The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-09

Armed with an important opinion OF
the City Attorney. defining the changes
possible under the Constitution. the
special Council Committee on Charter
Changes last night took steps looking
to the creation of a board OF CONTROL,
to which shall be entrusted the entire
executive direction OF the muplclpal5
government.
The committee met at first In the
office OF the Mayor, but later removed
to room 8, on the third floor OF the
CITY Hall, where the members could
have the benefit Of electric fans and
wide-open windows. Those present
were Messrs. Dabney. chairman, and
Burton, from the Board OF Aldermen,
and Huber. Pollock. spence and Cary
from the Common Council, and Mayor
McCarthy. who, by resolution, was
made member Of the committee. City!
Attorney Pollard was also in attend;
ance.
After the reading or the minutes of
a former meeting, at which the COM
! mittee was organized.S & the opinion OF
| the City Attorney was laid beforehth
body
Pollock's Resoiution.
Mr.. Pollock, addressing the chair
declared the attorneys opinion was
very clearly to the effect that under
| the State Constitution the Legislature
can amend the charter Of Richmond os
make a general law SO as to- create an
advisory board or board Of control.
which may be invested with executive
| powers only The Council must be the
Legislative branch. and the two de-!
partments, executive and legislative,
must be separate and distinct
THE first thing for this committee
Ito do" said Mr.. Pollock, is to reach
a starting -point. subcommittee
should get right to work on care.
fully-drawn plan to establish a board
! Of control whose powers shall be abs
| solutely eXecutive" He then offered
the following (quoted above):
The resolution was discussed at some
! length. but all the remarks showed
ard would vote for it, which they did
| when the question was put In the
/ opinion of Mr.. Pollock. it was an enor-
! nous amount Of work that Is to be
imposed on the subcommittee. work
that is going to require q vast deal
[ of thought and study.
/ City Attorney Pollard declared that
\ the first thing that will confront the
i subcommittee will be the question OF
4 the appointment or election of such
4 officers as the Council now names.
i This is the one function that does
i not belong exclusively to either the
legislative or the executive depart
\ nent of city government. The courts
have decided both ways, but lis now
i generally agreed that the power OF
raining such officers can be conferred
II by the Legislature on either the legis-
4 lstiye or executive department. In this
case that power can be vested In either
the proposed board of control or in the
\ Council.
An Important Point.
The matter OF The election of heads
! of the various city departments is
more important than any other ques-
ment. II the legislative body (the
CounciD should hold the power to elect
Z the men who are to serve directly
under the executive body (the board
1 of controD, the aim Of successful and
. economical administration woult, be
d defeated for 1t would be folly to ex-
pect the board OF control to control
men who are elected by Others to
{. whom they owe allegiance and by
whom only they could be removed.
The greatest advantage to be gained
by the city from the election OF an
1 executive board would be the benefit
q that would accrue from operating the
affairs of the city on business prin-
clples and OF securing a full dollars
worth of labor for every dollar appro-
priatad by the Council. II the execu-
3 tive board (the board Of controD Is
. not allowed to select those who shall
. carry out their plans OF economies, ths
, olwhole scheme will end as a fiasco,
In the Houston plan this contention
! lis clearly set out-that those employed
/, by the board OF control are aware thai
5 they must give the sarae amount OF
r work to the city as they would give "a
LA private corporation, and that unle9s
they are Jealous in their labor they
r will be at once dismissed
a This condition of affairs removes
81 sIwhat Is known as the political em-
: ploye" and places the departments Of
i, the city on business basis, n
II the executive board elects the
s, heads Of tho departments, the result
l,twili be that the. "headss are RESPONSE
lille directly 10 the executive board
/, who VIII be able to demand that the
lldepartnents are operated economically
i and honestly.
+ TO place the power of election in tte
a hands of the legislative body Would
lbe TO tie the hands or the proposed OK
a, ecutive committee,
In answer to q question as 10 Wheth.