The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-26
lie IS OF POSED S;
TO ANNE ton
Mr.. EasIey Against Extension Of
City Limits.
REPLIES TO Mr.. WALLERs /: ] !: {. n
Letter Of the Councilman Dlssected and Wig.
orously Dlseussed-Why Annexation
Would Not Help Ileurlco
County.
REPLIES TO Mr.. WALLERSTEIN
Editor Of The Times:

Editor OF The Times:
Sir,-1n discussing the merits of anpexa-
ton have carefully avoided personal allu-
sions. not only because they are distaste-
full to me, but because have no dispo-
sition to sink the discussion Of a public
question into any sort of a private con-
troVersy.
III a recent letter addressed to the
editor OF 1.-The Tines signed by Mr..
Joseph NYallerstein, the writer alluded to
me by name nc less than fourteen times.
IT, therefore, [ should in this instance
depart from the rule I have adopted,
trust that it will not be misunderstood.
The writer starts out with the asscr-
ton that last fall Mr.. John c. J1asley.
delivered an address before the members
OF the Chamber of Commerce in this
city," etc, and proceeds to take me to
task for not answering an unsigned com
munication, which he says appeared In
the Richmond newspapers "a. very snort
time after th.at address,. The facts are
that on February -, 1901. I appeared be-
fore the Chamber of Commerce, by lnVl-
tation, to take part in the discussion or
the question Of annexation. The unsigned
publication appeared in THE Richmond
Dispatch, Of November 10, 1901, more
than nine months later, and l fail to see
that l was called upon to reply. But In
letting the communica ton pass unnOtlced,
I can assure him that I did not do so
because / considered its statements in
controvertible
CITY AND COUNTY TAXES.
Whatever may be the standpoints from
which the assessors in Richmond ana
lIenrico construe the law relative to
their respective duties, the fact remains
that the assessments i'll Henrico are
lpon a lower basis than they are in Rich
mond, and any territory annexed to Rlch-
mond will in 1905 necessarily be assessed
by tbs, assessors for the city OF Rlcn-
1nond, and as the law requires assessments
to be uniform, those in the annexed ter
ritory must be increased to correspond
Any increase in the assessment carries
with it an increase in both State and city
taxes without reference to the rate In
my letter of February II, 1902, as an Off
set to a balance of $l25,000 on hand, L
quoted estimates of the cost of a. partial
list of Richmond's present urgent needs
for which no provision has been mace,
amounting to about one and a half million
dollars, and suggested that 1t was IKE
owning a dime and lacking food ana
raiment.'' Mr.. Wallerstein thinks cit is
like owning {; dime and having two dimes
vita which to pay 1 confess that l do
not understand the "hocus pocus' science
Of finance by with this conclusion is
reached. The gentleman thinks the size
of a debt is not a disturbing factor to in
diviiual or corporation il assets are
plentiful
When the debt bears d. high rate of In
terest, and a large portion of the assets
are not only unproductive. but burden
some 1 consider it a very disturbing
factor
In speaking of per capita cost of main
tenance we are told that New York
spends annually S31.62: Boston. $3.50;
Jersey CITY, $40 50; Cincinnati, slS.62:
Richmond, s14.43, and If it were material
to the issue, might add N1anch> ster Sy.59.
In stating that annexation would refuge
the school session in HenriCo to three or
four months unless additional taxes oe
levied TO replace the funds taken from
Henrico tt7 Richmond, I gave the esti-
mates of officials. who are in positions to
know and 1 do not see that Mr.. Waller
STEMS supposition. that those left can
be easily conducted for nine MONTHS" is
any offset.
It is taken as a. great hardship that
industrial plants just outside of Rich
mond date their letter heads Richmond
instead of Henrico. Doesn't Mr.. Waller
stein know that a firms letter head usu-
ally bears its post-office address, and
that Richmond is the name of their near
est post-office? Surely he doesn't wish to
restrict the rus of the name of a Gov
eminent post-oftice, as if it were copy
righted. For every man who lives in
Fenrico and finds employment in Rich
mond, I venture to say that can point
him to one who lives in Richmond and
finds employment in some of the numer-
Gus manufactures in lienrico-such as
the Locomotive Works, Cedar Works,
Hub ad Spoke Works. the numerous fer
lilizer factories, brick plants, brewery, etc.
Thirty thousand people who liJe in Hen
rico buy supplies and trade in Richmond,
and to say that the benefits are ''al-
together on one side is a system of rea-
soning beyond my comprehension.
CITY ASSETS AND BONDS.
In speaking of the subcommittee
plan of annexation, Mr.. Wallerstein says:
II believe that a majority Of citizens In
proposed annexed districts, when they
properly understand what we propose, Will
almost to a. man favor 1t. -
che better the people of both Richmond
and Henrico understand the subcommlt-
tees plan, the more l Shall be pleased,
and as an evidence Of his confidence ne
might insert a provision referring the
question to vote of the property-oWn-
ers within the radius Of annexation. The
claim that Richmond extends police and
fire protection to Henrico, or that She is
~
Of grim humor. The claim has been fire.
uuently made that Richmond's debt can
be liquidated by a sale Of the gas and
water works. DO not think this is true
,pnless there is coupled with the sale an
exclusive monopoly for furnishing these
necessities at a fixed price. If Richmond
is reduced to the necessity of selling
monopolies, and is willing to bind her peo-
pie in a sort of financial slavery she
might have raised considerable revenue
by selling to one corporation the eNclu-
sive right to operate street railways; 70
another the exclusive telephone prlVl-
leges, and to another the exclusive right
to furnish electric lights and power, and
Sc on without limit, provided, Of course
the terms We're sufficiently elastic as 70
their right to charge. And 4 dare say a
toll-gate on Main Street would pay hand-
son1ely. That traficking in the rights OF
the people has beer, even thousht OF IS
suggestive Of conditions for which we
we're not prepared.
That Richmond city As are worth 107
l.: in the hands of individuals is not
60, ,.;c;p thay. are EXEMPT from + the