The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-17
BOARD SUBMITS
TSF|RST REPORT
Tells What Has Been Done Dur
ing Year and What Is in
Contemplation.
WOULD NOT SELL GAS WORKS
Erection Of Municipal Building
Urged as One of the Impor-
tant Projects.

The first annual report OF the Ad-
illustrative Board was forwarded to
Mayor .Ainslie yesterday. An interest
ing document, we'll written. concise
and rcpleto with informative data. the
report shows the extreme care with
which facts and figures were complied
and the unbiased judgment of a board
OF men who recognize the limitnt lions
imposed on them by circumstances
ever which they had no control and at
the same time 4 confidence that moro
and better results Will be obtained in
the year to come
Perhaps the briefcst and most com
pfehensNc statement. of the duties of
! inc board" the report says, lis that the
board assumed the duties, RESPONSE
hilttics and authority of twelve Coun-
ell committees. formerly engaged i'm
The executive work of the city gov
ernmcnt, which are as follows: Com
mittecs on Water Grounds and Build
ings. james River, Stationery and
. PRINTING, electricity, Streets. Relief of
inc Poor, Markets. Cemeteries. Light
street Cleaning and Local Assessments
The board has supervision and CON
troll of the operation Of the following
departments: City Engineer (Which
includes st,Sets. alleys. sewers. bridges,
grounds and buildings and parks,,
water Department, Gas Department,
street Cleaning Department. Electric
lighting and Plant, City Home. City
Hospital. Cemeteries. Markets James
itiVcr, Dock, Building Department
Fairgrounds, Electrical inspectors
city Chemist, Scalcr of Weights and
Measures. Weig ster, Harbormas-
ter, etc"
Confident of better Work.
AS expressive Of the difficulties with
which any new work is undertaken.
the report states: In the outset the
board desires to express the conviction
that during the first year of it's eXis-
tence 1T has not been able to measure
Up to it's own conception of what it
might and ought to accomplish, having
been restrained by certain conditions
ana limitations beyond its control, but
enters upon another year confident of
It's ability to produce more and better
results, sufficient to demonstrate he
yond question the wisdom of the crea-
ton of the board and its qualifications
for usefulness and efficiency; and as II
result the constant. though perhaps
gradual Improvement, in efficiency and
usefulness Of all the departments un-
der the control of the board"
improvements Noted.
Attention is called to the facts that.
IN every instance underground work
has been completed before paving OF
rondbcd or sidewalk was begun; that
street improvements have been CON
tinuous; that delay in transaction of
public business, noticeable when the
government was in the hands of com
mittccs. has been eliminated and that
mere has been improvement In the
handling OF the saE,ry question Sal
aries nave been generally Increased,
owing 10 the necessities of the changes
! n conditions in the last few years. La
Dor and material have been obtained
by the board ut less cost than hereto
fore, and. an instance, water meters
were obtained at a lower price than
ever before I'm the history OF the city
The board having the control of the
Gas. Water and Street Departments
the work OF these departments has been
co-ordinated and complaint against
their FORMER delay has been silenced.
Extensive Improvement. the report
goes on, has been made IN various sec
lions OF the city by the grading of ded-
lcated streets. and extensive eXperi-
ments have been made in the matter
OF smooth paving to prove what is the
most durable material Reference is,
made TO the fact that in supplying the