Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-10
NEED LOOKING INTO.
VIC Denies Having Voluntarily ABB
sentcd Himself from Committee
Meetings. aud Talks About Alleged
Defects in Municipal Affairs.

Mr.. Edward II. Noble the Marshall
Ward Alderman whose failure TO a''ehu
Two successive meetings of the Council
rommI,tee on Relief OF the Poor was the
subject Of rather harsh criticism NJ Moh-
Say evenings session of that pody' was
yen by n Dispatch man last h'bh' anu
asked II he had anything 10 say WIN rel
.yrence 10 the matter.
He dId have something 10 say. ana SAID
n without hesitation or reserve. He pro-
tested that he had received no intimauoh
Of the first meeting from the sergeant-at-
Arms. and that on Monday he went 10 'he
country, expecting to return TO the CITY jill
ample time to attend the meeting, put
WAS unayoidably delayed. He stated THAT
ne had never voluntarily absented himseii
from n committee meeting, and had ne
known beforehand that IL would have been
Impossible for him 10 return In time 10 az
.end the session OF the committee MONDAY
ne would have attached his signature 10
The report Of the subcommittee, OF "h'ch
Ne was chairman, which has been COM
sleted and Is now lying at the almshouse'
ALIEGED 1RREGt lARi iir"''
Mr. Noble then went on TO speak OF the
irregularities that he knew existed IN
the several committees with wmch ne
Is connected. He did not mean. ne saiu'
10 Intimate that there is anything criini-
railv wrong but that serious abuses ana
improprleties, which might easily be eiinl-
mated If proper action were taken,
yxist In more than one committee IN the
CITY As for the Committee on Kenel Oh
the Poor, he said that the inqu'r! my
TIE disposition of the $50 gallons OF miIK
per month had never been satslactoiiis
explained. Superintendent tdttei' nV
said, had been voted 500 by the coihiiii'
Zee TO be applied for hauling wood, ana
mis- money should have come from the
Council. Further than this, $50 had been
voted bv the committee for an ambu-
lance outfit and in making THIS grant
.h,v had exceeded their authority. ana
ne funds had thus been misapplied
He smoke disapprovinI1y of sundry ac-
tions of different members or the com
Smittee. and intimated that one of them
had countenanced tririns cha'se
against Mrs. McDougall about year ago.
probably in order 10 get her removed
ma, he might secure her position for a
,elative of his own.
PROPOSES TO PUSH IT
Mr. Noble said there were Huiheio"s
ptber things that had come to him on
hearsay. and that he was therefore. not
justified In making them public at pres
ent: but he proposed to enforce TINS IN
,estgation to its utmost limit. lie had
been working to this end for some time,
ne stated. but had always been out-voted
when the question was brought up Com
raenting on Mr. Snead's remarks, imply
ing that MIR. Noble had a habit OF offering
resolutions and leaving ii TO other mem
hers Of the committee To DO the work,
he said there was no case on record
where he had offered "A motion that he
had not carried to it's farthest limit. He
had no friends or foes in political mat
tiers. he said. and nothing to fear His
public record was at any ones disposal
who chose 10 look into il.
Mr.. Noble is a member of the Light
Poor. and James River Improvement
committees. and said that he had reason
To believe that irregularities existed i'm
each The fundamental abuse, he stated
was that committees Were powerless TO
compel tho attendance Of members when
.hey were required. He had made an
unsuccessful effort 10 get an ordinance
passed by the Board of Aldermen 90 force
members of committees 10 appear.