The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-07
WANTS GIGANTIC
SUMS FOR STREETS
New Council to Face Bond Issue
Proposition
Shortly.
SEWER MoNEYNoT YET SPENT
Chairman Pollard Opposed to
Further Bond Issues at
This Time.

A bond issue for streets is one Of the
| first problems the incoming Council
Committee on Finance VIII nave TO
| face Under the basis of the new as
sessment available early in 1911, Rich,
mond Will be well within her bond
limit, and If the Finance Committee
consents, extensive improvements may
ready being discussed in tentative form
among members of the outgoing Com
mittees on Finance and Streets. The
argument is that Richmond is CROWNS
| -Browing fast. Already during the
fiscal year Building Inspector Beck has
issued permits for more than Sl.oO0,oo0
worth of brick and frame residences.
| Rows of houses of all classes are go
| ing up in all sections of the city,
many OF them fronting on streets
which have never been cut to the es-
tablished grade, and on which there
1 is no Improvement whatever. accoI re-
ing to those who have studied the
problem. Richmond has for the pres
ent sufiiciency of ghly-improVed,
smooth-paved thoroughfares for the
erection of expensive residences, and
the continuati ton Of the. paving or Mon
| ument Avenue and similar streets from
! time to time will continue to afford
| space for the ,extension of "Millionaires'
Row"
| Demand Is for Home Sites.
But there is great demand for street Is
in respectable localities, where lots
will be less expensive. but with com
Portable and attractive conveniences-
not old fields. where there Is only
the promise of streets in the far fu-
| ture.
Several members of the old Street
Committee. some of whom come back
and some of whom go on the new Com
mittee on Finance, have suggested a
| bond issue within the next year of
81 100000 for streets, to be used ir-
respective Of ward lines in the contin-
uous improvement of certain great
| thoroughfares Miles of streets could
| be cut to the established grade; miles
Of curbstones and suttering laid, and
! the streets graveled and rolled and
made habitable for people who wish
to purchase lots and erect homes, or
dwellings fitted with modern conve-
niences, which can be rented at prices
within the reach of the salaried class
Some Recent Bond Issues.
There have been three issues of inn
provement bonds within the past three
years In 1907 an issue of apron
| mately $4,000 was made for i'm
provement of the outlying territory
annexed in 1906. The money was ap,
portioned by special committee and
expended in laying extensive gas and
water mains into the new section; in
the opening and grading of many
streets. the opening and paving OF
! Thirty-fourth Street from Broad Street
to Oakwood Avenue as a through
Boulevard to lakewood Cemetery; the
/ extension of Monument Avenue to the
Roseneath Road, and in similar laroe
undertakings. a balance of about S..
1 900 of this fund remains uneXpended.
The second bond issue was $4,000
of which $250,000 was for the erection
of the municipal electric plant anc
Il 100000 for additional water pumps
to be driven by electric power. The
pumps We're erected well within the
estimates, but there has already beer
appropriated out of current funds s65,-
600 in addition to the bond issue, fol-
plant, and the plant is not yet com
pleted.
A Million for Sewers.
The third bond issue was of $1,000,
000 of which about 100000 was TO
water mains, the greater part of whicl
is as yet uneXpended; S250,000 com
pleted the payments on the new Higl
School building: $4,000 was set apar
school building, and s9so,o0o appor
. toned for sewers. OF the sewer &C
count, approximately 100000 remain
unexpended. The Council being unabl
been done on the Dooley sewer esti
!. mated to cost with it's branches, abou
/ s25o,oco, and large part of Clay, War
remains without drainage while tn
, money is idle in bank.
Only in the last ten days has worl
begun on the West Street sewer, de
: signed to drain the territory west 0
the Boulevard, north of Cary Street
I contract for which was awarded las
April. Large sewers have been bull
in Paramount and other sections of tn
East End. Previous to all of thes
bond issues there was a special issu
for the complete rehabilitation of TIL
Gas Works, which had been allowed t
run down to the point where it wa
necessary practically to rebuild
throughout.
Opposed to Bond Issue.
Chairman Fl. r. Pollard. Jr., of tn
Finance Committee, has announced hi
opposition t. c bond issue for improve
ments at this time. He said last nigh
that whatever bonds may be issued thi
year for bridge construction and othe
items necessary to carry out the term
of the Manchester annexation agree
ment could be bought in by the sink
ing fund, and that he was opposed t
any issue of bonds that would have t
be sold to the public at this time Othe
members of the Finance Committe
hold that the city should complete tn
million dollar extension Of its sever
age system on which it embarked las
year before 1t attempts other large en-
cheering enterprises