Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-29
CAUCUS FOR REFORM.
,.vrI. MEETING OF DEMOCRATIC
MEMBERS or COUNCIL.
THEY CUT SALARIES on ALL SIDES.
p.,rc,chmcnt Committees Report
Approved with nut 'ri"'"S
,.,dmcnts-Ncssr Blake and
Inudcr Retire.

council last night. me o"J'~'
...,cps was TO bind these counciime"
8 ,,,on the report recently submitted ny
,t, Committee on Retrenchment ana he-
form.
Tho cali for the caucus was signed by
.,.ptv-tyo members OF the Common
Council. but by only seven aldermen.
,r,oso proseut when the roll was caleu
were President Turpin. Of the Board anu
Niosers Blake. Burton smith. and I'm
,,ernaun members OF that body ana
alessrs Allen. Blanks. Briggs. CasAl''
r1ttreu Bloomberg. EbcL Foster "u"s''
1lsrrelson. Hobson. Jones. j. j. hlns'
Iouotrcc. stokes. Tanner, WaleIs'ei"'
1.avder. Noble Pollock, Nhalen' anu
WHITE.
II WAS a lively session from S'"'' "
finish. clerk August read the cai' anu
tho body worked vigorously un.h VIZ
late hour. Mossrs. Blake anu -.
refused 20 remain through lu' 49,
nm. former wasn't exactly sau7ht' .n"'
A. y.ss "a strictly Democratic meeuhs'
,,bu. the Marshall Ward member Wa
,.rr,sod 40 a caucus of twenty-odu mem
l.re az tho Common Council ana Oily
hye Of the Board of Aldermen
ASKS FOR THEIR POLITICS.
,r,. hall was started as soon as the
,.n-,.u was concluded. when the free-
.n,.r democrat from Monroe Ward MT
,...~,o efcp Blake. said tat ne undet-
stood fh8t this was 20 be "a call OF '"'
D.uocratic members Of the Council ana
t1st there we're some members VINO hau
b.ru elected 10 the Councu as be'lio
,-.ta but were not going 20 support TIE
TtafuHrTnfIr GUIAfl-
ti3n-the one he'd at Chicago. u'
mo-, think we should 90 into a caucus
z,ifh mon who are not Democrats, ne
aIs The gentleman from Monroe Ward
going O. offer "a notion asked inc
~ am. Mr. President" Mr.. Blake
,romptly replied. 81 am unwilling 70 go
into caucus until ] know whether ihe
body is composed of Democrats NJ
i- no use 10 exclude the representative
az one party aud leave boa those OF an
,tbe- I wish to- make the motion that
au .rembers who intend o. vote Tor the
regular Democratic nominees lholcale
that fact boy standing.
Gentlemen. YOU have heard the ques-
ton" the President began, but Mr.
briggs moved 90 lay the motion on the
table Mr. WaNefsteiu spoke briefly I'D
IFNNaiflNn TO Nf' li'i'""tttHtt
Ulake. saying that IN he was going To
y.tirc from the caucus. he should retire
before the vote was taken.
President Caskie addressed the BODY
briefly. saving that the very presence OF
gentlemen OF the Council was the as
smsnce from them that they were De
mocrats.
President TurpIu spoke quite earnest
~. favoring proceeding with the con
said the
aupcarance of go many vacant seats ln
tr. hall was an indication of the inter
est many OF the citys representatives
were talking iu this question. do you
e1r1o-e that the seats are vacant by
aecidertg" asked the President lie as
serted that no one could question MT.
I.akce sincerity, and that ne beheNed
and trusted that the Monroe Ward mem
Der would remain in the caucus and as
..sf his associates IN this important
work The speaker continued by re-
marking that there were employees OF the
CITY who made twice as much money
ge more than half OF the businessmen
Of This city. and most OF them received
more money than most members Of the
city Council made. President Turpin
thought the time had come when the
Council should act in the matter Of re-
trruchment and reform. II 10 could not
now. If mao as Wei Lifhh VIZ AiA'
Committee ON Retrenchmcnt and Reform,
because its WORK would ho ineffective.
AIR. Blake made some further remarks
explaining that he could nor make mp ms
mind to remain IN caucus unless ne
know that the others participating were
Democrats. and said II it could not be as
,ertan,i that they we're he should re-
lsE-.
TWO MEMBERS RETIRE.
THE question was finally called upon Mr.
I.rises's motion TO table. and it was
adopted by the following recorded vote
Aycs-Mcssrs Turpin. Zimmerman, Al
lou Blanks. Briggs Caske Cottreh
Boomberg Ebcl Foster, Gunst Harrei-
son. Hobson, Jones. j. J. King. ROM
trcc. Stokes Tanner, Wallerstein, ana
Nhaleu-N.
Noes-Messrs Blake. Burton. Smith
Vaughan. Iawdcr, Noble, Pollock, and
NIue-S
Sir Blake here retired. and Mr. Lawder
I.r The Council chamber by permission
THE latter said that when he signed the
Du Tor The caucus he did so with the
express understanding that It should also
.e signed by "a majority Of the members
OFF ne Board OF Aldermen. There We're
only ftc members OF that body present
anI the gentleman from Marshall Ward
u.s excused and his name stricken from
I.e rou of the caucus.
a. This uncture Mir Gunst wanted 10
Know ~hat good could De accomplished
ly going into "a consideration of the re-
port 0f the Committee on Retrenchment
and Reform when only one-ihird OF the
members of tLe Board of Aldermen were
present. President Turpin explained that
Urrc were twenty-five members OF the
C.v Cosncl BOO attendance. and that 20
DIIflIN lU line for the
movement in behalf OF a more economical
administration OF the city's affairs wouid
certainly have ITS effect.
SOME REFORMS AGREED UPON.
Ono caucus then. on motion Of Mr.
Huees took up the report seriatim. me
discussion upon the various resolutions
was brief and TO the point In the dis
cls-.ou Of the report the following reso-
buttons and ordinances were adopted:
That One services OF the harness re-
Tsircr now employed at the city stables
be. and are hereby. dispensed with.
That The feeding by the Street Depart
ment of the horse now being kept al a
private stable and used by the Chief OF
Police he discontinued.
That tae office hours OF the City Engi-
rccr and the assistants I'm his depart
mcnt boz fixed TO be from a. NJ. TO D
J. ST.
That the Engineer Of the city and as
Nstants Boo bis department devote their
Time 10 the affairs of the city. and be
prohibited from engaging IN any outside
work
That the Committee on Streets shall
Immediately upon the approval OF this
ordinance proceed with the appointment
OF three assistant engineers In the Engi-
rcer Department. who shall be designated
fIraf aaafafanf second assistant and