Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-15

Commissions W.. Council Committees
The public meeting called by the Chaih-
her of Commerce TO consider "Will the
public interest be better served by placing
the departments OF the city's afairs uhder
commissioner" will be held to-morro"
afternoon.
II seems 70 us that there Is preiimi-
nary question TO be disposed OF, ana 'n's
IS. Shall the Board Of Public interests
continue with its present powers or notF
II the CITY Council is TO have its way,
and IS TO have both the nominating ana
electing OF commissioners, many people
will come to the conclusion that II VIII
hardly be worth while to create any new
commissions. If the charter is amended
as is wished by the City Council the COM
missions now in existence Will be snorn
of nearly all Of their independence. whiie
new ones created will be absolutely at the
mercy of the City Council.
IL the city charter should be amended
as the City Council asks that 1t shall De-
and II we should establish commission
TO take charge OF the gas-works. now
would those commissioners be appointed!
WHY all Of them would be elected by the
CITY Council: all elected at the same
tlme-,n a lump-and the Board Of Public
Interests would have no "say" In the
matter. 1t is plain that such commis-
sion as that would be no more independ-
ent than a Council committee is.
If our charter were amended the CITY
Council could only fill vacancies In exist
ing commissions as they occur-one each
wear. But when it comes to establishing
new commissions the City Council would
elect all Of the commissioners and elect
all of them at the same Council meetihg'
and from a list Of persons nominated py
themselves So we say that II the Boaru
OF Public Interests Is to be aDolshed-
really this is what the City Councifs pro-
nosition amounts tot doesn't very much
matter whether any new commissions are
created or not.
Certainly the gas-works ought to be put
under a commission, but 1t ought to be
commission as free as possible from po-
ltical influences. Politics have been the
bane of the gas-works management mat
this is true we think can hardly be u.s.
nuted. What is needed to make the
works as successful and productive OF
revenue as they ought TO be, is a man
agement that is free, or well-nign iree
from political pulls" This object might
be ACCOMPLISHED to a fair degree through
the Intervention of the 3ard Cf PUBIC
Interests. But if the City Council is left
IN "nck and choose" the commissioners
what right have we 10 suppose that such
commissioners will be any more independ-
ent than the Committee on Light mas
been?
II will be useless for the Chamber or
Commerce to attempt TO awaken pubic
interest in the creation of new commis-
sions il the Chamber is going TO allow
the Board of Public Interests to be
abolished without offering a vigorous pro-
test. True, we have heard no voice put
the City Councils asking that the enec-
tjveness of the Board Of Public Interests
be destroyed, but that voice may be po-
tential IL the people OF this community
do not appear before the legislative COM
mittees to silence il.
Our advice to the public meeting which
is 10 be held in the hall of the Chamber
of Commerce on Monday Is to CONSIDER
first whether the Board OF Public lnte-
rests should be shorn of its strength ana
mower. and then what departments OF our
CITY government not now under commis-
sions might well be put under commits
sions.
We have long wished to see Board
of Finance and Audit established mere.
but the powers that be. jealous Of power
have always looked upon the proposition
with coldness. Yet such board, composed
of good. reliable men. might have saved
us from the defalcations that have come
unon us so frequently in late years, and
which have cost us SO much money and
brought our clty's name into ill-repute.
Controlled and directed by a Board OF
Finance a city accountant might work
wonders in the way of causing prompt
settlements to be made by those officers
of ours that handle money; but unless the
city accountant is backed up by Board
of Finance. or some other vigorous and
independent authority we much rear tpa'
he will meet with the same sort OF re-
bluffs that the City Council Committee on
Retrenchment and Reform met with when
II undertook to investigate several de-
partments of the city government.
Let the meeting consider all Of these
things. Let II point out such improve
ments as are needed in our municipal sys-
tenn, and then leave it to the Chamber
Of Commerce to devise ways of commu'
n,cating the public wish to the General