The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-19
MIR. Pollard Said to Agree
With MIR. Meredith as
to Subcontracts.
ONE CITIZEN MAY
APPEAL TO COURT
City Home Bid Scandal Waits for
October Grand Jury-Legisla-
turc to Consider More Strin-
gent statute-Officials
Sell To and Work
For City.

Bearing directly upon the broad
question OF municipal graft. four sep.
arate and distinct developments came
to light yesterday:
BELIEF wax expressed generally
TINT City Attorney Pollard will
hold that In accepting subcon-
trncts for city work members of
Council do not violate the present
laws of the Commonwealth.
The grnnd jury will not take mn
tie investigation of the City Home
wood contract scandal until the
October term.
\ citizen declares that he will
attempt to hold up the payment OF
City Home rcpnlr work by appeal
To the courts to determine whether
or not the opinion OF the City ATT
tOrney ns to subcontrRctors Is
| legally correct.
The General Assembly will be
urged to amend the law, making
It apply to subcontrncts ms we'll
us 10 contracts.
Delay In Hid Scandal.
Taken as while these develop
ments may sweep away for the time
being the fear which has seized those
| who are concerned one way or the
other In warm talk of investigations.
but 1t only means that the clutches
of the law will be all the more pow
erful when they fall.
| Judge Witt, of the Hastings Court,
said last night that the charge which
relates to the tampering with bids
would not be laid before the September
| grand jury Tomorrow, the idea being
to delay in order to get together more
direct evidence Before this announce
ment. however, there was an UNDER
| standing in other quarters that the
matter would be called to the atten-
ton of the jury Tomorrow. and that
witnesses would be examined next
| week.
Though this apparent change in the
program may be disappointing to tho
/ seekers of graft. they know that II
does not mean that the guilty will
4 escape. There was talk yesterday OF
charges more sensational than thosa.
j, which were preferred before the in-7
5Evestigating committee. and several new
j properly presented. will strike higher
i In public life than around the head oil
i Isadore Lovenstein.
i In one way or another these graft
matters are linked together. the trail
reaching from the City Home to the
i City Hall, and to certain of those who
serve the city in that great structure.
4 The chain isEabout complete Y
Others Did 1t, Too.
i Refusing to discuss for publication
the nature of the opinion which he
will render as to the facts brought out
Iby DR.. Ennion G. Williams, City At
torney Pollard maintains the attitude
OF silence. In other quarters the opin-s
lon was expressed that he would take!
the same position as former City At.
torney Meredith. Mr. Meredith held
that subcontractor did not come with
! in the scope of the law. Indeed. It
was said by members OF the Council
4 that Mr.. Pollard had practically taken
that view on a recent occasion. tho
4 facts, however. not being Identical with
those connecting Mr.. Wiltshire with
1 contract work at the City Home.
4 Whether the officials and Councilmens
have read the signs Alright, so far as
!. this opinion is concerned, remains to
!, be seen, though 1t was nevertheless
true that 1t brought peace to troubled
minds. But II Mr.. Pollard or tho courts
should rule differently, the dry bones
!, will rattle and snap. for Mr.. Wiltshire
!, and Mr. Atkinson do not stand alone.
i. The same practice has prevailed In
) Wholesale fashion, dating back FOR
years. -.
!, AS stated heretofore. on the books in
4 the office of the City Auditor there may
be found concrete evidence of this.
]; Supplies have been sold TO the mu-3
!. OF Council have financial Interest,"
q Work has been done by firms IN 1.
J, which members of Council are officers
u or stockholaers.g So far as the record
E may show the transactions We're above
| Iboard and fair. but the little man out
I side--the little man without politicalA
influence or friends at court--natural-
a ly wonders II he could have sold more
J or worked more | f there were no COM
a petition with an official end.
NIny Hold Up Payment.
ii These facts and things are RESPONSE
, BILE for the reported determination OF
, well-known citizens to seek the,
: Hight which can only come with q
!, judicial decree.
! Believing himself that the spirit OF
: the Virginia law must apply to a subs
! lcontractor Just as it applies to n cons
! tractor he has Said that he Will ems
: pioy counsel to have the question tlatly
!, decided By a court OF law. Like others.
81 lie believes that the statute Is easy OK
l evasion; that SUB" is often merely =
a mask to shield contractor; that the
s facts are the same--after beatinn
4 Iaround the hush. He could proceed, ~
4 Twas explained, by seeking an injunc.
!. Ition to prevent the payment of thA
4 balance due on the City Homo ropatr
: contract on the ground that the Gods
4 has been evaled, IL not tagrantly
lIignored. s
But whether test case OF this na-
Q t,ire is filed or passed by, there Is No
q uncertainty about the discrimination
: of members OF the Council to urge the
2 passage of an amended law, which
4 XVIII affect all alike by making ths
! section OF tho Code apply specifically
n to subccntractors. This bill Will corHn
z before the Legislature In January.
| Z "
Dies From His Iniuries. # 838
~ Especial to The Times ID Dlspatch.) ss
: ROANOKE, Y Al September 1s,-s