Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-08


7, IA .stinaied that by the miscarriage
rnent q, she gas-works In the past ten
years the people OF Richmond iost wv
No. During that pccuating period we
were all under the impression mat INC
works had good. honest. faithful officers
and that the Council committee having
charge OF that department WIS Keeping
+, vatchful eye upon all its WORKINGS
we shall not ATTEMPT to Anticipate the
renort a. the Committee OF Investigation
by seeking TO apportion individual piane
for our losses: nor shall we induise III
wholesale denunciaton or ccnsure; Dut We
undertake 10 say that the gas-"ofAs
would have been better managed hao
they been under the control OF coihii'S-
sion. In the nature Of things, a Couhcii
conmiriee cannot be as successful IN
The conduct OF business Affairs as COM
mission can. In the first place the CUM
mittee Is shaken up every two years
No sooner has a membir mastered the
business OF the department than ne may
be dropped from the committee. Ana 'i7"
the committees skirts are forever Deihs
pulled by politicians. So II is next 10
impossihle for a committeeman TO manage
the city's business as he would manage
his own business. IL IS difficult to resist
men who have pulls" when a coInhFt-
teeman knows that he must go before
the people at the polls once IN two or -FOUR
years.
In short. the average committeeman
can't or wont be a. indep sndcnt as the
commissioner. Yet here We have the Gu
rious spectacle OF our City Council ask
ing the Legislature 10 take power from
the Board of Public Interests and give
II 70 the City Council. What the Council
desires is not that the Police and Fire
commissioners shall be more independent
b,-t less independent. But 10 do the
City Council justice we venture 70 say
that IT would never have taken the posi-
ton that it now occupies II 1t had suS-
pected what was 10 be the ou'come OF
the gas-works' investigation. 1t VIII no"
reqcire a bold face on its part for 1t TO so
before the LEGISLATURE and ask that more
power be given f.; that the TWO COM
missions be made less independent, ana
that the Board OF IupiS Aiieoi~0s'
shorn of its strength.
The people Of Richmond do not wish
the CITY Council 10 have more power ana
"a tronage. They would rather that II
should have less. They ask-yea. de-
mand-that the City Council be made 10
keen It's hands on tn Police ana Fire
commissions. except In so Ear as the pres
ent law gives the Council authority IN
the premises. But II any changes are to
be made in the charter the people would
rather have it made in a direction oppo-
site TO that aimed at by the city Coun-
Gil
The popular impression is that the
Chamber Of Commerce has something to
do with TN election or members Of the
Board of Public Interests: but. as we
have said before. this Is. incorrect. Every
member Of the board is elected By the
City Council. II the board is not as aoie
and Efficient as it ought 20 be, the CITY
Council. and no one else is to blame. Il
has complete authority IN the premises.
This is no case of divided responsibility.
But. as a matter OF fact. the BOARD Of
Public Interests mas done .rs work Wen.
The men whom it has nominated 20 ~
CITY Council as police and fire commits
sioners have been good men. Yes. as
rule. they have been good, faithful men.
The Management of the Police and Fire
departments prove this. What other de-
partmen.s here nave been better man
acsd? What other departments have been
so well managed? Certainly, the gas
works is not one.
We believe that the general judgment
IS that the Board OF Public Interests
should be let alone and that the gas
works should be put under a commission,
such as those commissions which now
control our Police ana Fire departments.