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hensive statement. The sessions of both committees have been very regular of the Street Committee, each Wednesday morning, at ten; and of the Committee on Claims, each Friday afternoon, at five.

The latter committee have considered fifty-five applications for compensation of claims, most of them being on account of injuries received in consequence of alleged defects in the streets. Of this number of cases, nineteen were dismissed as without either legal or equitable foundation; two were transferred to other branches of the City Government; two were withdrawn from the jurisdiction of the committee by action in the courts; five remain unadjudicated, and twenty-seven have been settled by the payment of sums amounting in the aggregate to $3,524.38. This amount includes $1,100 paid in satisfaction of a suit which had been commenced, when the evidence was so strongly against the city as to induce the supposition that a much larger sum would have been drawn from the treasury if the case had gone to trial, and also, a sum of $800 paid by order of the City Council upon a report by the committee, in a case of serious personal injury.

To all of these cases the committee gave assiduous and oftentimes laborious attention, listening to voluminous evidence, and personally investigating important facts affecting the merits of claims. From the fact that in more than one third of the cases the pretensions of liability on the part of the city were entirely dismissed, and that in those which were admitted less than one half the amounts claimed were actually paid, it will justly be inferred that the labors were neither light nor misdirected.

In all departments of the government the greatest economy has been of primary importance, and enterprises which under happier auspices would have been entertained with favor for opening new or widening ancient thoroughfares have received but little encouragement. Something remains to be done to complete improvements already commenced, and $300,432.31 has been paid to the proprietors of ninety-eight estates for land taken to widen North Street. Sixteen estates were purchased for the

improvement, and 14,352 square feet of land, in fourteen parcels, not needed for the street, are yet to be disposed of.

As prices are now depressed, the city may well wait a few months or even a few years before selling at a sacrifice. At a fair valuation of the land remaining to be sold, with the buildings standing thereon, it would produce more than $80,000, and the whole cost of the widening would then be but a little more than the original estimate.

Such of the estates belonging to the city as can be made productive, are under rent. With but trifling exceptions all the claims are settled. Two or three buildings of a costly character not having been disturbed where they do not effectually obstruct the public travel. One or two takings have been discontinued in similar cases where the cutting off would be premature or inadequately expensive, and the claimants were discontented at the delay.

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Towards the close of 1860 arrangements were nearly completed for widening Franklin Street from Washington to Hawley Streets, by adding seventeen feet on an average to its width, and 3,981 square feet of land to its area, at an expense of about $90,000. Of this sum not far from $30,000 were contributed by Harvard College, the Lowell Institute, and other sources of real estate whose property was either taken or improved. Although made under peculiar encouragements from the liberal amounts contributed, we should have hesitated later to have attempted an improvement, however desirable, of such magnitude. But it adds so greatly to the convenience of the neighborhood and to the taxable value of adjacent palaces of trade, which are unsurpassed for their magnificence and beauty, that there can be but one opinion as to its expediency.

For laying out and widening streets the usual appropriation was made in May of $25,000, and a like sum for unliquidated claims. We have expended, since January 1, 1861, the sum of $9,549.37 in adding 4,191 feet to Athens Street, 284 feet to Arch Street, 58180 feet to Essex Street, 7,47518 feet to Hawley Street, forty-five feet to Minot Street, 112 feet to Springfield

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Street, 1,480 feet to Silver Street, fifty-six feet to Portland Street,
six feet to Battery Street, 585 feet to Kingston Street, 537 feet
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to Harrison Avenue, and 504 feet to Shawmut Avenue.

Parties interested in the widening of Lindall Street have long considered the honor of the city compromised by assurances from former members of the Board that it should be early completed, large amounts having been contributed ten or twelve years ago by the abuttors, when the lower end was widened. From a conviction that the improvement could be much more economically effected after the expiration of the present life-interest in the estate to be taken, we deferred action. As the year drew to a close, the petitioners urged an appeal from the Street Committee to the City Council, and the Street Committee of the lower branch, after a hearing of the parties, advised that their prayer should be granted.

That committee at the same time having under consideration proposed widenings of Federal Street, near Channing Street and East Street, recommended that orders to widen should be reported and sent to the Council, which being done accordingly, the improvements were authorized. The accomplishment of these enterprises is left to incoming Boards.

Before leaving the government, I am glad to have it once more in my power to record my profound conviction that the betterment principle, in its mitigated form (of assessing owners only one third of the improved value of their estates, the other two thirds being borne by the city, and the assessments to be determined where preferred by a jury), would be of incalculable advantage to a city with so many narrow and circuitous streets as Boston; not to its treasury alone in diminishing the cost of improvements or to the public travel in the earlier enlargement of its thoroughfares, but especially to those owners of real estate who have heretofore been the most zealous opponents of testing the principle by practical experiment. Any one familiar with the extent to which our business and population have outgrown already some of our more ancient streets, cannot but admit this experiment worthy of trial.

While nothing could be more objectionable than the betterment laws which have existed in other places, the bill presented in 1860 and 1861 to the legislature cannot possibly work a hardship to any one. Under its beneficial influences Washington and Tremont Streets, between Boylston and Dover Streets, Hanover, Salem, Richmond, and Union Streets would be enlarged to their proper width before that prosperity of which we so ardently desire the return, and in which some of us still have faith as possible in the future, shall have enhanced the value of the property so as to discourage the attempt.

Long familiarity with the practical working of our City Government and a desire to render it, excellent as it is, as perfect as possible, would tempt me to suggest other points where, in my opinion, it might be improved.

But I refrain. To those who like myself are retiring from the Board, as to those who for another year are to devote themselves to its arduous duties, I offer my congratulations. To the latter, that they are permitted the opportunity of continued usefulness; to the former, that, having deserved well of their constituents by faithful service, they are now released from their labors.

After the passage of an order to print the foregoing proceedings, the Board adjourned sine die.

Attest:

S. F. McCLEARY, City Clerk.

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