The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-08
AFFAIRS OF CITY OFRICHMCND
UNDER REVIEW BY THE MAYOR
Chief Executive in Annual Message to City Council Dis
cusses Matters in Which All Citizens Are Inter-
ested--Advocate of Annexation.

t~erious. The water lis now clear. and
chemists pronounce it to DO as pure
as any water obtained from a sur
face supply"
Mayor Richardson believes that the
city will be better lighted at less
cost to the city when the new muni-
cipal electric lighting plant Is com.
pleted, and he feels sure that the
power and pumping capacity Of the
plant will meet every requirement. for
many years.
Regarding the improvement OF
streets during the past year, the mes
sas says:
Work in the department of this
city engineer continues to increase
with the growth of the city. The
opening of new streets ana sections
and the construction of q large mum.
Der of sewers, for which an appro.
priation of nearly one million dollars
a been made, have added greatly 10
the labors and responsibilities OF the
city engineer and his assistants. The
work done Is set forth in detail In
the report. and shows that the money
appropriated has been honestly ex.
pended. There are no more intelli.
gent, laborious and faithful employees
OF the city than the men In this de-
partment. There are many streets
and alleys yet TO be graded n inn
proved. but work has peen lone in
all sections of the city, and the re-
suits are seen in the erection Of build
ings and the enhancement of values
The bad condition of some of the
streets cannot properly be charged
to the department, but solely to the
scarcity Of funds by which improve
ments may be made. The report
contains important recommendations.
which should receive the attention of
! b council, n eli these ftiF-
ther alluston viii be made"
Millions in Building.
lima value of all work au-
thori3ed during the year Is $3.572.s12,
according to the Building inspectors
report. upon which the message com
rients In this connection the mes
sage says:
The Building Inspector n his
assistants have made sac inspections
of various premises, n as a result
forty-eight old and unsafe buildings
have been removed and nineteen re-
paired by the owners The aims
house for colored persons. the Valley
School building and Seabrook Ware
house. belonging to the city, have
been Fire escapes nave been
ordered and erected wherever requir-
ed by law, and special attention has
been given to the enforcement of the
laws relating TO the safety of public
buildings. The Building Inspector
a recently been made the custodian
of public buildings. and these addi-
tional duties occupy much of his time.
Fol some time he has been short in
his working force b. reason of the
fact that the time of one of his as
~sistants has beer wholly occupied in
tho supervision of work on buildings
owned by the city"
Commenting upon the report of the
Superintendent of Public Charities.
the message has this to say:
The cooperation between the city
authorities N the Associated Char
tiles in the reiia& OF outdoor poor is
commended. and mould in ON man
ner be regulated by ordinance. The
Superintendent of the Home has no
time to investigate the merits of the
applications TO him for relief. and is
often imposed upen, but the Asso-
ciated Charities Is we'll organized
with visitors wha investigate and keen
a record of every application. and In
this way prevent fraud and imposi-
4 ton"
Fire losses during the year amount
] ed to -S16l.&&2-R2+aeeefA4ag to the
report of the fire commissioners,
most of the losses being covered sby
insurance. The mayor makes no sre-
cial recommendation regarding This
department. bateefasrreffts favur9t+y
upon its werk and improvements IN
slituted.
Arrests and Violations.
The fact that the report of the
chief OF police shows that upward
of 10000 arrests were made and nltre
than 5000 violations reported dur-
ing the year leads the mayo TO re-
mark that such a statement would
give rise to the belief that fully Il IL
per een of the city's population had
been arrested during the year.
las a matter of fact, however"
he remarks. of The persons arrested
1t is believed that not more than 1.U91
individuals were represented, and Of
the 500 violations of ordinances se-
ported, 1853 were for failure to OBJ
tain licenses to keep dogs, etc. Ia
some of these cases.. especially in
cases of drunkenness and disorderiy
conduct. IL is known that the same IN
dividual has been arrested as man.
as fifteen times during the ear bat
each arrest goes to make III the AK
I regate. Some means gliouId he
adopted by which the number a. In
| ~digiduals could be reported. iany
of these arregts r FOR Very trivial
offenses, and perhaps 40 per ee,tt. OF
them are dismissed by the court.
But the number of arrests and re-
ports for violations of ordinances viii
continue to increase as long as the
fee system for magistrates prepails,
and the number OF arrests and yio-
lations OF ordinances reported are
made the test of merit by which the
efficiency OF a policeman is rated. 20
licemen and magistrates are coaser-
yators Of the peace. and their first
duty Is to prevent the commission OF
offenses and to settle disputes which
may lead to disorder"
Preserve John Marshall House.
Mayor Richardson had this recon-
mendation in commenting upon the
report OF the City School Board;
THE Council should make an ade-
quate appropriation for the immedi-
ate repair and preservation of the
John Marshall Home This building,
the residence for many years of one
who was closely identified with the
city in his early life as a member
of the City Council. Alderman and
Recorder, and who afterwards be-
canle eminent az a legislator and min
lister, and WAS the most eminent jur-
list this country has produced, should
be preserved as q perpetual reminder
of that great nan and as one of the
most valuable assets Of the city"
Regarding distractions in the
streets. Mayor Richardson says:
There are still many distractions