The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-15
NEEDS OF The CITY
DISCUSSED BY MAYOR MYERS IN
HIS ANNUAL REPORT.
RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL
PUBLIC MEASURES THAT RECEIVE
SANCTION OF THE MAYOR.

Needed-City Needs IA New Ex-
change BuiIding-Measures Touch
ing the Veal of Savannah That
Are Pending in Congress.
The annual report of Mayor Herman
Myers was presented to the City Coun-
Gil at a special meeting held yesterday
afternoon at the City Exchange at 4
o'clock. The report touches upon a
number of important issues and meas
ures now in the public eye. 1t is as
follows:
During the year 1901 Savannah
enjoyed a full measure of prosperity.
It's business conditions compared IA
vorably with those in other cities of the
South; it's people were blessed by an
absence of epidemics or other catastro-
phies, and received satisfactory returns
for their labors. Our trade maintained
it's own against the competition of
other centers of activity; our volume
of business showed no decrease; our
merchants continued their progressive
policy of recent years; the transporta-
ton companies brought us in inter-
course with a more extensive territory,
and, studying the year from any view
point, it is evident that we came to it's
close with many reasons for gratitude
and with sufficient in it's history to in
spire us for more aggressive work for
Savannah's upbuilding during the II
months to come.
Shows City's Policy.
The administration of the city gov
eminent has been along the same lines
as in the past, in desire to meet the
varied needs of our people, to avoid
| clashing with them, and to unite all
elements of the community in a har-
monious support of the municipalities
work improvements of a public char
acter have been conducted with an eye
not to parsimonious economy. but to
an intelligent expenditure of the public
| funds in a manner calculated to secure
| the best results to taxpayers from the
| income derived from them. The neces-
stiles of a growing city have rendered
| it impossible at this time to further
| decrease the tax rate, but citizens have
| the satisfaction of knowing that they
are securing better service in the va
rious branches of the government, and
that larger expenditures are being
made for betterments than probably
ever before. No one having Savannah
best interests at heart questions the
| advisability of such expenditures.
Street paving, street opening, house
drainage, and other works of an en-
| tirely new character, calculated to- inn
prove the healthfulness or appearance
of the city, and to render it more con-
venient for business and more attarc-
tice for residence, must commend
themselves to the public mind and OBJ
| tain the Endorsement of ALL
The advance that Savannah has
made in these directions in recent
| years is a. source of qualification to its
| people. A policy of continued i'm
| prove1ments, within the limits of our
| present income and it's natural increase
| from the growth of the city in popula-
tion and wealth, is not apt to fail to
receive the support of citizens as long
as such OUTLAWS are manifestly so made
as to secure full returns for the money
| so invested.
| Statement of Finances.
During the year 1901 the city's ex-
| penses, through such permanent i'm
| provements, were very heavy. The
house drainage system, now COM
| pleted over a large part of the city,
consumed $76.291 IL, the total expen-
| ditures TO date on this work having
| been $241 059 ST. In street paving there
! were expenditures of $50, 703. 10; in
| street opening $43,7 1876 81; in paving
| sidewalks $13,426 II, and in other forms
! of betterments $S,39s. total of $201,
| GA. 20 out of an entire disbursement
for the year of 1856, 1893. SO. Deducting
the fixed charges of bond payments and
| interest on the funded debt, amount
| ing to $203. 305.S3, it is found that about
| 80 per cent. of the city's expenditures
| were for a class of work that re-
| bounds to the future advantage of all
| citizens. The year also brought eX-
| penses in the administration of some
| departments that could not be fore
seen and were accordingly not pro-
| vided for in the budget. In the health
| department, where a restriction of eX-
| penses would often be at the cost of
the public health, the allowance was
inadequate and there was an over
draft of $1,000; in incidentals the ex
cess of expenditures was $500, but
charged to this item was probably
nearly $1,000 disbursed in charity, no
provision having been made by Coun-
ell for the relief of necessitous cases;
in house drainage the budget was
| overdrawn $21 900, it being deemed ad-
visable to push the work under way
to completion, and in street paving the
years figures show an outlay of $15-
600 more than the appropriation and
the receipts from property-owners. In
the last mentioned department there
were considerable supplies purchased
for West Broad street and not yet
used. which constitutes an available
asset in the work Of the department
for 1902.
In view of these facts it is a source
of qualification that the years close
found the city with cash balance on
hand of $5,317. 40. It's financial his
tory for the year is briefly summarized
as follows:
Cash on hand Jan. 1, 1901 IS 1870 so
Total receipts for 1901 ..... S57, S04 80
Total cash during year. .$S72, lis 50
EXPENDITURES.
Sinking fund and
interest =. ..... .S2O3, 305 SO
Permanent public
betterments =. . POI, GA 20
Regular expenses
of departments 461,S7S "a
Total expendi-
lures for year. ............. S66. 79S SO
Cash on hand
Dec. 81, 1901. ................$ 5,3l7 as
From this II will be seen that nearly
one-half of the total expenditures of
the city during the year was to pay
interest on its bonded indebtedness. TO
redeem bonds, and for public improve
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