The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-02
SUNDAY, APRIL :, 1906. 1906.
Greater Richmond.

Greater Richmond.
ro-n,orrow night the question OF en-
larring the borders OF Richmond, or 10
10 more exact OF adopting the report o.
the Committee on Charter, Ordinance ana
reform, will come before the Council
Va and we believe that the members VIII
express the desire of the great majority
u OF the people Of this community II. they
vote to adopt the report as a whole'
Richmond has more population to the
same area than any city in tn eUnited
states. THAT being the case 1t Is not
surprising that there should be complaint
Of high rents and that the death rate,
should compare unfavorably with that
of other cities Of the same size. Ihere
arc those who contend that these con-
ditions arc not in any sense due to con-
gestion. and that there would be no relief
in expansion But the fact is that Rich
mond is the most congcsted city IN the
United States. that rents are high ana
The death rate is high, and the conclu-
sion is Irresistible that the relation be-
tween these conditions here as elsewhere,
is that OF cause and effect. Whether or
not that be true we have a condition
10 deal with and we should deal with 1t
in Il sensible way. The remedy for con-
gestion and the only remedy for it Is en-
ransIon. That proposition, ut least, can
not be denied. We need more grounu
FOR factories and especially for residences.
Tic grounds alreadyShere, but II is not
within the corporation 1t is not pro-
vided with city convenicnces and advan-
3 tages and. therefore,ft is not available
for building purposes. IL 1t We're the city
would not DE congested. People would
not huddle together in expensive houses
in the thickly settled portion of the city
II they could find all the advantages and
conveniences of city life In those sec
tons where there is plenty Of elbow
room. Richmond became congested un-
der the mistaken policy Of keeping the
city territory within cramped borders
and extending the convcnlences only as
the building OF houses In the outskirts
made it imperative. Unfortunately it
has not been the policy Of Richmond to
encourage u4.rban development, We
have lived within cramped quarters be-
cause we had to. We have built on every
foot of ground within the city, even
upon the back lots because there were
no city conveniences elsewhere. Isl
This policy must be changed and the
expand. We ought to have taken in more
territory long ago. and would have done
30 II the Anderson law had been in
force This must be taken into considera-
ton when extending the borders. we
have deferred expanding for so long a
time that VIC must take in more land
than would have been necessary IL We
had begun to expand years ago.
Several objections have been raised TO
the lines proposed by the committee, one
of them being that there are two toll
bridges to be reckoned with, and that II
we take them into the city before VIC
have purchased them, the Passenger and
Power Company will hold us up and MAKE
US pay double prices. The Passenger ant
Power Company is not in position Il
hold up" the city of Richmond or tt
drive a hard bargain with the Council
The Passenger and Power Company is al
ways more or less in the attitude o
asking something of the city, and it would
be stupidity personficd for the ofliccr
of that company 10 take advantage o
a situation TO make Richmond pay NOR
the remedy of condemnation did not exist
Moreover there Is good reason TO belley
that the Passenger and Power Compan
would he glad 10 get rid of the COS, @
maintaining the bridges, and VIC mus
conccde something 10 the enterprise an
llberality OF the corporation No inst
tulion of Richmond is quite so much II
y tcrested in the progress and deyelopmcr
uf Richmond as the Passenger and Pows
Company, and Mai 1t would stand
the way Of, "A public improvement, whlc
would DC SO clearly In It's interest is nj
70 be seriously considered.
Another objection is that II We shou
lake in manufacturing sites and the ma
ufacluring enterprises IN the suburbs, y
would keep otner enterprises from comil
In and probably drive away some
those aireudy here, That Is nonsens
The additional YAK which Il manrfactu
ing concern would have 10 pay in RE