The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-22

Thus III substance Mayor Carlton
Mccarthy yesterday admitted the need
OF cooperation and tho removal OF
friction among the several departments
OF the city government, and incidcn-
tally gave public utteranoe to a sug-
gestion which has been several times
quietly made by various persons, coun-
cilmen. police commissioners and
others. The demand for a board of
control or municipal commission. to
have charge of all cognate or core.
lated departments OF the government
has been growing steadily, and the
friction among departments from time
to time has been the subject Of news
paper comment. and occasionally no
little feeling has enFaroused.
Action of; Committee.
Immediately In this connection the Com
mittee on Ordinance. Charter and Re-
form last night took one OF the most
important steps In the history of the city
government when its.initIated move
lment to secure the creation of IAN adj
Jvisory and consulting board Tor ,nu-.
1licipal management. This was done in
the adoption Of n resolution providing
for a committessto consist of-the Mayor,
one Aldermanaand two members of the
Common Council to inquire into the de-
STABILITY of SO amending the charter OF,
the city as to permit the creation Of
such a board The members Of the pro-
posed Joint committeesare to be named
by the presidents of the two branches
OF the Council. The resolution carries IN
appropriation OF $500 to meet the ex-s
penses Of the commission in travelling
and inquiring into the operation of such
municipal boards Of control or advisory
boards In other cities, where the expert
rnent has been, made.
Tho n tn3Q g01,lt inn
to the Council by the committee Is a
strong endorsement OF the proposition.
and in the Judgment Of many means the
adoption Of the advisory board ultimately.
1t cannot be accomplished for year
hence, since legislative action will be me-
cessary to secure the required charter
amendment. Such a board would cen
tralize instead of dividing responsibility
among the heads of the several executive
bodies Of the city government Tho de-
tails of the plan have not been worked
out yet, the resolution being merely
preliminary step toward the end sought
to be accomplished.
Some Instances.
Recent instances Of friction or lack OF CO.
operation among departments may be
mentioned in the mattertof the efforts or
che Street Cleaning Department to secure
water with which to flush streets; of
the same department to secure sand
or the temporary use of carts and
teams of the City Engineers depart
ment for emergency uses:lso of the in
ability of the Street and Water Depart
merits or the Street and Light Depart-
mcnts to- agree always as to the proper
time and method of laying water or
gas mains through and under the
streets OF the city. Very frequently
sewer might be enlarged while the
paving is torn up to lay water or gas
mains. Whenever 1t is necessary to
repair a lealsy water or gas main be-
meath some paved street, there is de-
lay and necessarily much formalty
and red tape before the repairs can be
made. One department must secure
permission from another before it can
do anything in any way affecting the
other department This must often be
done by formal written application ana
by equally formal reply, specifying to
n nicely just how much authority is
permitted the other department Some
times the head of q department Is out
Of his Office when some urgent action
should be taken, and his subordlnates
have not authority to- give tho rcqui-
site permission, or Will not exercise it
Il they have It.
It is necessary. of course. that care