to a budgeting of all of the city's needs over a period of years. You might call it a program or a budget. We published in 1918 a pamphlet called "St. Louis After the War," which, strangely enough, was written in September, 1918, just before the close of the war. In order to give it more force and bring it to the attention of the public, we were fortunate enough to secure a former St. Louisan-Winston Churchill-to write the introduction to it. It was published Armistice Week-in fact, a few days in advance of the Armistice, which was a particularly fortunate thing, because it came just at a time when we were backward in our public work, as all cities were in municipal improvements. And so there came about throughout the whole city a thorough discussion of this program, amounting in all to one hundred million dollars. At that time we could not issue bonds in excess of 5 per cent of our assessed valuation. We really needed in the succeeding ten years a great deal more improvements than we had the possibility of issuing bonds for -about forty million-and we needed about a hundred million. So we secured a constitutional amendment, which took about two years, and raised the bond limit to 10 per cent. A Council of Public Needs was formed, comprised of some 200 representatives of various organizations. This council recommended a program which involved the expenditure of 87 million dollars over a period of ten years, with 20-year serial bonds, spreading the financing over a 30-year period, but giving us the improvements within an approximate ten-year period. This St. Louis procedure created a precedent. There are at least 20 if not considerably more cities in the United States that are now approaching their public work in this way. I look for every city to program its permanent public improvements by bond issue programs of this character. Now, with respect to this particular question, I had to make some preliminary explanation to answer Mr. Dalton's point. It was found that, looking back over the tax records, that the City of St. Louis had issued bonds in a very intermittant manner; that it issued quite a group in 1906, and did not use particularly good judgment as to their amortization. They were all 20-year bonds, oftentime causing unusually large amounts. of money for interest and sinking funds. By the time we came to issue our bonds we found that by the year 1926 the city would have been entirely free of debt. I think there were just two or three small issues beyond that that expired about 1928, and so when we came to compute this program and the equalization of its cost over a 30-year period we found that the maximum period which would occur when the bonds were all first issued at the end of ten years-about 1932 or 1933-the maximum tax rate, at least anticipated tax rate, taking into account a uniform 5 per cent total annual increase in our assessed valuations, gave only a rather small increase over what we had just previously been paying in the years from 1910 to 1914. And so it happened in this case that I took the figures used by the bond issue committee-and they are absolutely accurate and conservative, having been prepared by one of the best public accounting firms in the city. On my house, having an approximate assessed valuation of $10,000.00—and that is about a twothirds valuation-the total cost of that bond issue amounted to about $69.00 to me, spread over a 30-year period. Now, that sounds absolutely impossible. Yet, as compared with the hit and miss policy of former years, with a full program, and financed to spread the cost, taking care of all of our public needs, made very little increase in the tax rate. Now we are already finding, as a matter of fact, that the huge impetus given to the city as a result of the bond issue, our assessed valuations are increasing much more rapidly than we expected, and it won't even cost me $69.00. Chapter IV PUBLIC WELFARE STANDING COMMITTEE-1925 JEFFERSON C. GRINNALDS, Chairman... . Baltimore, Md. Managua, Nicaragua COMMITTEE REPORT The Committee on Public Welfare has been making three different studies this year. One relates to Markets with particular emphasis on parking or garaging facilities at, near, under or over market structures. The above-mentioned point is specially emphasized in the report because it seems to be evident from the examination of most cities that parking and garaging facilities for customers or patrons visiting municipal markets are entirely inadequate. Since these facilities are inadequate there is a resulting traffic congestion with its attendant inconvenience, delays, loss of time and even an aggravated fire hazard. It seems that no matter how much traffic is regulated around the markets there is not space enough to care for the vehicles which must be parked while the patrons are making purchases. Therefore, either more space must be provided or new markets must be established at such locations or with such structural arrangement as will care for necessary parking. The second paper to be presented by the Committee on Public Welfare will deal with the relation of parks, boulevards and open spaces as barriers to the spread of fires. This paper necessitates some studies in various cities and will present such facts as are found to exist. As far as your committee is informed, this subject has not been treated before and it does seem that it is one which is so important that it cannot be overlooked in the planning and building of cities and in the layout and acquisition of boulevards, parks and open spaces. Your committee, being named the Committee on Public Welfare, is making a study of just what is public welfare and how far the courts have gone in defining or limiting that term. Health, safety and morals are generally conceded to be included in the term "Public Welfare,' when an enactment by a legislative body is passed under police power. New questions have arisen in more recent years which might be considered by the courts, in passing on cases, as coming within the inclusiveness of the term "Public Welfare." For instance, some courts have used the terms "Public Convenience," "Public Comfort," etc., and reference has been made in numerous decisions to conservation and depreciation of property values to art and aesthetics. It is therefore the belief of your committee that a study of what might be termed public or general welfare should be made and it is progressing. If the incoming officers of the Society so desire, such a report on the subject of Public Welfare will be ready for presentation at the next convention. JEFFERSON C. GRINNALDS, Chairman. During the past year many improved street lighting systems of magnitude have been completed or planned. Brief descriptions of several noteworthy installations are given below: WASHINGTON, D. C. Under the direction of the Engineer Commissioner, a "Committee on the Lighting Needs of Washington" was appointed, consisting of City Engineers, Architects and Illuminating Engineers. After an extensive study a report was submitted, classifying all streets according to the lighting requirements and recommending the desirable illumination for each class. Designs of lighting units and standards were also prepared and accepted which provide a complete and harmonious street lighting plan. for the entire city. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA The Board of Public Works has authorized and work is now going forward on a complete new street lighting system for the city, based upon a classification of the various streets, according to the lighting requirements. The downtown business section is to be provided with twolight ornamental posts spaced opposite each other on 100-foot centers using two 15,000 lumen MAZDA C lamps per post at a mounting height of 20 feet. The secondary business streets are to have single light ornamental standards using 15,000 lumen MAZDA C lamps located opposite each other on 100-foot centers. Primary thoroughfares are to be illuminated by means of single light ornamental posts using 15,000 lumen MAZDA C lamps, |