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16

Report of the City Manger, continued.

To the Common Council and Board of Aldermen,

Gentleman:
Since details have a tendency to distract from and make less comprehensible that main subject, I shall, in this, and in all my future reports. omite the deatils and present my information in as brief a form as possible. But I shall endeavor to be ready to supplement my statements and recommendations with detailed information whenever it is desired.

Instead of limiting my financial report, whihc is herewith attached, to a statement of expenditures and appropriations for just one quarter I have given the total expenditures for the six months and the appropriations for the year and then recorded the balance of appropriation for each department.

STREETS.
Owing to the inclement weather practically all out street force has been kept busty on maintenance work. The work on W. High St. hill and the laving of a few large drain pipes being the only permanent work accomplished. We expect to complete the grading on west High Street this week.

On the financial statement you will notiec that I have cut the appropriation for regular maintemance work for streets $500, I am satisfied that a reorganization of the maintenace force and the use of the trash truck, together with the use of another horse drawn truck, which I have fixed up, will save that amount per quarter. The acquisition of the trucks should enable use to dispose of two regular wahons and four horses. However, I do not advocate disposing of these horses at this time. I think they ought to be kept and used on a grading force.

To supplement the regular appropriation for street department, I recommend that $12,000. be borrowed and expended as follows: - $6,5000. for building a concrete road on the Free Bridge Road from Lpcust Avenue to corporation line; $500. for the purchase of drain pipe, and $5,000. for rough grading, draining and crowning all the important dirst streets.

Mr. Wayland J. Hayes was the successful bidder on the stable manure. Price 77 cents per two horse load.

GAS.
The disbursements in the Gas Department for the past quarter are high, due mostly to the large amount of new work undertaken and to the purchase of coal on the open market. The west Virginia Coal Company is not shipping as much coal as is being consumed, and persuasion by letter and wire seem to be of no avail. In a recent letter the company wrote that a number of consumers had voluntarily agreed to pay from fifteen to twenty five cents per ton more than contract price, and they suggest that the City of Charlottesville do likewise. I recommend that we agree to pay $1.25 per ton (an increase of 20 cents) whenever they deliver six carloads per month.

The work on the six inch gas main on Preston Avenue, together with connecting branch lines, has been completed, and the Belmont Line will be competed in a few days. A total of 3586 feet of six, four and two inch maine has been laid during the past quarter. This is exclusive of the Belmont Line. Number of services renewed 6; New services 2. The new retort at the Gas Plant has been installed.

WATER.

SEWER.