The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-26

1 pohoCo VI opCTauOn OF the CITY out
side OF pay rolls. IT includes contin.
| gent funds. contributions TO hospitals
and charities. public charities of tho
| city. Board or Health expenses, main
tenance OF city buildings, parks. cemc.
! tertes and schools. exclusive of pay
rolls: street lighting. police and fire
protection outside OF pay roll. Improve
military companies, to the Mechanics
institute the Rosemary Library. the
tuberculosis camp. and maintenance OF
the markets.
Electric Plant.
Opening or the electric plant this
year adds heavily to the budget. Tho
estimated cost of opera ton is for pay
ms an estimated annual charge Of
$4,000.
Although a bond issue OF $4,000
was made 10 cover the cost OF the
plant and the turbine water pumps TO
be driven by electricity, It was proved
Insufficient and the budget carries this
year from annual funds. besides bond
issue amounts carried forward and an
nual appropriations made and expend-
ed last year. tho following items: Con
strucuon and equipment at plant. s1o.-
$40: extension OF Broad Stree. lights
10 Pine street, $4,000 distributing
system. $4,000.
Although far from having It's dis.
tribution system coinpicted tho power
house is being operated TO supply cur
rent for the broad Street lights. That
1t may not appear that these lights
cost too much, the plant is also FUR
rtshing power for pumping water. 9 nj
the Wuter-poWer pumps at the New
Pump House are standing idle, Mean
while former Alderman z. u. Richard
son. chairman Of tho Committee on
Elec,rcitE when the con1.ac,s were
awarded for the plant is an avowcd
candidate for the position of Superin
tendcnt. which is held emporarily by
Consulting Engineer T. w. Tratford,
who designed the power house and
supervised lis construction for the
city. The total in tho budget for the
electric plant is s13o.3lo. and as there
is no assurance when the distributing
system Will be ready. there is also an
item Of s1s.42s for rent Of street cleo
trio lights from the Virginia Rail
Way ana Power Company. which has
furnished tie arc lights for scNeral
years under contract.
Charities, Public and Private.
Appropriations IN the budget for
public charity operated by the city
through the Committee on Relief Of the
Poor amount 10 $4,000. While con;ri
buttons are made 10 hospitals tuberci!-
amounting TO $1,000. making Z total
OF $4,000, Yet IL has been argued for
years that the city Is too poor TO erect
d public hospital, and the so-called
City Hospital q present is wing of
the .Nmshouse.
The Police Department receives the
funds 10 provid. salaries and equip
ment for thirty additional officers. al
ready authorised. The men will soon
be selected and be on the force within
a month.
More street Cleaners,
The Street Cleaning Committee also
allowance which should admit OF the
employment OF q large force OF addi
tional men AT the rate fixed by ordi-
nance, - per day. The total Of all
items allowed for stree, cleaning this
Year amounts TO sl5O,OOo, an Increase
OF S3i,o2l.59 over last year, Which
should not only take care OF Washing
ton Ward but afford men and teams for
more regular sweeping OF the business
sections.
The Street Department gets the larE-
est increase Of any. all OF the items
embraced under the head Of streets
total over last year Of s16S,9oo.i7 Re
sides providing ii special tuna OF $4,000
for Washington Ward streets, and Il
number OF special items there is nj
lowed $4,000 for streets generally.
an increase OF 10000 over last year
IN the general fund. There is an exrra
allowance of $4,000 for sewers this
year. which VIII provide many sewers
needed III the older sections, not en-
braccd IN the recent bond issue for
sewers in the annexed territory.