The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-01

Fays important. might 10 cited and y
MIST not be forgotten that neanwhil
the Influences lors ago established ar,
stiii at work l-tho Chamber Of Commerce,
and the other organizations allied wit.
IT,
Altogether. II IS q hopeful view-rctro
spcct and prospect. The past has nindt
tho present bright. and tho future /!
promising. Tlic New Year of 1906 dawn.
auspic!cusly for Richmond people. and
n1ess every sign falls. the twelve month,
nov beginning holds in # that which
~.ll cciipso even the hitherto unprcce.
denied record of 1907.
Municipal Affairs.
In reference 20 conditions more distinct
~ municipal IN seopo there is much in
tho roccrJ of the years work to satisfy
ind encourage. The city has not only
maintained it's prestige but has made I'M
nlistakablc ndyancos III number Of
important directions. The population has
stradily grown and the prospect of an
carly enlargement of tho boundary lines
OF the city and OF the annexation of
Manchester and other adjacent territory
las given a further impetus to develop.
isaent in this rcspcct. Municipal finances
were never in moro excellent state
and tho tone OF governmental affairs gen
orally is very healthy.
Extensive improvements to the water
and the gas service, now being made,
furnish two Illustrations of an expansion
that is marked on every side. The gas
investigation promises needed reforms,
and while this is in progress great
now holder with capacity of 100000
cubic feet is being rushed to completion.
Four other holders are already in usc.
the output during 1904 being Sg.TS6,1I
cubic feet. There are over IS miles OF
street mains. In the water department
the settling basin that will hold a 20
day supply FOR the entire city will soon
be completed The department has two
pumping stations with capacity of a.
10000 gallons daily and two reservoirs
with capacity of 56.eoo.oJ0 gallons. There
are about ZIG miles of water mains III
Richmond.
The total assets OF the city. not inc,iId-
ing delinquent taxes amount to sl3,o4?,-
42lsl; the total liabilities to si,6l7,1oe.9G
and the cNcess of assets over liabilities
10 sS,ial,7lS The per capita wealth OF
whites who compose SO per cent of the
entire population, is Sl,326.3S; of coiored.
sl6259.
Departmental affairs have progressed
with great sinoothness. Improvement OF
public highways has been slowly but
steadily accomplished. There are lie miles
of we'll graded and paved streets in the
city. Police and IRE departments are both
in the pink Of coalition, the former ert-
blowing 10l men and the latter li9 men. 4
Nineteen public schools and six kindersar-
tens are in use with staff OF go teach
ers and an attendance of ll.i92 scholars.
The prospect of an early extension
of tile cit,- limits Is one of the most en-
couraging of the New Year hopes. Outly-
,nc territory on this side of the James
will be taken In and Manchester with
lis 10000 inhabitants and important pust-
ness interests will, in all probability. be
annexed. Richmond viii then have become
a city containing approx mately l!7,'"' resi-
dents Tho city boundaries nave NOT peeh
extended since 1851. yet the population mas
steadily grown. In 1860 1t was $500; in
1Ss3. Gs,3o: in 1850, 500, and is Mt the
end of lnlS 5000. There is SUBURBAN
population of 1900 or more and Man
chester has 1000. with populous suburbs.
Finance and Trade.
Financial and trade conditions touch
ing the most vital interests oil the CITY,
derfuud first mention in more c;treiuI
consideration of the elements oil Dust
ness success contributing TO the
conditions set forth In general
,er,ns above The banking year
las been very successful. and the
REPORTS now made reflect in an Impressive
degree the solid prosperity of the city
s,fbc total assets in 1901 were SS9retA.-
24os5: in 1905, S4s ,092. 660.32, showing y
net increase of s3,01S,317.iI. Other fig
urcs have already been given. The ceno
account alone shows Il decrease, me
banks, To meet the commerciai needs,
having sold over s66o,oeO in bonds ana
stocks and loaned the money to their GUS
TONERS The growth III Richmond bank
ing during the last eight years Is almost
unbelievable In 1897 the total deposits
amounted to SO, S63. 90T.4S; to-day this
total has reached $2a.liS, AL 6, showing AN
Increase of S19,915, SS7.1s: In tho year lS9,
Inc total assets were s16.s22.3o4.Gf and In
1905 $4e, o., 66o.32. an Increase OF 5000
ao56S. Such a showing is indeed sraiiy-
ing, and is one Of the most unmistakable
evidences of Richmond wohuetiul
growth.
Manufactures flourished. business grew,
and new plants were established. Great
gains were made in many directions Il ne
iron trade that suffered during l9oi, re-
yived in 1905. Establishments, great and
small grew and prospered. over lou ne"
plants were located in the city. An addi-
ton of about $500 persons was made 10
the army of the employed. The amount
of capital Linvested increased ST.
1850, and THE annual sales 81
1876. The total figures for the year
follows: Number of plants In the city.
l52l; number of hands. 325oi; capital in
business s26,s75,cJ7; annual sales. s0s,-
Similar Improvement marked the year
in the jobbins trade. Advances arc CON
fined to no one. direction. Whatever
branch Of industry is considercd--dry
goods. groceries, provisions generally
clothing, shoes drugs, hardware, or what
not-there is evident the same prosperity
and hopefulness of the future already so
often referred TO. Merchants arc wide
awake and up-to-date. with the result
that Richmond to-day is In. many re-
rpects the distributing point for the en-
tire South. This is particularly true of
the grocery trade. In the list Of the shoe
markets of the world Richmond stands
9Th, coming after New York, Chicago
st. Louis and Baltimore, and before
Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Indianapolis,
Cincinnati and many others. Won
delful increases in the clothing bust
ness encourage the prediction that In an
other decade Richmond will rival the
greatest OF the Northern centres. The dry
goods houses arc selling goods all over the
South. The harness and saddery bust
ness has increased 50 per cent. in n twelve
month. and is rapidly craving. Speaking
generally, the jobbers have had u good
year. The low price e0f cotton had a had