The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-22
.PURPOR'T OF
The BUDGET
Great Works That Are to Be
Undertaken Very Shortly.
WATERTOWERlN WEST END
viii Greatly increase the Pressure n,
That Distrlct-The Settling and
CoaguIatlng 5aslns-oth.
or Provisions.
WATERTOWERINWESTEN END

Although the budget carefully prepared
by tho Finance Committee and accepted
by both branches Of the Council has
been passed nearly 3 month, little II any
thing has been done towards Disturbing
the million and three-quarters dollars
which have been provided for the sup
port Of the city, It having been next to
| impossible for the various committees
to effect an organized movement into the
coin. And while this is true, equally as
! little Is known by the general public as
| ito what tho conglomeratlon Of figures
mean. as the solons know at present
how to apportlon the money and place It
where the most good will bo accS.n-
pllshed for the tax-paying citizens.
Under these conditions 1t would not be
amiss to review tile document with an
Idea Of letting the people know how at
least some Of the money is to be ex-
pended and where. That It will be care
fully appor toned Is assured, and that
each section Of the city will get lust
portion Is equally Is true
FOR CLEAR WATER.
To be exact, the budget provides ST.
T54, $1,000. but 1t should be borne In mind
that this does not Include bond issue
OF $4,000, which Is not included In the
document, having been voted by the
Council last year, the money to be used
In building settling and coagulatlng
basins. In the hope OF furnishing the
people with clear. unadulterated, pure
water. s
But while 1t is true that the bond issue
ts not In the docket, there is quite an
item which has a direct bearing on 1t.
for 1t was found necessary to provide
s4o.07s.13 for paying the Interest and re-
demption for the first year.
While referring to the efforts to i'm
prove the water system Of Richmond It
might be VOL to look upon the last item
IN the long budget, which Is $1,000 for
q water tower. The natural question.
What is & water tower" and why such
e la rs, sum for thing with which the
majority Of The people are unfamiliar
Is easily answered, and the explana ton
which Will prove to the citizens that the
money will be well spent.
In common parlance, water tower'
Is nothing more nor less than stand
pipe, and this will be erected upon a plot
of ground in tho Lee District, which is
yet to be chosen. Now, a stand pipe is
an immense tank, a receptacle where
thousands OF gallons Of water will be
stored at all times,
BETTER PRESSURE
The urgent necessity OF such an ar
rangenent has long been felt by the
Water Department, for it will guarantee
positively a highly Increased pressure In
the western residential section, and add
materially to the same al over Rich
mond. .59 81
At present the people in Ice District
suffer daily from the lack OF water. It
being almost impossible to get drop on
second floor. although the plumbing
and connections are wellnigh perfect.
For q long while they have patiently
waited and worked in the interest OF
anything that would bring relief.
So stood the matter when clear water
was being agitated last fall, and had
not It been decided to put in the basins
the appropriation to the stand pipe
would have never been made. When the
question was up the Lee Ward delega-
! ton saw their chance and seized It.,
steadfastly refusing to support clear
water bond issue unless provision was
also made for Increased pressure.
In the fight they were successful the
| Council voting the bonds and instructing
| the Finance Committee to provide so, 900
with which to Increase the pressure In
| Lee Ward.
THE MONEY READY.
The money is ready and the Water
Committee prepared to put It In clrcula-
| ton, Plans are being drawn for the
pipe, and Immediately they are completed
| bids will be asked and the site located.
| It win require some time to construct It.
after which the pressure will pc felt.
The water will be lifted by the pumps
| at the reservoirs through pipes to the
stand pipe, It will be filled and the water
furnished to the citizens through mains,
tho altitude to which 1t mas already been
lifted lending tho necessary impetus to
supply the entire district. This will nat
urally relieve the tax on the pumps and
allow the water to be more equally dis
tributed throughout the town.
The basins next, The Committee on
Water has already purchased q suitable
slter-William s Island-for the coagulating
and settling basins, and plans are now
being drawn. the ground having already
been surveyed and general outline de-
clded upon,
But the bonds have not IA yet been
sold, 30 1t would DO unwlse to let the
contract until the money has been real