The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-09
TAKE STEPS TO
REDISTRICT CITY
Clay Ward Actlves Act on
This Important Matter.
COMMITTEE Is NAMED
VIII Prepare a Plan Looking to Fair
Representation in Council.
Mr.. POLLARD'S RESOLUTION.
1t is Discussed at Length aud Will
Form Basis of action-All Demo-
cratic Organizations Invited
to Cooperate III the Under
takin.-Busy Session
OF the Club.
COMMITTEE IS NAMED
| Mr.. P0LLARD'S RESOLUTION.

The Clay Ward Actives, at their regular
meeting at Belvidere Hall last night, ap-
pointed a committee of ten to prepare
a plan looking to The redistrictins Of the
city and changes as to representation in
the City Council. The object of this step
is to divide Clay Ward and to rearranse
the other wards of the city 50 as to put
each ward on az fair and equal footing
and to change the representation in the
Council, and provide for a proportion of
the ,.ermen and Councilmen to be elect
from the wards. 1t is a movement to
abolish or diminish to a large extent ward
politics. and to bring about a fa.rer dis
tribution of the funds appropriated for
public improvements from year to year
All prominent Democratic cInbs are in
vited to cooperate with the Actives III
this undertaking.
The meeting was one of the largest the
club has held in years for the transaction
of business. Mayor r. NJ Taylor, Judge
George l., Christian. Mr.. Henry W. Roun-
tree, Colonel John s Harwood and many
other prominent citizens were in attend
aITce.
Mr.. John Garland Pollard was unani-
mously elected a member OF the club.
THE NEW COMMITTEES.
Chairman Carter submitted the report
of tiae Advtsory Board of the CLUB recon-
mendins the standing committees for
the ensuing year as follows:
Your Advisory Committee begs leave
to present the following named members
of the club for appointment by the Com
nlittees on Finance, Statistics, and New
Members
.Finance-Robert whittet, Jr., Chair
mani; Samuel n. Cotreil, j. P. Pettus, H.
r. Pollard. Robert e. Peyton.
.'statist:cs-E. c. Walthal chairman,
Isaac Digss, c. E. Hill, NJ r. Pace, and
J. a. Firth
New Members-H. CCalder (chai1man),
Charles I. Phillips, William Gibson, Jr
J. Y. Kracke, and 2. H. Bowls.
Respectfully signed.
JOHN S. HARDWOOD.
Chairman,
"a. C. HARMON.
'R. l.. WINSTON.
'R J.. MONTAGUE,
20. y. HAWKINS,
ADVISORY Committee.
Ine report of the committee was adopted
nn motion of Mr.. Boschen.
DIVISION OF THE WARD
Under the head Of unfinished business
Mr.. John Garland Pollard offered the fol-
lowing:
Whereas. one-fourth of the population
of the city OF Richmond reside il Clay
Ward, and yet the ward has no greater
representation in the City Council than
the other wards OF the city having less
than one-half its population and about
one-fifth of its taxable real estate values,
and, whereas this condition is a violation
OF the expressed provision of the city
charter (chap. l, sec. 81, as well as OF the
principles of representative government
and has resulted in depriving the citizens
Of our ward Of their just share in the
management of the affairs OF the city,
and deprived the ward OF its proper pro-
portion in the city's revenues, used in
street and other improvements, therefore,
res0lved:
First, That we hereby respectfully ap-
peal TO the City Council for correction of
this injustice
Second, That a committee, consisting
of seven members. be appointed by the
chair, with instructions TO take all honora-
bic steps towards securing for the citizens
OF this ward their just share in the man
agement of the affairs OF the city, either
by having the ward divided Or by having
the whole city redistrictel so as to ac-
complish the purpose mentioned
Third, That we earnestly request the
active aid of the representatives of this
ward in the City Council towards accom-
plishing the purposes here set out.
Fourth. That the secretary of this or
ganization be instructed to send a copy OF
these resolutions to the City Council
SUBJECT DISCUSSED
the club hearing first from Mr.. Henry L.
Carter, who was for many years a mem
Der Of the Board OF Aldermen from Clay
Ward. Mr.. Carter said that the question
of dividing Clay Ward was not a new
one to its representatives in the City
Council. He referred t. three or four ef-
forts in the past to 5rins about such Cii-
vision of the ward or redStricting of the
entire city as it would do away with the
hardships to which Clay Ward had been
subjected. but declared that ward politics
had defeated these movements. He was
sorry to say thai representatives OF the
other wards had combined and prevented
Clay Ward from getting what she was en-
titled to according to the population and
the amount of taxes she paid into the
city treasury.
Mr. Carter thought the whole city should
be redistrcteti ard that the representa-
suggested that there should be seven
wards instead of six. and that each ward
should elect one Alderman and two Coun-
cilnen, and there should be seven Alder
men and seven Ccuncilmen elscted by the
city at large. The Aldermen and Council
men chosen by the city at large, he said
would act as a check upon any ward man
ipuiation on the part OF the others
Mr. John Garland Pollard spoke briefly
~ MIS- resolutions. saying that Clay Ward
had %. 900 inhabitants, according to the
last census, while the other wards aver
ared onlv about one-half that nunoer.
making "a citizen OF Clay Ward only a
half a citizen, so far as representation in
the municipal legislature was concerned.
He said the people OF Clay Ward had been
done a great Injustice, and that the OBJ
tect of his measure was to prevent this
Injustice in the future. .I am in favor. "
said Mr. Pollard .'in the event we cannot