Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-13
A NEW DEPARTMENT.
SUBCOMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 4
sTaEET-CLEANING FORCE.
ASSISTANT LOVENSTEIN EXOEERATED.
Force Necessary mt the city Aims
house-Rcport Of Visit to washing
ton of James River Delegation
Fire Commissioners I'm Session.

the future conduct of this branch Of the
municipal government as seemed advsa-
ble held a meeting In Committec-Room
No IL of the City Hall yesterday after
noon, and went vigorously into the work
assigned IT, There were present Messrs.
Rountree 0chairman), HARRISON, and
Noble
The chairman stated the object Of the
meeting. and said that it was his idea
that there should be a STRENGTHENING
department, with superintendent at the
head of It. and that the men employed
on the force should be required to wear
uniforms He thought the superintend-
ent should have full power to employ
and discharge men. BY this arrange
ment added Mr.. Rountree, the sanitary
officers now controlling the street-clean-
ing force could be returned to the police
force, where they belonged and We're
needed Chairman Rountree continued by
saying that If this plan was carried out
the president of the Board of Health
would be relieved of most of his duties.
and the salary would be reduced to say
500 or $500 per annum.
Mr.. Harrelson's views concurred with
those of the Chair, and he offered q mo-
tion to recommend to the general COM
mittee the establishment of a street.
cleaning department. to be under the
general supervision Of a superintendent.
appointed by the City Council. The mo-
ton embraced a clause providing that
the compensation of this officer should
be fixed at 200 per annum, and another
provision thu the superintendent have
power to employ and discharge the men
of the department. Mr.. Harrelsons
proposition also stipulated that the mem
bers of the force should be required to
wear a suitable uniform with badges
designating them as such; also, that the
| superintendent should have the use Of
a horse and vehicle, to be kept at the
| city stables at the expense Of the city.
and should be under the Committee on
| Health, to which committee he was to
| make. his reports. This plan was dis
| cussed at some length, but the sub-com-
| mitteemen were unanimously in favor Of
| it, and ii was adopted as the recon-
mendation of that body to the general
| Committee on Retrenchment and Reform
The Madison Ward member then
! moved 10 urge the repeal of the ordi-
| nance regarding the creation of sanitary
| inspectors. and to return these officers
TO the police force. This was also
agreed TO.
INSPECTOR OF PLUMBING.
Mr.. Noble then moved to recommend
! an amendment to the ordinance regard
ing the Inspector of Plumbing, placing
| that officer under the Committee on
Health instead Of the Board Of Health
and this was adopted. This gentleman
also moved that the subcommittee re-
! commend that the Physicians TO the
| Poor be transferred from the Commit
| tee on Health TO the Committee on Re
| lief Of the Poor Mr. Noble argued the
| benefits TO be derived from this change,
saying that persons I'm connection with
the Poor Department of the city were
better able to know who were entitled
TO charity treatment than those on the
outside. This was adopted.
| Mr. Noble also presented for the con-
sideration OF the subcommittee his plan
to abolish the Office OF Physician to the
Almshouse. and require the duties to be
performed by the president of the Board
Of Health without additional compensa-
ton. He submitted this in the form Of a
motion. and 1t was decided to recommend
it 20 the Committee on Retrenchment
and Reform, also TO urge that the horse
and buggy now used by the president Of
the Board Of Health and kept at the
expense Of the city. be dispensed with.
The subcommittee then adjourned.
Relief of the Poor investigation.
There was a very important session OF
the Committee on Relief of the Poor in
Room No. u Of the City Hall yesterday
afternoon, as a result Of which the First
Assistant OF the City Amshouse. Mr..
Isidore Lovenstein. was fully exonerated
Of the charge of collecting during his
Office hours, and paper was adopted
| setting forth the number of officers for
the proper maintenance of that depart
ment or institution. Chairman Cottrell
| called the meeting to order and there
were present besides himself Messrs.
Brock, Gunst, Miller, Noble. and Smith.
| The Chairman stated the object of the
session TO be the consideration of the
matter introduced in the Committee on
| Retrenchment and Reform relative TO the
First Assistant Superintendent of the
Almshouse being engaged in collecting TOR
| an outside concern. Mr.. Noble remarked
that Mr.. Jones was the member of the
committee who stated that he understood
| that the First Assistant was doing some
| outside work for his personal benefit
The request OF the Committee on Re
| trenchment and Reform was read, and
on motion OF Mr.. Gunst IL was decided to
! hear SUPERINTENDENT Davis regarding this
matter. The Superintendent stated very
emphatically that he would consider ii a
! binding duty for him to suggest the doing
| away with one OF the assistant superin-
tendents IL he thought it practicable to
run the City Almshouse with a smaller
| force. Ii was "A fact, he said that II
either was dispensed with II would be
utterly impossible for him TO perform the
duties of his office. Mr.. Davis said that
when Mr.. Lovenstein was first appointed
First Assistant Superintendent OF the
! Almshouse that gentleman approached
him and told him that he was collecting
| fees for the Royal Arcanum. and asked
| him II this would conflict with his duties
at the almshouse II he should take a few
! hours each month in which to do this
work He replied to Mr. Lovenstein that
he did not see that IL would and gave his
permission, as Mr.. Loyenstein gave his
| dinner hour each day to the city and
only devoted two or three hours each
| month 10 this collecting. Mr.. Davis
stated further that had the First Assist
| ant Superintendent In any way neglected
| his duties he would have called his at
| tention to IL or reported the fact to the
committee. No neglect whatever had &C.
| CURED, declared Superintendent Davis,
| as he closed with the statement that Mr..
Lovenstein had proved himself TO be an
| efficient officer and a valuable assistant
/ In the institution.
MIR. LOVENSTEIN'S STATEMENT.
Mr. Lovensteln was called TO the stand,
and began his statement by saying that
he was the collector for Mccarthy Coun-
ell Royal Arcanum, and that since last
September he had five times devoted two
or two and half hours to do this work.
He always got permission from the Su-
perintendent when he was to be absent
from the almshouse. He felt satisfied
that he had never left the institution for
| longer period than three hours. Mr.
| Lovenstein assured the committee that
| he would mot have taken the collector
ship II ne had thought that IL would In
any way conflict with his duties at the
almshouse. He was perfectly willing "a
give it up now IL the committee thought
stein stated further that the lodge DID
not require him to go around and do the
collecting, but that this was done as
| matter OF accommodation TO the mem
bers. He again declared that he received
/ <n~ Inf