Council Proceedings: April 19, 1901

Taxations.

The burden of taxation in Fort Worth falls heavily upon the owners of real estate and all visible property, and that taken as a whole that real estate of Fort Worth is taxed too heavy, to my mind, is an indisputable fact. That the personal property to a very great extent escapes taxation is also indisputable. This is one of the problems that should occupy the serious consideration of the City Council, and ways and means provided, if possible, to get a fair taxation upon the personal property in the City.

Department reports.

You are referred to the reports of the various heads of departments for a statement of how they have been run during the past year.

Water works.

That water works department makes a fine showing as compared with the previous year. There is a decrease in expenditures of $8995.77 and an increase of $451.80 in receipts.

Water supply.

The report of the expert,Daniel W.Mead, of Chicago, upon the artesian supply of water seems to settle what had been a very great controversy among our people, relative to the manner and mode of obtaining an amply supply of water for the City. Fort Worth has been using surface water through its mains for many years. It has built and improved a million dollar water play, which has been losing money ever since it was constructed, simply for the want of pure water to supply to the citizens. The citizens refused, where it was possible, to use the water supplied by the water works, and have sunk many wells into the artesian strata beneath the City for their own consumption and to sell to their neighbors. To show what effect the digging of these wells has had upon the revenues of the water works department, it is sufficient to state that nearly $50,000.00 a year has been lost to the

City of Fort Worth from the books of the water works by the use of these private wells, and one thing patent is that unless artesian water is obtained and furnished by the City, the city will be compelled eventually to go out of the water business.

The report of Mr.Mead is exhaustive, clear and convincing, and his conclusions reached, after the most thorough examination are as follows:

"1. That the present supply of artesian water at Fort Worth can be augmented to any reasonable extent.

2. That a supply of four and one half to five million gallons can be obtained, at a cost of about $127,000.00/

3. That is equalize the supply, a reservoir of one and one-half million gallons should also be supplied. This would cost about $15,000.00, and would increase the total cost of development to about $142,000.00.

4. That the supply so developed would be permanent, and can be increased on similar lines, as the demand for water increases.

5. That such supply would not seriously interfere with the private wells now drilled in Fort Worth.

6. That the cost of operating the new plant would be about $5000.00 a year, or about $5.00 per million gallons pumped, which is less than the probably cost of filtering surface water."

I recommend that the City Council take immediate steps to devise ways and means of carrying out the recommendations of Mr.Mead.

Competitive Purchase of Supplies.

One of the most remarkable things in the experience of the past year is the success of the plan adopted by the purchasing committee of purchasing supplies upon a competitive basis. This plan has not been carried to as great an extent as it could be if all of the supplies were purchased on said basis, but where it has been applied, it has resulted in a great saving to the City. To illustrate: With coal

from 10 to 20% higher than it was the preceeding year, under the competitive system the City saved $4091.70 on this one item. Under the competitiv system it saved about $600.00 in the hauling of the coal. Under the competitive system it cut the cost of printing bills nearly intwo, and wherever the competitive system has been applied it resulted in saving to the City.

Reduction of Expenses.

The experience of the water works for the past year in cutting down expenditures, in my judgment, can be followed in other departments of the City. An inspection of the pay rolls of the various departments for the years 1898,1899,1900 and 1901, will show that there has been a steady increase in the pay rolls of the various departments. For instance: In 1898 the pay-roll of the fire department was $24,725.60. and for the year ending March 31st,1901, the pay-roll of the same department was $27700.05, an increase of $2244.45. The Police department payroll for 1898 was $18,303.42 and for the year ending March 31st,1901, was $23,654.19, an increase of over $5000.00. In 1898 the pay-roll of the engineering department was $385.52, and for the year ending March 31st,1901,$2280.00. In 1898 the pay-roll of the legal department was $1839.90, and for the year ending March 31st,1901, was $4437.05. The pay-roll of the street department for the year 1898 was $8169.00 and for the year ending March 31st,1901,$15,198.95, an increase of about $6000.00.

The increase in the legal department was caused largely by the amount expended for the collection of back taxes,upon which commissions were paid, and which resulted in a very large increase of the receipts, and they run something like $30,000 over the amount estimated in the budget of last year, and the increase in the street department was caused by the employment of more men in the necessary work done on Main and other Streets, ^ and the increase in the police Department was caused by the recently enlarged jurisdiction of the City council, and the increased revenue from fines more than contrabalance the increased in salaries for the past year. but I am of the opinion that the City Council can reduce the pay-roll in the various departments, without any great detriment to the service, and I recommend that this be done.

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Public Schools.

I can but reiterate what was said in my in inaugural message, that the time it requires a child to pass through out schools is too long. It takes too much of human life to get a common school education,under our present system. The time should be shortened and the course of study should be relieved of many studies, which are of no practical benefit to the average pupil. Public education is justified only as an exercise of a police power to qualify children for the duties of citizenship, and when it is attempted to make our public schools training schools for colleges, in my judgment,we go beyond the true function of the public school. There are many studies in the curriculum of the Fort Worth public schools that 90 or 95% of the pupils do not understand when they have passed through the course, and they should be eliminated. If the amount of money expended in teaching the various clogies and higher education in the public schools was expended in teaching the children to do something to earn a living when they leave school, the expenditure might be justified. To physical culture should be added manual training, and the class-room should have a companion in the work-shop. The schools have had a successful year with very little friction between patrons & teachers and only that which was caused by the regulations is required it small pox.

The Health Department.

I cannot too strongly urge upon the City Council the duty of placing and keeping Fort Worth in a good sanitary condition, and any reasonable expenditure on this line would be of great benefit to the masses of the people, and to this end, I believe it would be a good plan for the City government to increase the appropriation for street cleaning, especially in the business part of the City of Fort Worth. I believe also that the City Council should establish free baths in certain portions of the City,during the Summer months, for the use and benefit of a large percentage of our citizens, who will avail themselves of this advantage.

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The Viaduct.

The building of a viaduct over the Railway Reservation at Jennings Ave, will no doubt be one of the first things that the council will consider, as the recently amended charter removes restrictions which has heretofore prevented the construction of the same

It is believed that a very favorable contract can be made with the Texas & Pacific Railway Co, and the street car Co's for the erection of the viaduct. The necessities of the citizens demand a viaduct that shall be safe, commodious and ample to supply the heavy traffic between the north and south sides of the city.

It should be the full width of the street, and of easy access from each end. The city should do all in its power to build the viaduct, but the greater part of the expense should be borne by the other parties to the contract. I recommend that a special committee be appointed to take up this matter with the Texas & Pacific Railway Co, and street car companies, and report back to the council.