The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-12
CITY APPROPRIATIONS.

To THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES: The
article in the Evening World of March
10, under the above heading, is clear
dispassionate statement upon question
which is seriously agitating the public
mind, but strongly opposing, as 1 have,
the expenditure of large sums of money
without any safeguards thrown around
it, am compelled to seriously object to
the remedy proposed by the World. Tho
loss of time in waiting until the next
meeting of the legislature, so that the
charter can be amended, may be fatal
to the best interests of Roanoke.
The demand for good streets and
sewers is pressing and vital, and can
only be postponed for short time
without serious public loss.
In my Judgment, the existing charter
gives the Council ample and legal
powers for the creation of just such an
advisory board as has been proposed. It
is hard to imagine how the English
language can BIO used to more clearly
and specifically cover what is asked.
Chapter /, sectional: "The admins
tration and governments of the city shall
be vested in one principal officer to be
styled the mayor; one board, to be
called the Council of the city OF Roam
oke, and in such other boards and Off
GERS as are hereinafter mentioned or
may be provided by the Council" Now,
to say that the Council cannot make one
or forty advisory boards is quibbling;
simply and purely quibbling.
1t is perfectly evident that the franz
ers of the charter had in view the posi-
bility Of contingencies arising that
might require special action. and there
fore distinctly gave the Council power
to act.
The integrity OF the Council has not
been impeached or its honesty impugned.
Tho only suspicion that has arisen has
come through the indiscreet Drawings
of some of it's so-called defenders.
1t seems fair TO sum up the situation
as follows:
First. Some safeguards ought to be
thrown around the expenditure of a
large amount of public money.
Second. The asking for tho appoint
ment of an advisory board as an assist
ant to Council was eminently proper
and wholly within the legal powers of
Council TO grant.
Third. Through bad advisers, the
Council was led to believe that this
meant an attack upon it, when nothing
of the sort was intended.
Fourth. That had the Council taken
the trouble to dispassionately consider
the proposition submitted through the
Real Estate Exchange it could have
acted as desired without any loss of dig
nifty to itself; but, on the contrary, such
action would have been of very great
assistance to it and it's successors.
Fifth. That on the passage of the
ordinances for surveying and mapping
the city, increasing the efficiency OF
the fire department and the taking care
OF the court house and county Jail, there
should be no dissenting vote.
Sixth. The prompt, proper, and con-
tinuous Improvement of the streets and
sewers is paramount and absolute ne.
cessity.
Further examination and reflexion
leads me to materially modify the views
expressed in former communication
that it was desirable for the freeholders
to vote against the ordinances as sub
mitted. Assuming that the proposed
ordinances are defeated, it is more thar
probable, and perfectly natural, thai
the present Council would defer an,
further action, in view of the fact tina,
the spring election is so near at hand
and that new Councilman are to bt
chosen.
1t is said that the new Council doe
not organize until July. Thus the nea
months, 10 important for m aking pre-
parations for summer work would b,
lost, and much of the work necessarily
go over into next year. This must b,
avoided.
We concede. for the sake of argument
that the Council is composed of common
sense and public spirited citizens, VIII,
possibly Directing to be forced to Ger
tain line Of action, will not be insensibl,
to the wishes of the freeholders, ant
these properly expressed, will lead tn,
Council OF its own volition to take sucl
action as will tighten its own burden