The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-13
GROWTH RETARDED
/ BY Limited AREA
Business Men Show How City
Has Lost Ground for Want
Of Annexation.
POPULATION is contested
Suburbs Arc Adding to Bonded
Debts Tor Makcsliift Public
improvements.


Improvements.
Richmonds failure to provide ade-
auateIy for expansion by anncXinI ad
! Joining suburbs and vacant lands, has
retarded the growth OF the city and
caused IL large financial losses. This
was the trend of the discussion OF the
subject at the Business Mems Club
yesterday.
There was full attendance at the
lunch. which is the first OF series to
be given for tho purpose of interest
Ing business men i'll civic questions
| The meeting lasted exactly IN hour
The lunch was served with great
despa tch and the discussion was spirit
| cd and to the point.
! A sheet of statistics was laid before
each guest showing how Richmond
compares in population and area with
other cities of the same class, and
! that she has 20 per cent less area In
proportion to her population than any
United states
Relatively Lost Pincc.
| The result OF this condition was OK
planned by w =. Waddcy lie stated
that in 1850. Richmond was the TWEEN
/. iy-iifth city in the country. in 500,
the thirty-ilfth. and in 1900. tho forty
sixth, showing that her failure to pro
vide room for her growth had caused
her TO drop behind in the race
During the decade between 1909 and
1919. when several anneXations were
made. inc city grew % per cent. and
rea ch cd the thirty eighth place in the
list. which ii now holds said Mr..
Waddcy Between 1879 and 1909.
while the western limit OF the city
was nXed a.: I.ombardy Street. the
population increa scd by only $500. and
this failure to grow normally is un-
doubtcdly due 10 the fact that the
corporate limits were not extended"
Local Area small
Referring TO the statistics in hand.
he pointed out that while Richmond
has but eleven square miles OF area,
Albany known as the dcadcs; town
in the country. and having smaller
population, has sixteen square miles.
and Scranton. a much poorer place. has
nineteen square miles. This. ne said
would seem 10 indicate that Atlanta.
with twenty-six square miles, which
has been so much ridiculcd is after
all. following far sighted policy.
Richmond was shewn to have an area
30 per cent smaller in proportion to
her population than any Of the other
eighteen cities on the list
Strangers who visit Richmond" he
said constantly express surprise at
the actual size OF the city and the
volume OF business done here. FOR the
average man has no way Of Judging
city save by the census rating, and
this By no means represents Rich
mond fairly. Most persons know moth
ing of the bank clearins4 and other
statistics which represent the real
strength OF Richmond as business
centre And this state OF affairs is
obviously a poor advertisement for the
city"
Adding to Bonded Debt.
Tho economic and financial aspects
OF the question were presented by
James lewis Anderson. who was cs
pecially active in securing tho annex
alton Of Manchester
These adjoining suburban munich
paiitics" nc said. are expanding
money for public improvements. as
they have right TO do under their
charters, and they are borrowing tho
necessary money at per cent interest.
These suburbs are bound TO be an
neXed eventually. and with them,
Richmond will got their { per cent
indebtedness. whereas this city could
have borrowed the money at per cent
interest
Resides this loss Of 80 per cent on
the interest. thc work of Improvement
must practically be done all over
when these Suburbs are made part
of the city. that the loss is two
fold. The West End OF Richmond is
the only vacant property which has
been annexed TO the city in the last
twenty five or thirty years. and il is
splendid example Of the advantage
10 the city OF making it's own improve
mcnts. That scction OF Richmond has
fine wide streets and is filled with
valuable residences which yield a high
tax return Compare 1t with the West
End OF the town below Main Street
which lies fully as we'll for residence
purposes. b,rt which was not annexed
until after tho county had laid out the
streets and established the town. This
section has poor and narrow streets
filled with small houses. The pro
pcrtv is worth only one half Ia one
third Of what il should he worth. and
the lax return is correspondingly
small"
LAWS Interfere.
Mr. Anderson also pointed out that
tho state laws are not favorable to
annexation aud should be amended.
When tho suburb becomes a part of
the city II is no longer a part OF the
'o"'t'H, ny CIV ID > i"iN Low dhu nehSe
there is constant conflict between city
and county when the question of an
nexation is brought up. In other
States tho city and county are under
the Same government. he said. and
this conflict is avoided
That the need OF the negroes OF
Richmond for better homes and more
room to build in, should be recognized
in charging the corporate limits Of
the city, was urged BY Leroy l..
Brown
1T should be remembered that so