Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-06
urges ACTION ON
BIG FIRE HAZARD
Mayor, in Annual Message, Draws
Councils Attention to Faulty
Water Distribution.
QUOTES FIRE CHIEF JOYNEs
Says City Should Not Wait for
Calamitous Fire to Remedy
Defect.

"
attention sharply to the defects in the
water distribution system in the con-
gested value district and the high con-
migration hazard under which this
section Of tho city rests After quoting
Fire Chief Joynes on the extent Of this
deficiency. the Mayor advises:
Whatever should be done to remedy
this condition should he done TO the
after. a calamitous fire. Don't let
Richmond be listed with those cities
that had to be burned UP before they
could be made to understand their de-
fects IN this regard.
NO REASON WHY CITY
SHOULD TAKE THIS RISK
The report of the Superintendent Of
the Fire Alarm Department repeats his
former efforts to procure a modern and
reliable central office apparatus He
has heretofore reported this apparatus
to be antiquated and in bad order. and
liable at any time to fail to operate
1T Is not pleasant to think of big
fire either to which the engines are
not promptly called. or for which they
cannot get adequate water. IL there
any reason why we should continue to
live under either hazard? Yet we live
under both"
The Mayor indorses the Fire Boards
recommendation that the entire equip
ment OF the Fire Department be motor
lied as quickly as the means of the city
will allow. He reminds the Council
that the city is at present without a
single reserve fire engine, and urges
that the condition be remedied at the
earliest practicable moment.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT COSTS
EACH PERSON 30 CENTS A YEAR
Special attention is called BY the
Mayor to the abnormally high death
rate OF the negro race. The excellent
work OF the Health Department In the
steady reduction of the typhoid rate
Is commented on. as is the careful pro-
visions for safeguarding the milk sup
ply. The Mayor shows that the cost
of the Health Department Is Sc cents
per year for every man, woman and
child in the city.
The Mayor says that he hopes to
arrange for city-planning exhibition
early this spring and that he Is firm
in the faith that when once the idea
is grasped of the performance of Rich
mond, there will be none so blind as
not TO see the wisdom Of city planning
The report which embraces sixteen
typewriter pages. summarizes the
salient features of the separate depart
mental reports. and presents In brief
compass review of the city's activi-
ties during the past year
TEXT OF MAYORS
MESSAGE TO COUNCIL,
The complete text follows:
To the Honorable Council OF the City
OF Richmond:
Gentlemen.-In compliance with the
requirements Of law, have the honor
to communicate to you the general
statement annually required Of the
Mayor.
a retrospective view of Richmond in
1914. second successive year OF great
general business depression. discloses
a most gratifying record. Our jobbing
trade showed an increase over the
previous year. the manufacturing trade
decrease: but a combination of the
two shows n net decrease of less than
per centum The retail trade reported
general gains, some OF our largest
firms having had the best year of their
existence.
Two events of the year that stand
out most conspicuously were the selec-
tion Of Richmond as n regional bank
city by the Federal Reserve Board,
whereby she became the financial capi
tai OF the Fifth Reserve District. com
posed OF the District of Columbia. the
States of Maryland. Virginia, North
Carolina. South Carolina and all OF
West Virginia except four counties.
and the successful conclusion of the
cases, whereby Her area was
more than doubled and her population
largely increased
DEMONSTRATION
OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT
Both OF these results were attained
by fine demonstrations of community
spirit which so pervaded the excellent
teamwork behind the movements that
they became irresistible
notable addition to municipal ac-
tivities was the creation by the Council
Of the Municipal Employment Bureau
for the purpose of giving to unem-
ployed persons official and organized
aid In securing employment free OF
cost. Mr.. Dickie, the manager. and
Mr.. Pollard. the clerk of the bureau
spent several days studying tho or
and workings of the New
York City Bureau, probably the best
organized and most efficient in the
United States. through the courtesy
of Walter J.. Sears, its manager. for
which kindness I return Richmonds q
thanks to Mr.. Sears. Returning home
they modelled our bureau as nearly as
possible on the New York plan. and
have already begun to render this long
needed public service.
SOLD BONDS LAST YEAR
AGGREGATING 81 ,ssO. 600
The report Of the City Auditor shows
n receipts and disbursements account of
sG.0e4 .O22.S0. with n cash balance on
hand February !, 1915. OF $255.3S6.0et
(see Table ID" OF the reporD. CITY
bonds to the amount Of s405,0O ma
tured during the year. and the debt
Continued on Tenth Page.)