Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-09-03
MAYORS annual REPORT
NEEDS OF CITY
srges Appropriations Be
81 Made for Sewers and Water
Plant Extension.
sHoCKoE CREEK IMPROVEMENT
REoposcd Bond Issues for These
SSteProjects Now Are Being Consid-
a. -. cred by City Fnthcrs--Onc for 3d.
ssal0.0O0 Now Before Council.

! 100000 Now Before Council.
49, Urgent in his recommendations that
q appropriations be made through bond
tssuos for sewers. Improvements to
.Shockoe Greek and extensions of the
3 water plant, Mayor Ainslie. in his
annual report, shows the dire need
4 for such relief. Proposed bond issues
{ for9hese projects now are being con-
Z sidered by councilmen, bond issue
4 for. 100000 being before Common
Council for it's consideration next
Tuesday night. The Finance Com
mittee has under consideration bond
issues for water plant extensions and
Y for 'Shockoe Creek improvements. The
s Mayor says:
u There are now pending before your
honorable body several bond issue
ordinances to provide funds FOR the
extension into territory now unpro-
vidcd with them those necessary
facilities without which 1t is idle to
expect the territory 10 be developed.
= Why talk OF 100000 population when
l0eper cent OF yGar present popula-
ton are without sewers and running
water? Why talk OF adding approx
mately 30 percent 10 our own popu-
lation when the only territory in
which their home could be built is
without such ordinary convcnicnces.
Z 1t WOULD tie a calamity il the increase
in population came ahead Of the i'm
pruvements. for they would be a dan
Serous menace TO the health of all
the rest. And besides, are not those
who have resided in the territory for
years since il has been within the
city limits entitled to some considera-
ton? Are not the remainder entitled
to protection against the daily menace
of our $500 or so dry closets?
scores Water supply.
~ We all know that neither the quail
itY.. OF our water nor its distribution
is what Richmond should have. We
do not believe that the water is dam
perously unwholcsomc. but we know
that nj times IT is offensive TO taste
and smell. because 1T the summer
time peak load we cannot keep II in
hand long enough with our present
plant to treat it properly We want
to improve that. The water presslrc
Is much too low in many places.
Much Of the high value districts are
without adequate water pressure for
fire-fichting Many homes and bust
ness houses get good flow only at
night We know that this is because
OF n faulty distribution system. We
want to improve II.
Shockoe Creek is still uncovered.
and, besides being an open sewer. is
standing flood menace to the large
district bordering upon It. The up
per valley north of Broad street Will
never be developed as long as the
creek stays as IL Is. The lower val
ley south OF Broad Will never reach
its proper value or usefulness as long
as il is menaced by floods OF sewage
The city has Judgments against II be-
cause o: q recent overflow. We want
10 improve these conditions.
Citizens Can build City.
The city government cannot build
the town uP. but II can nN things
so the people can build II UP. or. by
nonaction, IT can prevent a proper
and possible development. Now.
when should these things he done?
We've hecn talking about them for
many years, and I'm in favor OF
stopping the talk ami starting the
work. I realize that this is not the
best of times TO issue bonds. but we
are not asking for the issue of all
the bonds at once. and We cannot
afford 10 hold our hands and wait-for
good old I per cent money That
looks a long way OFF to me. The
Lee District was farmland for years
after IL was taken into tho city. ana
II would have been farmland today
had the city not done for il what I'm
recommending for the territory we
wish 10 Improve. The CITY never
made :. better !nvcs.nent chan the
improvements il pug irsc) Lee District.
and ! respectfully submit that il is
an investment Pm asking the city To
make now.
Street HALLWAY Franchise.
Another matter of public interest
Intimately connected with life in the
city. to say nothing of it's proper
growth and development is the pend
ing street railway franchise. Per
haps because OF conditions beyond
control Ike application Of the com
pauy has not been acted upon, but
respectfully warn You against any
further delay, and advise prompt and
decisive action upon the pending
question. II the company's proposal
( q = acceptable. | think the Council
should say 50 and grant :. franchise
accordingly. If. not acceptable. il
should say what sort of = franchise
it will grant so that both the public
and the company may know what to
expect. am advised that the com
,tpany failed To earn the interest on
otis bonded deb; for the year ending
SJuly !. 1921. by s5Si,5a7 and that il
sisSunable to finance its much needed
Soutlays for renewals. improvements
and hcttermcnts. Obviously, even
this cannot continue Indefinitely and
1T is out OF the question to expect
extensions into new territory or en-
largemcnt of service under the old
franchises now expiring ana with the
company in such financial condition
If we are TO. grow, even If we are to
stand sim, we must have adequate
! Transportation facilities. Let's do
something one way or the other. The
time has come, think. when the
public interest demands action.
Systematic Pension Plan
My recommendation for the adop-
tion OF q systematic pension plan for
the retirement of city employees upon
some scientific basis such as is in use
by practically all large employers OF
labor IS still before you Our pres
,ent method OF handling retircincn,s
from service IL entirely unsatisfac-
tory. inequitabie arbitrary and il
legal. More than that, ii results. be-
cause of mercy. in keeping men or,
the regular roll who should be re-
tired and replaced by younger and
1. more active men. which is against the
hest interests OF the public service.
i The plan before Won was carefully
worked out after study of some OF
NSf In,