The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-08

4 That a small morgue building be
erected so that the dead may be re-
moved Immediately from the infirm-
AIRY buildings;
/ That an annual report be prepared
ST owing the results of work perform
ed and the costs. OF service. Account
Ing records shc-lld be, as far as pos
sible. uniform with those Of the vir-
gir'a hospital and the city home so
that proper comparisons may be
made;
! That all laundry work OF the Pine
! camp be doneNat the city horne IL the
, laundry service at that institution Is
enlarged as recommended in the re-
port on the city home;
J That the poultry farm at the Pine
camp be enlarged go as 20 produce
sufficient poultry and eggs for the
! Pine camp nj least. and II possible
! for the city home and the Virginia
| hospital;
! That proper steps be taken to elm
mate the fly nuisance at the Pine
/ camp by better screening of windows
and also by the Improvement of the
! horse stable so as to abolish ny-hreed-
! ing places;
! That An improved ice house be con-
structed at the Pine camp so that ice
may be purchased and stored In iarg-
J or quantities. If an fee plant Is in
stalled at the city home, AS recon-
menfed In the report on that insti-
: tuition, all ice for the Pine camp
should besecured from the city home;
/ That proper basins and drains be
( installed beneath the leaders of the
/ nurses home so that the walks may
( be adequately drained:
That a pathway or walk be built
from the dirt road In front of the Pine
. g-. ~ 4 a1yG l.
macadam highway so that nurses and
visitors may reach the care line read
! ilys=ae
Department of Engineering
/ The policy relating to public i'm
! provements followed blythe administers
! tive board la criticised In the survey
report. In the first place, the city
engineer fs given practically no voice
! In the determination of the character
| of any public Improvement He is
occasionally consulted. but the admin
isti alive board is In no way bound by
hts advice or recommendations
The conditions OF the street paving
as we'll as the types Of pavement at
ford evidence OF the pernicious nature
of 'his policy. The board he's estab-
! lished a separate engineering organi-
cation to carry on a street and drain
age urvey OF those sections of the
: city recently acquired by annexation.
The street repair and maintenance
forces have been transferred from the
| Jurisdiction of the city engineer to the
superintendent of street cleaning. Re-
sponsthility for this work, which is
essentially an engineering problem,
should he vested in the city engineers
Office. Very important public i'm
! provenents. the plans of which we're
= nv n egj hat "a
been approved by the administrative
board and the council. resulting In
loss OF public funds, particularly IN,
connection with the boulevard along
Cham harlayne avenue,
Another restriction on the work Of
the city engineer results from the
/ financial policy of the CT lncii. No
bona issues for public improvements
have been issued since 1914 and the
annual appropriations have been
markedly decreased from 1919 to 1917.
r he results CT such policy are ap-
parent in the condition OF most OF the
: streets Another restriction OF public
= Improvement work is the cancellation
! of appropriations that are not expend-
ed within the fiscal year Funds for
p, public improvements are not available
| until about the middle OF March. The
award OF contracts has TO be deferred
beyond the ordinary season for such
work and the res lit is the work costs
more
sThe authorities of the city should
| DO all In their power TO secure the
/ enactment 4 legislation which will re-
! lteve the city OF its present limitations
! on assessments FOR public improve
I ments Under the present law. local
Improvement work which is generally
! paid for in other cities by local assess
/ ,g1ent on the property benefited Is paid
for out of the general fund of the city.
/ This naturally restricts the amount
which the city can pay FOR in any one
/, year
The restrictions on the authority OF
the city engineer have tended I'M
douhtedly to break down the Elective
ness of the DEPARTMENT. 1t Is recon-
mended that the department be COM
p!etely reorEanized along the lines In
dicated In the text Of this report.
The report shows that the repair
work on street raveTnents has been
extremely restricted. The amount
spent on contract repair has been
gradually reduce sduring the pastthree
wears The repair force employed by
the city has been transferred to the
street cleaning department and only
& fraction of the amount required has
been made available.
4 sThe cost of sewer construction for
other than trunk sewers is 9. legitimate
charge on the property directly bene-
tfrett and should be assessed on the
property.
The care OF bridges is purely main
tenance and operation OF the city en
gineer's department from the bureau
OF sewers.
i Contractors erecting buildings should
not be allowed TO s+ore building ma
terials or the STREETS except under re
: strictions that viii protect the Infer
ests OF the city. fec shonld be
charged TO cover the expenses OF con
| trolling such work aud where the
Pavement in dama-ed the contractor
should be obliged to pay for the dam
age.
, The city engineers make surveys to
establish line and grade data for the
contraction of buildings. THIS service
! should be paid for by the property
orrue rs IN order to arrive at the cost
OF this ana similar work each member
. OF the staff OF the city engineer should
be OBLIGED to keep n daily time record
4 Street Cca nin& Department.
| In addition To stree. cleaning he de
partment Of street cleaning attends u
refuse collections, refuse Disposal. the
} operation ~ the dog pound and the
I, repair of streets. In order to craa te