The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-11
WORK DELAY{DBY
USUAL RED TAPE
Great Demand in Council to
Have Budget Put Through
at Once.

Although there are stilI omc points
OF Disagreement, ANA there nrny he some
/ iHitntr amendments. IL seems certain
'hat the citys annuu! appropriation
ordinance Will be finally adopted this
week ana presented to the Mayor for
ms approval Most Of the items meet
Win general approval. ard Will not be
altered. Under the charter tho Mayor
may veto any single tom OF approprlu-
| ton without affecting the paper as a
Nhpir. IL has been u:;r;cctcG, in view
OF state laws governing; ,hc conduct OF
the public schools, that the Mayor MAY
hoId on legal grounds that the action
VI 'he Common Council in turning over
an oi the Increase Tor pay of teachers
to the elementary whit. graies. and
attempting TO hN sliding scale OF
shiariea In those grades was nlu,:ul.
ana nc may ind 1t necessary 10 with
mold his approval from that Item. a
hSht VIII be made IN the interests OF
,he 20 ether teachers 81 the Boarl OF
Aiaerinen against the action OF the
Council in giving all tho Increase ,o
ialf OF the teaching force
Lcgnl Rcd rnpc.
But 1t Is regarded as .: great i'm
portance To the various departments of
the city government That The Funds mot
In dispute be made available Us soon n
possible. Construction work must be
which binds up all street work because
OF INTRICATE ard involved laws govern
ihs assessments aud Valuations for
manages takes months of vleric,I work
lhc most tedious ard involved is that
governing the work Of the Assessor or
Damages In regard to grading streets
ne assessment must be ordered by ,hei
COUNCIL on recommendations oc the
street Committee Many DELAYS inter-
tene, the paper goes TO record haltI
dozen times. and with me best results
SIN months elapse befovl actual work
can begin.
Last year the appropriation torI
streets generally was larger than ever
hei"re, put the delays im securing theI
s|nsshi OF abuttins rropcr.v owners
ana assessing damages TIED UP much
OF the money. 50 that large par. oil
the work WAS done In midwiutcs
rs a result these streets have been
iinpassable throughout tho winter.
Traffic has been impedcd. and the re-
port Of the Auditor shows that Of the
various street appropriations made last
year there reverted 10 the treasury -n ;
expended balances amounting to s26.
1855, most OF which was for work
men under contract but which had not
been completed because OF Writer wca
Their.
In nearly all OF tho departments tho
same conditions arise. Tho funds are |
mace available so iate IN the year and |
ihe conditions surrounding The expcndi-
turc require so much preliminary work
that much contract work goes over TO |
the late fall, aud much is caught nv |
freezing weather and LEG exposed !
throughout tho winter. a single case
Of an assessment OF damages ordered |
last spring for grading a single block |
Vent TO record In tho Council. Board o:
\ I q F
nrnce Committee Il total OF fourteen
times, and not pick has yet been
struck In the street, and the fund set
hrart for that work b: the Street Com
inittee has reverted to the trelaury
The same conditions. 10 q large ex-
tent, apply 10 sewers, half OF the APP
propriat!on for Shockoc Creek and |
Bacons Quarter Branch made last
year, having reverted to the treas
ury uncxpendcd. tho contract not
having been awarded by the Com
mittsc on Streets until las, fall, when
II was too late TO do more than half of
the work projected. OF the fund IN
last years budget for sewers generally,I
sll,l6l reverted TO tn. treasury, al
though many citizens were crying for
drainage connections, the unexpen led
balance representing work for which
the contracts were awarded late in the
fail and which have not yet been com
p,ctcd.
Sidewalk and alley paving, which is
done at the expense Of abuttinE prop
crty owners, also involves great delay
the method of authorizing and issuing
heinz tedious in the eX-
IRENE, taking so long, in fact. that
frequently property changes hands,
and the city either loses its claim, or
has to make it against an innocent pur-'
chaser. who has no notice of tho order I