The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-11
This Feature Of City Government Finds
No Defenders Among the ActiYeS.
ALDERMAN CARTER'S INSINUATIONS
Regarding the Board Of Fire Commission-
ers-Mr. Catlin Defends the Good Gov
erDn ent League Mayor Taylor and
Colonel Harwood Speak.

were present. and tho list was further
strengthened last night by the addition
q three new names Among those noticed
We're Mes-rs J.. A. Catlin. Il. VI. Taylor.
John :. Harwood. Henry l.. Carter.
Humphrey Calder. Clyde Saunders. Jos.
Meyers. NJ. h. Pace. l.. Paul. and others.
The minutes were read. and President
Snead stated that IN accordance with tho
resolution adopted AZ the last meeting.
the question OK whether commissions FOR
the city were deemed advisable was the
subject for discussion and no and the
members would be glad 10 hear from any
gentleman who cared 10 be heard on the
subject. Tn. club had no desire 10 an
tagonlze movement without hrst know
ING exactly what they were lighting. IL
was important chat The question should
De- agltated, as they would in all proba-
b.lty have au important bearing on the
election OF q Governor and members OF
the Legislature this iaiL We should know
what candidates Tor tie Legislature en-
colsoJ the scheme for commissions. We
must agitlte and ascertain II IL ~ best
that the city should have commission
ALDERMAN CARTER TALKS.
After waiting for q few minutes. the
president called upon Alderman Henry l..
Carter OF Clay ward.
AIR. Carter said he had opposed COM
missions two years ago. and from what he
had learned he saw no reason why he
should change 40 this time Commissions.
as he understood them. meant Il centra-
hzation OF power. lie was a Democrat.
and was opposed 20 commissions or 20
the Capitalization OF power. Centraliza-
tlon was the idea OF Republlcanlsm-con-
Quoting the affairs Of the government at
the expense OF the citizens. We would
likely have 20 light candidates for the
Legislature who favored commissions un-
,ess We should know exactly what was
intended by those who favored cOmmis-
sions. IL will be time enough 70 cross
the bridge when we get TO it.
saw by the papers this morning that
the second assistant CHIEF OF the Fire De
partmcnt was dead, and that his oiiice
would be abolished by the Board Of Fire
Commissioners No one elss Is capable
a. filling that Office on exactly the same
lines IL tho chief or assistant chief OF
the Fire Department were TO die tho
Commissioners would abolish that Office
or import some man FOR tho place, for
u0 man. WAS competent ID All the posi-
ton.
Commissions meant too much power
for body OF meE who could perpctuate
themselves m onlcc. II a man had sense
enough 10 vote he had sense enough To
| govern. lie did not know that the comuis-
sious VIC now have had proven a success.
because they or their workings had never
been carefully investigated. They were
supreme. They were not responsible 10 tho
people Money and men were at their
command and they made a good show
lnr All the rottenncss Of the country
had IFS origin IN commissions. Look az
the Tweed commissions and the COM
missions in Philadelphia.
FEW DIE-NONE RESIGN.
Now. take our three c0mmissions-Po-
/ lice. Fire and Schoois-and you Will notice
that they succeed themselves at every
election. When did you ever know one
10 resign? DID You ever hear OF one
being turned out? You can turn out A
| councilman IL he does not do 10 suit you,
but you cannot reach commissioner.
when the term of a commissioner expires
yOu will see those employed I'm his depart
ment hustling around and asking the
couucmen 10 vote for the reelection.
lie fears that a nc- man would make 10
harder for him than the present commits
si0ner. IL IS better 20 bear the llls We
have than hy TO those we know not or 30
said Mr. Carter. referring 10 what doubt
less occupied tho minds of those who held
Office under the commissioner. lie was
always for a representative form of gov
ernment and opposed 70 Capitalization OF
power.
MIR. CATLIN TALKS. TOO.
Mr L. 4 Catlln. president OF the Demo
| cratic League FOR Good Government. was
next called upon by Mr.. sncad. and asked
10 make some remarks upon the question
/ Of commissions.
Mr. Cstlin said hc was unwel, and real
/ ~ should not have come out lie would
/ Ike. however 20 be able 10 discuss the
matter though DE could not say the issue
was Il live one lie did not know that
plank on commissions would OBJ
! tain True, there were some good features
/ IN commissions. but there were more bad
| than good ones. lie believed a majority
OF the people were against commissions.
he thought better method than the pres
cnt or that OF commissions could be de-
vlsed which would give more satisfaction
20 tho people The present system was a
bad enc, he thought. lie had not heard
the question Of commissions discussed FOR
eighteen months by a dozen people. Be
had heard more that night in the Clay
Ward Actyes Oh tho matter than he had
heard In two years.
The members OF tho City Council should
be relieved OF the arduous duties which
We're now imposed upon them, for very
often the members were out three or
four nights each week. and when "a man
had worked all day u was not right 10
expect n man who was engaged during
the day 10 work half the night for the city.
GIVE THE MAYOR MORE POWER.
He would Ike 20 see the Mayor with
more power. lie believed that that official
would Ike 10 have more 20 do. As at
present the Mayor was a mere figure mead.
lie should be the executive head or ali the
departments-streets. lights. health. police
and give him the right % summon them
before him for consultation whenever
he felt so disposed. He believed that ne
could demonstrate that not less than
$4,000 has been wasted IN Richmond
within the last ten years by the grading
and paving OF streets. then tearing up
the streets and laying water-ppes. then
repavlng, and coming along a second time
and tearing up the same street and lay
ing gas pipes and repavlng a third time.
The work OF pipe-laying should have been
done before the grading ana paving was
done.
Mr.. Catlln then went into an exp.ona-
ton OF the Democratic League for Good
| Government. and explained It's workings.
He had been 0s much misrepresented as
anyone else, because the papers had
charged him with saying that policemen
! and fremen were getting too much pay
and should be reduced Tie was simply
relating a case 20 a man. and he had been
quoted as saying that ho wanted 10 cut
those officers. but II was untrue. Ine
League had put itself on record as oppos-
ing any reduction IN the pay OF the police
man ar flremen. II was reported around
~, he wanted TO go 10 the legislature
80 ia wanted 20 be Mayor. that he
/ "A "A