Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-14

| should be brought IN as Wnoie, then the
! City Council could understand exactly
what 1t was doing.
After some further consideration OF the
motion OF Mr.. King to lay upon the table,
IL was adopted by the following vote:
Ayes-Messrs. Burton. Blake, Carter,
Hsrawicke. King, Montgomery, Mount
castle. snead. Starkc. and Vaughaa-l0
Noee-Messrs. Allen. Bshen. Moore. No
BILE. Zimmerman, and President Turpin-
g.
MIR. Allen at this point arose. and. on
behalf Of the members OF the Committee
on Retrenchment and Reform from the
Board Of Aldermen, asked that these gen.
tlemen be relieved from further service
upon that committee. In making this re-
quest Mr.. Allen said he did not believe
that the committee could be of any fur
ther use to the Council, and he, for one,
would not serve longer upon It, Mr.
| Allen added that he did not think IL would
be possible TO get any report passed by
| the Board with the combined influence of
the various committees and the office
| holders against IL. He referred to the
/ fact that the same request was made by
| the members of this committee in the old
Council.
The intimation that the officers Of the
| city had exercised any influence upon
| MIR. Snead. who said he did not believe
that any influence had been brought to
bear upon the Board. He added that he
would defy any man to impute such a
| thing 10 him.
Mr.. Allen replied that he had not in
| tended to inslnuate that any Of the alder
| men had been Influenced by the Office
| holders. but rather that their influence
! was naturally great, and that ii would be
| difficult to get any report through with
| them against IT.
The position taken by Mr.. Allen in
| asking to be relieved from the Committee
| on Retrenchment and Reform was con-
| Cured in by Messrs Noble and thinner
| mann. two other members of that body
| from the Board, who pointedly declined to
| act upon the committee any longer.
Messrs. Carter and Blake spoke against
| allowing these gentlmen to retire. The
| latter took the ground that 1t was their
| duty to go on with their work. He de-
| cIared that he was In favor of retrench-
ment and reform and for a proper reduc-
| ton of salaries, and that his record as a
| councilman showed this. Mr.. Blake took
the ground that the members Of the Re
trenchment and Reform Committee should
| not only not retire. but should so ahead
with their labors. and, If necessary, send
Blake said he thought the Committee on
Retrenchment and Reform should have
| had subcommittee to go TO the several
| committees OF the Council and confer
with them as to the workings Of the va
rious departments.
ENGINEER INTERVIEWED THEM.
Mr.. Noble made quite heated speech
in advocacy of the motion OF Mr.. Allen
| that the committeeman be excused. He,
| too smoke Of the thankessness of the posi-
ton of a member of the Committee on
| Retrenchment and Reform, and asserted
that It was useless for the body TO try
| TO make him serve longer on that COM
mittee as he positively would not do so.
| The Marshall-W Ward member declared that
! some of the ofiice-holders had used in
| fuence upon members OF the Board 10
| defeat the report, and said that he had
personal knowledge Of attempts at this.
! Mr.. Snead promptly asked IL the gen.
| tleman from Marshall Ward would name
some one who had been subjected to this
influence. and Mr.. Noble replied: Yes,
sir; can point to this gentleman tmean-
| ing Mr.. Montgomery, OF Marshall Ward).
THAT is not the case" said MIR. Mont
| gomery. somewhat excitedly, as he rose
| from his chair Il did not go to see Colo
| mel Cutshaw, but he came down 10 my
office TO see me. and spoke to me about
the necessity of retaining the sewer fore-
man. | most emphatically say that what
| Colonel Cutshaw said had no influence
| upon my vote.
MIR. Blake here said that Colonel Cut
shaw also called upon him, and said
that so far as his own (Cutshaw's) salary
was concerned. he did not wish TO speak
| OF If. but wanted him (Blake) TO know
| the urgent necessity OF having sewer
| foreman in the department, and not
| H. wing that work done by one of the
assistant city engineers, aus recommended
| by the Committee on Retrenchment and
| Reform. Mr.. Blake said he did not be-
| leye the city officials had any more
| influence over the Board Of Aldermen
| thar Hanna's bar'l was going to have
up0n the result of the election of Novem-
| ber 80. 0.aughter)
WOULD NOT EXCUSE THEM.
There was some further discussion,
| and the Board, by a vote OF to 6, re-
| fused TO allow the members of the Com
| mittee on Retrenchment and Reform TO
| retire. Mr.. Allen then said that II would
make no difference, as the gentlemen
VINO had been associated with him would
| not act upon that body any longer, and
the work would stop where ii was.
| President Turpn interpolated that re-
trenchment had been killed. and that the
| officials of the city would be happy to-
/ day. He said that this state OF things
| the city living beyond her income-could
not go on forever He said he expected
| that the Legislature would take hold or
the matter, when II meets next year
Mr.. Mountcastle was of the opinion
that the Committee on Retrenchment
he o.
place when it hegan its work by re-
| ducing salaries.
TELL THEM TO GO AHEAD.
Mr.. Blake finally moved that the Board
express to the members Of the Commit
tee on Retrenchment and Reform that II
was its desire that they should prosecute
their work. and bring i'm a report that
would suit everybody. This was too
much for Alderman Bahen, OF Jackson
ward who shook his Republican sides
with laughter. until the Monroe-Ward
member amended his motion, so a5 to
resd. ..Prosecute their work" The propo-
sitlon was adopted. and Mr.. Allen then
offered moson proNdng that the
President OF the Board should not be re-
stricted by the action of the body when
no receives the resignation OF the MEM
hers OF tie Committee on ketrenchment
onJ reform from that branch of the
Council This was agreed TO. and the
BOARD proceeded to other business.
A resolution directing the City Engi-
neer 10 designate as public dump
Grace street from Twenty-ninth street TO
Chimborazo Park was adopted.
The Board concurred in the action Of
The Common Council In allowing the
transfer of s.. 500 from the extension ac-
Count 70 the oil account, and $500 from
the expense account TO the oil account OF
the gas-works.
Aster the transaction of some unimpor-
M routine business the body adjourned.