The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-06
a DANGEROUS BILL.

Alsa6ERous BILL.
Some days ago Delegate l. T. o.eai ..e'
Introduced In tho lower house OF the
LEGISLATURE a bin which. II passed. oS
both houses, wiz; greatly enlarge me
powers of the mayors OF Virginia cities
i, is understood lnat Mr. Stearnes pre-
scented The bni q, the request OF way o'
A A Moss. O. the city OF Newport
News and but for the fact that the
,a,e Constitutional Convention provided
that ali laws ana regulations governing
Virginia cities shall be uniform ano me
laws for one shall apply 10 all tnls ON
r,oi,d have come in the form OF an
amendment 20 tho charter OF the Guy
of Newpor, News. II Is. therefore
so,ne,vhu; IN the nature OF private OH
Maypr Moss we are Informed. has
had much trouble In his official life.
He has beer Mayor OF the shipbuildlhg
city for several terms. and 4, seems he
hns been almost constantly at logger
heads with his brother city officials.
Frequently he has had to measure
lances with the Council. the Police
Commissioners. the School Boards and
o1,us.r branches OF city government. and.
worse than all. he has been defendant In
damage suits wherein officers who have
los, cneir Official heads or have peen IN
jurcd in one way and smother by lrves-
tiations the Mayor set on foot have
sough, heavy damages at his personal eX-
pense IL we mistake not case Is ION
pending in the Supreme Court OF APP
peals wherein Mayor Mess Is fighting
verdict for sc,3. which jury gave to
ex-Chief OF Police Earwood in suit
OF this character.
The bill. or. the several bills which
Mt Stearnes introduced by request.
provide that mayors shall have more
power: that they shall be put N con-
troll OF all the branches of municipal
government by being granted the power
to appoint all municipal boards called
for by the Constitution In the article
pertaining to municipal government. The
bill further provides that mayors shall
not be sued for any damages persons
may suffer. or think they suffer. be-
cause OF any official act Of the mayor.
This. It Wi be seen. concentrates In
one official all the power known to mu-
utcipal government. or 1t might do SO
when Is added to II the veto power by
which he could to a great ext. mt con-
troll the City Council or at least hold
powerful check rein over that body.
The Idea OF thus corccntra ting NUM-
cpal power is not new. 1t has been q
subtec; of discussion in various parts
OF the country for the past quarter OF a
century. The idea has been that In the
concentration OF power In this manner
responsibility for municipal government
is also concentrated in one person, and
thus good government is more easily
secured by the people who elect their
city or town officers. At several. in
fact at nearly all. Of the conventions
OF municipal officials held for many
years past this question has been dis
cussed in its various phases. The idea
Of concentrating the responsibility for
municipal government and holding one
person to account at the polls is catchy
it must be admitted. 1t was plausible
enough to lead to its adoption to a
greater or less degree by various cities
throughout the country.
However plausible the plan may seem
at first blush. a sufficient argument
against II is that a majority Of the tuu-
inequalities that have tried 1t have not
FOUND il satisfactory. In Ohio where
the law, like ours, provides that city
governments throughout the State shall
De uniform. the concentration idea has
been tried and found Very unsatisfac-
tory. and there is now violent reaction
in that State against 1t. The Legisia-
ture has very recently enacted law
depriring mayors OF a great part OF the
power that a few years ago was by law
concentrated IL them. In other States
where. as was formally the case in
Virginia. different governments are pro-
vided by charter for different cities,
charters are being amended from time
to time greatly modifying the powers
Of mayors. powers that were given them
under this concentration plan. So il;
seems that cities that have tried il are
getting rid of 1t as rapidly as possible.
and cities that have not tried it are no
longer asking for it.
This. IL seems to US. together with
the fact that such municipal laws as
apply 20 Ncwpor. News must apply in
like manner to all other Virginia cities
Done OF which have expressed a desire
FOR the concentration CT power and
responsibility. is sufficient to defeat the
bills that have been offered by request
for the relief of the Mayor of Newport
Gsws.