The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-23
Committee to Recon-
mend Changes In Cap
itol Management.
PUT ALL EMPLOYEES
UNDER ONE CONTROL
Abolish Convict Labor From the
Capitol Buildings-Givc Land
j Records to State Libra
rian, and Broader Au-
thority 10 Super
intendents.

Sweeping and In some respects reyolu-
tionary reforms In the provision for the
caro- and management of the public
grounds and buildings of the State will
be suggested In report TO be submitted
10 the General Assembly to-day by a
special joint committee appointed last
week at the instance of Senator Sadler,
OF Powhatan, to conduct a thorough In
yestigation and rcturw such recommen-
cations as might be deemed advisable
nzcd as necessary.
While the report will contain no direct
criticism of any official. great or small,
II will fairly bristic with suggestions of
changes that call attention to conditions
held to be Objectionable and ayoidable.
Blame will be attached to no individuals.
1t Is understood. but alleged shipshod
methods. referring to lack OF a we'll
governed system, will be abolished and
absolute control OF the entire stan OF
employees will be vested In the Superin-
tendent OF Public Grounds and Buildings.
who at this time manages but q small
section OF the force. Concentration of
authority will be the keynote OF the re
port. Various other recommendations Of
minor character viii be included. A
summary of the entire list might be
given as foilows
Separation OF offices of Register of
Land Office and Superintendent OF
Public Grounds and Buildings.
Vesting Of management Of all
Jantors, engineers. police and other
employees in superintendent.
Transfer OF duties Of Register of
Land Office TO State Librarian.
Removal of convict force from
Capitol Square and substitution OF
free labor.
installation of electric arc lights in
Capitol Square in place OF ancient
gas lamps.
improvements In Library building
necessary to insure cleanliness and
protect books.
Changes in light and power plant
made necessary by lnconveniences
resulting from present arrangement.
Thorough Inspection.
Thorough Inspections of all grounds
aud buildings has been made by the
committee within the past few days. and
while the precise conclusions reached VIII
he known only when the report is made
to-day IL is possible as the result o:
careful inquiries made last night to In
dicate more particularly then has yet
been done the fun scope of the recom-
rnendations to be made. The committee
rs composed of NIcssrs. Sadler and ST.
Clair. from the Senate. and Messrs Byrd,
Cation and Green OF the House OF Dele
gates The report covers several type
written pages That portion OF II dealing
with the public building is said to be d.
vdcd into twelve clauses, each referring
to a specific subject.
Belief on the part of certain members
OF both houses that lack OF proper sys-
tom for which no individual employe was
responsible. but which was resulting in
8, state of affairs demanding a change.
led to the appointment of the investigat-
ing committee, and from what can be
yathercd the nature of the report will
clearly Indicate that this belief was not
upfounded. The important change recon-
ncndcd is of course, the division of the
Offices of Register of the Land office ana
Superintendent of Public Grounds and
Buildings. Not only arc the duties OF
these two Offices essentially different but
IT is claimed that under the new system
the superintendent who will, of course,
he the incumbent Colonel j. W. Rich
ardson, will have all he can do TO direct
the men under him.
All Tanitors Under One. Control.
At the present time practically each
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS offices Comporn-
ton Commission, Library, Supreme Court,
Department of Agriculture and others
has its own janitor, more or less inde-
pendent of the superintendent, and re-
sponsible directly to the heads of the
department in which he works. Some
confusion and annoyance has resulted
from this arrangement. Under the reconl-
mendations OF tho COMMITTEES, Colonel
Richardson would hereafter have absolute
control, with power to employ and dis
charge, all ianitors and other employees.
Bills carrying out the recommendations
of the committee in this respect, defining
tho number and salaries of employees, Will
be introduced at once, to follow up the
reports. About half a dozen negro con-
victs have been kept regularly ut work in
the Capitol grounds and buildings. the
striped figures being anything hut ornsl
mental. On tho ground that the use OF
convicts is poor economy, tending to in
efficiency on the part or other cmpoycs,
the committee recommends the slbstitu-
tion of free labor.
Within past years the duties of the
register OF the land office have greatly
dwindIed, though n few land patents are
still issued every now and then. The
records of the office, consisting of all.
the old land grants, are Immensely yala
liable and important. They are now
stored in the City Hail. Tho only provis-
lon made for them In the new Capitol is
basement room said to bn damp The
committee recommends that u the eXpi-
ration of tho present term oG Colonel
Richardson as register of the land Office,
the duties Of the register be combined
with those Of State librarian No salary
increase or decrease of either officer is
contemplated. The slight duties would,
Z 1t Is held, necessltate no additions to the
library STAFF, The single clcrSship now
maintained by tho land office Will proh-,
( Ably he abolished. The old records will
be kept in tho library department Of ar7s
ehives and history.
Better Care Of Buildings.
Various recommendations viii be made