer. 1t has been
the policy of She board at all times
10 exercise the most rigid economy
in the construction of all work We
have not made as many public i'm
provements as were demanded nor
as'o us seemed necessary, and many
ia, provements are now needed, the
Of i.,h 4 u
east sewer and which in our opinion
should be constructed at an early
date Our reason for deferring
these necessary Improvements has
been that we felt that with the I'M
usually heavy taxes occasioned by
the railroad subsidy and improve
ments previously made, the taxes
were already about as high as they
well could be without becoming bur
densome. This condition, however,
is only temporary and improvements
of urgent public necessity will be
made as rapidly as it can consistent
ly be done.
The fact that our city is growing
will require it in the near future to
push forward needed improvements
in order to retain the position it now
holds in the front ranks as a pro-
gressive and model city in the matter
of public improvements for the health
and comfort of its citizens and the
safety and beauty of its streets and
thoroughfares.
In conclusion, desire to express
the thanks of the board to the mayor,
the council and all the city officers
So. = I., ha
extended to US in their dealings with
this department, and also for the
valuable assistance rendered us by
the engineering department in car
rying out the plans of the board.
Respectfully submitted,
ARTAUR A. CURME,
President of the Board.
Report of the board of public i'm
provements on building permits:
Department of Public Works,
Richmond, May 81, 1901.
To the Common Council of the City
of Richmond:
Gentlemen-The board of public
improvements beg leave to report
that during the year ending Decem-
Der 81, 1900, they have ordered 125
building permits to be issued as fol-
lows:
81 frame buildings at total cost
of $40, 915.
81 brick buildings at total cost of
S120, 975.
125 buildings erected during 1900
at a total cost of S167, $50
Buildings erected during 1899 at a
total cost of SI06 900,
Increase of 1900 over 1899, SCI,
$50.
Respectful = submitted,
ARTHUR A. CURME,