Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-24
TELEPHONES.
THE MAYORS DUTIES.

Mavor Taylor and the members OF the
Police Board are personally lFlehois' ~.
are at odds officially. He has no vote eA-
cent in case Of a tie AT other tunes no
advice is seldom asked and, he says MS
influence is nil.
The theory upon which the present
hoard was constructed and established
was that If the Mayor were TO nave
,and in making appointments TO the force
ne would use his power to put ms per
sonal and political friends in place. IN
one period of the city's history mayors
had been accused of doing that very
.hing. And SO ii was thought that II
would be better to remove me MaSoi
from temptation of that sort
Now The question is, Has the present
system proved to be a better system than
The one which it supplanted; one in when
,he sfavor had a vote as other members
have?
If it has we are unable to see it. Where
In is our police force stronger or better
now than it was formerly?
The tendency of The times, indeed. is
- give mayors of cities mere power
Than ever before, in the belief that ii is
better for the public to look to one re-
s,.onsihlc head in municipal AFFAIRS 1hah
10 scperai heads
The Constitutional Convention adopted
his view and provided that the Mayor
shall see that the duties of the various
of 4la P01ipp
fire departments. whether elected or ap-
pointed, in and for such city are taith-
fully PERFORMED The Mayor mas power
TO investigate their acts, have access 10
oil hooks and documents in their offices
md may examine them and their subor-
Sinntes on oath. The Mayor. also, mas
mower TO suspend such officers and the
members OF the Police and Fire Depart
m.ats and to remove sucn o';cefs ana
also such members Of said departments,
when authorized by the General Assem-
bly. for misconduct in Office. or neglect
of duty, to be specified in the order or
suspension or removal" etc, etc. But
appea,s to the Corporation Court" are
allowed suspended or removed officers.
We do not '.lnow" whether or not &C
3ion rpcr the part of the General AS
sembly is essential to put these consti-
trtionai provisions into force; probably
st is But the two houses Will re-
convene IN extra session in November
and whatever legislation is needed may be
obtained then Yet it is clear that the
,;,> nft ha Pcjfco R0a RI
gives him no power or authority not
bestowed by the Constitution itself.
therefore, 1t would be well for our city
:harter to relieve the Mayor from duty
On that board. or else make him vot-
ing member, With seven representatives
from the wards of the city and the Mayor
representing the city at large, His Hon.
or's power could not be Overwhelming
and all powerful. The total membership
OF the board would then be eight and 1t
would take five votes to carry any con-
tested proposition, when all the COM
rnssioners were present
We submit these considerations for the
attention OF the City Council and the
public: 1t may not make much difference
which course is pursued. but it is clear
10 us that either the Mayor should be re-
]ieved from service on the Police Board
or given. in addition to his constitutional
powers. all the powers and duties pos
sessed by other members of the board.
=---=----
It now appears that James NJ. Edge,
tho missing note teller OF the First Ma