The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-03-23
THURSDAY, MARCH 49, 1905.
The EQUITIES Of Annexation.

Z
The Equities Of Annexation.
some Of tho citizens Of outlying as
.,;cts complain that it is unfair TO 1ake
them into tho corporation and make sti'ei'l
4 nav civ taxes without their consent Iheie
are two replies to this contention 4. -
first Is that Richmond does not ue 'c;''
i5#8t he matter. Richmond simply taxes lfes senc
Initiative and makes the proposal. lhe
~ question then goes into court. s AL per- t'
cons IN interest will have an opportunity
n 4 he heard and the court will finally &c
s eide whether or not the Stcrrltor! sia' :.
s,,c annexed All questions involved are
4 "A referred to the court for decislon-tiii'o
GONE az the proposal, the. terms OIL inc INC
E proposal and so on. II Will be a SUI -
court, and willzbc disposed OF accoralns 70
the equities Of the case,
Anoth her view: In the Council Chamber
an TUESDAY night a distinguished ci we
az Chestnut Hill in 4 opposing annexation ~
Il let fall the remark that he had inc
kindest regard for Richmond because NJ
made5his living In the city nat Is 81. !ru Is
largely Of all suburban residents. sIFeS
" make their living in Richmond they are
,nart and parcel OF this community, an o
S AZ they get the benefits of the CITY, y IS
Y,,t right that they should bear their part
~ the municipal burden But that Is NOT
An. IN taking this territory In, R1chInohu
( "a n,,,s, and will give city benefits IN con-
sheraton Of tle&increased rate OF taxa
Il ,;on, which. however. does not come on
for il period Of five years after ann 'f a.
5# ton. ii the city sees fit to annex thes s'
suburban districts, those who make Their
living out Of Richmond should graciously
yield. b FL
II Is but natural that citizens OF the
county should raise objection toHthe an
nexation proposal. for all the territory
taken&in will be as so much revenue de-
Quoted from the county. But Henrico
should not complain. Its revenue Is the
largest OF any county in the State save save
b tho county OF Norfolk. whichgis similar
Nv situated. Its revenue for all purposes
for Tho year ending July ]. 1893 was
$50. 5sO.ss. OF this sum considerably more
:.
tory lying Immediately around Richmond
There arc many lots In that section winch
nay more taxea. han good sized farms in
other parts OF the county. II there were
no city here the property would he worth
no more than Lands in other parts OF the
county.
The lands Of Henrico are not unlike
3s the. lands, for example. of Amelia Thc
county of Amelia contains 223, 95S acres Of
land valued at s63s,51o; the county of
Henrico contains 159,s3a acres valued at
sss57l6p.
The value OF town lots in Amelia is
s44,54s, the value Of buildings on lots $685.
b35, making total OF sl44 os9.
The value OF town lots in Hcnrico Is
$3.50, T34,4 ahe value of buildings on lots
s2.Cs7.4S9. making a total OF s4,1Gs,223.
The total value OF lands. town lots and
buildings in Amelia is s93o,9oS; In Henrico
se,Al254.
RI. That tells the whole story. II is the
city of Richmond that has made tho
lands and buildings of Hcnrlco worth ter
times ms much as the lands and buildings
OF Amelia, notwithstanding the fact thai
Amelia contains 6342i acres more thar
Henrico.
The territory, which 1t Is now propose,
TO take In constitutes less than one-twen
ty-ffth Of the entire acreage of Hen
rico: the county's revenue Is derived from
that source, The county has been get
Eq ting this revenue without giving nue.
IN return in the way Of improvements
Take that thickly settled section lynn
west OF Lombardy street and south O
ai Grove Avenue. II is true that street
have been made and most Of them hay
+ 'tbeen gruyelcd but the cost from yen
to year Of keeping UP these streets is
uiete baGatelle. There are no siref
lights, deere is no drainage, there is n
Il Mater supply. there Is nothing whatsoeyt
IN tile way OF city conrenienccs. All thu
tho county does Is to send the road m;
chimes around once or twice year scral
the streets. clean out the bitches and p,
4 a llitlc gravel here and there IT is Rio
niond that makes this property so va
liable, and IL is right That Richmor
should take IT In Henrico will be IL
z loser for the time but as Richmol
grows outlying lands In Henrlco Viii b
come more and more valuable, Henri
mast share in Kchmond's prosperity
e Observation-Disclosures
General John e. Breckenridg,
&& m Erday nipbtJ (.oio,iel Eenne,