Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-01-08
MUNICIPAL REFORM.

Declaring emphstically for the prin.
ciples Of home rule and local self.gov-
srlment, The conference held in Rich.
uond Of mayors OF cities of Virginia yes
terday unanimously adopted a resou-
ton drawn up by special csmmittee re-
questi0g the state legislature to provide
Tor such charge in the constitution of
the state as will not require the division
OF cities into wards nor tho continuation
Of the t9o-coancil system, but will per.
init any city In which the qualified
7o:ers 80 elect te determine on the form
of government to be adopted.
Pending the slow process of q oonstl-
tutional amendment which in any case
could not become effective for several
yeara, the conference RECOMMENDED to
the Legislature, in accordance with the
report of its committee on resolutions, q
proposed change 10 the Laws governing
cities which will permit OF The establish.
ment OF administrative boardp.
A resolution looking 10 reduction OF
the minimum nnuber of counclmen
Sas amended 80 os to provide for towns
having but one branch to the council SO
as o read as follows:
Resolved, That The general assembly
be requested to amend the laws 60 as to
reduce the minsmDnl number OF com.
mon councilmen to six, aud the mini.
mum number of aldermen to three, In
cities of the first class; aud the mini.
mum number of common counc!lmen to
three Ia ctics of the second GLASS;"
In The afternoon the committee on
resolutions reported the following, which
was adopted unanimously:
"Wheras there is existing dissntis.
faction win section 40 Of The constl.
tuition, relative 10 local assessments fol
public improvements, and with enact
log laws relative thereto; therefore be 1t
''Rsaol7ed, That this convention rec.
ommend TO the legislature constitu.
tiousl amendment, together with proper
Legislation, allowing to cities greater
latitude With reference to local assess-
meuis for public improvements"
10 order to effect The purposes Of the
conference and to carry out the idess
advanced, two special committees we're
named. Que to draft The proposed con.
stitutional amendment making commits.
sion government possible, snd the other
to draw up sucb laws as are proposed 10
be submitted to the legislature looking
to reduction In tho minimum member.
ship OF councils and The alternative pos.
sib;lity OF the employment OF an admin.
istrstlve board.
Mr. J. r. Cation, OF Alexandris, wss
named on the committee on Legislature.
On the steering committee the follow
ing Alexandrians were named: Messrs.
Fed Paf, a. D. Brockelt, F. s. Har.
per, W. W. Ballinger and Howard
Smith.
The first business OF the general con.
ference on conveDiog yesterday morning
vas the forming of a permanent organ
izt ton By the election of Mr.. John ".
Ctaddock, OF Lynchburg, as chairman,
and Mr.. z. E. Steel, OF Norfolk, as sec.
Rotary.
At the afternoon session on recon-
uendation OF the committee on resolu
tloua, two resolutions we're adopted tbs
frat calling for a statute to require a
uniform system of accounting in Vir.
ginis cities, both to insure efficiency ant
regularity and for purposes of compari.
son between cities. The second request.
ed the Legislature to require The auditing
by some responsible sudi,iDg Company,
at leas! once year, OF the sccounts oil
all ciliss In the state. The aldermen
delegates to the conference lave re-