The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-13
GEORGE j. SEAY ON
CITY GOVERNMENT
Declares a Committee Could
Save the City Quarter Million
Dollars Annually.
PRESENT PLAN EXTRAVAGANT
Opposed to Small Council--A
Strong Business Committee
Should Run City.


Mr. George j. seay, member of the
firm of Scott & strngfellow is one
of the many business men OF Richmond
who believes that the city government
should be conducted on business
plan. Mr.. Seay has had great cxpe-
rience in municipal affairs, both in
Petersburg. whore for a number of
years he was member OF the Council
and chairman of the Finance Commit
tee, and in this city. where he served
on the Board of Aldermen.
He is iirmlS> of the opinion that not
less than 10 per cent. could be saved
annually from the city's income were
the city's affairs managed by com
m!ttee or board of control. instead of
a large number Of Councilmen. Mr.,
Seay is outspoken In his opposition
to a small number Of Councllmen act
ing as an executive board. He would
divorce the legislative from executive
authority.
Mr.. seny's Opinion.
To a Times Dispatch writer Mr.
Seay said:
IF The TimesDi spatch succeeds, as
trust 1t Will, in arousing SUFFICIENT
interest to bring about the change IN
the form Of government which It Is
advocating for Richmond, It Will have
an everlasting claim upon the gratitude
of the people,. It could not in my
opinion, be engaged in a more i'm
portant public service.
This is emphatically a practical
question. and it should be met and
considered as such by the people, and
those best fitted TO work out tbs
problem should be urged to take hold
of it. The public welfare is so much at
stake in this matter that 1t ought to
~, ,n.t taft arc i,,t
NO business in the world could be
successfully conducted on the plan by
which city governments are carried
on-government by Councils. The trou-
Bile is rot with the Councilmen, the ma
iOrity of whom deserve more praise and
thanks than they ever receive. 1t is
with the cumbersome. irresponsible and
impractical form Of government. ! ven-
ture to say you Will not find a single
business man who has ever been d
member of any Council who docs not
deplore the system, and who has not
been made sick at heart by the waste
or his time and energy in his efforts To
bring about practical and economical
results under such a tremendous
handicap.
1T Is the most eXtravagant, wasteful
and ineffective form of government
that could be devised. Councilmer
L s. 4 cases
,,i,i a., sotisfied aernn ,vi+b ~,
sta tan,ant T have talked Win conncil.
nenin. Richn1ond who helieva that from
soon 200 ~ s3oo ooO ner ann,,n, could he
saved by some practical, sensible, bus.
innae.litc .resnonsih1n FORM ~ admin.
1 istration ,rhat Is reasonab1a nsti.
,nata when You chmo to think maj !,
| IL only ten per cent. of the annual ex-
| penGitures.
s.,n ono
"-'''''o
Let me put the matter to you this
| way. us there any experienced bus
/ mess man who does not believe that he
| could take the revenues OF this city
4 for last year say S2,5OO,0OO, and could
! do everything the city administrators
/ did last year, and do it better possibly
and save very considerable propor
/ ion on the ,iob? venture to say Hol
could find thousands Of people able an'
4 willing to undertake the JOB and CIV
Etchd anu security to save the..clty
4 Quarter of q million dollars. IhlS, o