The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-01
The YEAR in
MANCHESTER
Was Created a City Of the First
Glass and Held the
Standard.
POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION
Many Street Inprovcmei1ts--Fi-s
1lanciers and Business Men
Look for Bright Future.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Times ,pispatrf,,l

z Manchester Bureau, Times Dispatch,
No. 1io2 Hull Street.
Tho year Just closed was one Of
progress allG property for Manchester.
4 II vas an ora in the cycle Of Its exis-
tence.
AS the result of special census the
city was placed among those Of tho
first class, showing a population Of about
;1.0OD. an increase OF several hundred
over the last Federal census OF three
years ago. 555
With this jump into the first class, tho
city IN Its municipal affairs takes on ali
expansion. This expansion was hurried
which promises that the membership OF
the city Council shall be Increased In n
manner commensurate with the slzc and
Importance Of the new city.
The citizens generally look upon this
with some Pride. believing that all signs
of interval growth and prosperity tend
to place tie city among the important
centres, thoa further increasing its vnlur
rs residential and business place.
INCREASE THE FORCE.
Feeling It's Importance and It's growth,
and the necessity Of offering Its citizens
tho police protection that they should
have, the City Council very wisely en-
larged the police force by the addition
o. two more men. This action has al
ready redounded to the credit Of the
Council and to the honor of the city,
for the city is now more fully patrolled
than cverFbefore. and the possibility Of
crime Is essened
The fire department Is, made up Of a
5staunch and brave set of men. 1t hae
m,tdc many records, and the losses by
fire during the past year hayo been cut
to minimtinl 55
With all these safeguards around them
the citizens feel that life and property
is as safe as can be. and feeling ofsse-
.curity encompasses them. s3
During the past year the City Council
has done much toward making the city
an ideal residential place. Thousands Of
dollars llavo been expended In pernla.
ncnt street improvements, and tie Coun.
ell expects to continue this4proitable In
vestment yea,. by year. until every street
has tcen put In good condition. With
this going on the city fathers hope to
further nrec.pitate the steady. substan-
tial increase in population. which is
naturally followed by an increase In
business.
NO VACANT HOUSES.
There are, practically no vacant
houses In. the city, and the.suburbs are
growing M. A few years ago there
were scores of vacant houses to BIO
seen on every hand. This condition
and the continued prosperous times
has caused families who had doubled
up to spread out, and has been the cause
az many new families coming into the
city, where work was ready for them.
Merchants have had a fine year. The
old custom of going to other cities tn
shop has died out, and there is nothing,
to be had at stores elsewhere that can
not be had at home. Owing to the in-S
creasirg demand. several large concerns
have started up, and business has come
to them. Other houses already estab-
,islled have enlarged
Tie two banks are doing much
blis,ness The Mechanics and Mer
chants and the Bank Of Manchester
have at their head some of the most
substantial business men In the city
TIE deposits are large and are con
startly increasing. with avcn brighter
prospects the coming year.
Ali this goes to show upon whaE 4
firm foundation the city of Manchester
is builded. 1t shows that the people at
the head OF the business, industrial and
tina rcal factories of the municipality,
are men Of some business principles and
tunluestioncd integrity. Most Of them
grew up with the. city, played on vacant
now stand; some of them are adopted.
FINE SCHOOL OFFICIAL.
CT course the children of a place mako
IT. What is instilled into them In youth
bears It's fruits in later years. And that
Is what has made Manchester.
There Is hardly a city school system
anywhere in better hands than that IN
5intcndent to the teacher Of the lowest
urinary grade-all are fitted splendidly
for, their work. n
This is true also OF the private instl-
tutlons Of learning. 8 s 4.
Willie the financial condition Of tho
banks and business house Is most en-
couraging, the same may be said OF the
city itself. The revenue exceeds the en-
penscs considerably and there is always
I godly sum In the sinking fund. The
city has not been compelled to borrow
any money during the year, while on the
other hand several extraordinary appro-
l,,rlutions have been made, and stu the
CITY will come out ahead at the end OF
the fiscal year.
" THE largest appropriation made during
the ycar3wa. that OF 1000 for permanent
street Improvements This money was
divided: equally among the four wards.
ana the work was judcously done undor
the direction of the City Engineer, No
special system was used, as was at first
expected, but the work was done IN Va
rious sections of the city.
NEW RESIDENCE.
Another appropriation, which was an
extraordinary one, was that of 81 $780,
for q new superintendent house at
Mnrry Cemetery. 1t had been felt for
long time that such house was
rceded and the appropriation was read
lly made,
Other outlets We're found for tho
necessary turning loose OF funds. pu.
in no instance was any money put out
before 1t was found that il was most
absolutely needed.
ME Income this year will not be as
great as the Council had hoped. me
action of. the Corporation Con'miss Ion IN
taking 5000 In taxation from the South
ern shops and placing It In Richmond
knocks jusl that mucL revenue from
the next budget.
This does not mean, however, that the
,,itv's lI incnme will bo short that much