The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-11
Finance Committee to En-
dorse Appointment of Ad-
ministratiVe Board
WILL REVOLUTlONIZE
GOVERNMENT OF CITY
Proposed Ordinance Already APP
proved by Two Committees and
BY Mayor, But Still
Holly Opposed.

Report has it that-the ordinance TO
create an administrative committee. to
supercede the present councilmanic
comittees, viii be favorably reported
by the Committee on Finance, before
which the matter Will come up for
consideration at O'Clock Monday at
ternoon
Formation Of sucn committee has
already been recommended by a spe-
cial committee Of municipal forms
of government" and been approved
Ivy the Committee on Ordinance,
Charter and Reform. The latter body
recommended that the proposed ad
ministratiSe committee mem bers, four
in number he paid salary of $4,000
annually, and that they be bonded in
the sum of s25. 200 each.
II the measure goes through at
Mondays meeting it viii have almost
clear sailing. II Will remain only for
Council to gives its approval to make
it law. for Mayor Richardson has
long since expressed his approval OF
such a plan. in an open letter 10
Council.
Has strong Opposition.
mere - no question: bNi lidR tue
tentative ordinance despite its two
-EeGaurae Raat4t.I4s, NJ 4frrtt y-r-r,11=
tested by the Finance Committee
embers Indeed, since the very in
ception Of the plant ii has been ar
gued pro and con With 40 marked
preponderanCe IF sentiment on either
side. When before the Committee
on Ordinance, Charter and Reform,
for instance. IL was endorsed by the
slender majority OF four to three. The
vote Of the Finance Committee will
also be clos@, but, according to re
ports from reliable sources, endorse
ment will he given
II the measure finally becomes a
Law, ii Will mean practically revo-
luton Of the present municipal form
eli government. According to the
terms 0i the proposed ordinance, the
committee shall exercise all the du-
Ties 81 an executive character now ex-
arciscd 10y any of the several commit
tees OF Council OF the city OF Rich
mond. under any Law or ordinance
aow in force
Granting Of such sweeping power
as this will. az course. give the mem
btrs Of the council committee prac-
tieally nothing TO do, At present
they are more than ovcrworked. ae-
cumulated business piling 0p SO rap
idly as to nepoSSItAte special meet
ings, which not infrequeutly extend
far into the night With an admin
istrative body at the helm OF the
city government ship however. these
committees would be relegated To n
position with little or not authority
purely advisory. Indeed, several OF
ths committees might he disbanded
and their loss never feit.
The administrative mem bers. &C
cording to present plans, are to be
nominated by the mayor and elected
10y council. This arrangement, it is
safd, wifi prove an advantage IN that
it will prevent "a clash between the
latter two bodies. We're men chosen
otherwise and should these admin
istrators fail to please council. all
sorts OF complications might result.
Particularly might there he Fl clash
In the matter OF appropriations. The
proposed ordinance gives the admin
istratiVe committee power~Sto direct
all city expenditures, but al the same
time specifies that the appropriations
must he secured from council should
the two Bodies fail 10 work in mar
mony II would easily DE possible Tor
the latter 10 refuse to grant money
to the former while the former. or
the other hand, If granted n APP
propria ton, might refuse to spend
II in the way cN"neil desired SUCH
a condition. IL is said. has already
existed in Norfolk, where board of
control, similar TO the proposed ad-
ministrative committee. is in opera
ton