PHILADELPHIA. Mayor: CHARLES F. WARWICK. Secretary: JOHN K. McCARTHY. Chief Clerk: HARRY C. GILL. Contract and License Clerk: JOSEPH F. JONES. Stenographer and Typewriter. HENRY W. PEIRSON. Ass't Stenographer and Typewriter Messenger: WILLIAM G. LEE. ANNUAL MESSAGE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, CITY HALL. Philadelphia, April 5, 1897. TO THE SELECT AND COMMON COUNCILS OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA. GENTLEMEN :-In accordance with the provisions of the Act of Assembly of June 1, 1885, I herewith transmit to your Honorable Bodies this, my Second Annual Message, upon the financial and general conditions of the Municipality. I also send the annual reports of the Directors of the Departments of Public Safety and Public Works, and of the President of the Department of Charities and Correction for the year 1896. FINANCE. The City Controller's report shows that the total receipts. from all sources for the year 1896 were $27,965,890.26; and that there has been credited a proportion of the moneys due by the State for Personal Property Tax and Schools, in accordance with a resolution of Councils dated January 22, 1897, amounting to $1,459,569.03 making a total of $29,425,459.29. The total expenditures were $29,228,617.82 showing an excess of receipts over expenditures of $196,841.47. This is an improvement over the condition of affairs as shown by the report made in 1896 for the year 1895, in which year there was an excess of expenditures over receipts. The net funded debt of the City for the year 1896 is about the same as it was for the year 1895; the report of the Controller for 1896 shows that there is but a slight increase of about $240,000. The real estate owned by the City of Philadelphia as appraised by the Board of Revision of Taxes for the year 1897 shows an increase over the appraisement of January 1, 1896, of $1,934,600. The City's credit has been steadily maintained as has been shown during the last year in the sale of her bonds. The question in relation to the capacity of the City to further borrow money under certain loans authorized by your Honorable Bodies is to be submitted to the Court at an early date for an opinion. It is to be hoped that this matter will reach a speedy termination as many improvements of a pressing and urgent nature are dependent upon a favorable opinion in this case. Councils very properly passed ordinances providing for the creation of loans having in view the appropriation and expenditure of moneys for important public work, and until this money be made available many improvements will be delayed, and the progress of the City, in a great measure, held in check. The City has continued to advance and her progress is very perceptible, but it will still require vast sums of money to bring about many improvements that are abso lutely necessary and essential to her well being. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. The present Director of the Department of Public Safety took office on the seventeenth day of February, 1896. He has loyally and intelligently discharged the duties of his office. |