The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-07
PROSPECT
FOR ANNEXATION
So Says Dabney While Not
Claiming the Majority
Needed.
ALLEGED CITY HALL
LOBBY PURE MYTH
Reports of Active Lobbying by
City Officials Grew Out of Over
jealous Advocacy of the Con-
solidation Ordinance.

The opposing forces in the strenu-
GUS conflict being waged to determine
me fate OF n ordinance providing
for the consolidation of Richmond
and Manchester are lining up for
the decisive battle.
The annexation measure will be
presented to the common council
Monday night. 1t will not be con-
sidered. however. until a special ses-
sion OF h lower branch Is called
for the specific purpose of debate
on the measure. This special meet
ing will be called probably for next
Monday.
In the meantime the campaign for
and against the is proceed
ing at a terrific ace Every mem
Der of the municipal body has been
personally solicited by advocates and
opponents Of the consolidation ordi-
lance
Opponents Won Over.
A review of theafield to-day shows
thai while some Of the former OPP
ponents OF the have been
won over. and a few others are waver-
ering. the majority Is still with the
Observation-Disclosures.
The most enthusiastic leaders on
the side of annexation are not claim
ilk u IfdlpItlt dSSGEGu LOT TIE l1E3S-
ure. Probably no one man has done
more effective work for the measure
than William T. Dabney, business
manager OF the Chamber Of Com
merce
Asked to state exactly the situation
Monday morning. Mr.. Dabney said:
I'VE are making encouraging head
way / feel that before the final vote
is taken we will have all the support
we need to put he ordinance through.
We ara winning new strength ever,
No CITY HAN Lobby.
Mr. Dabney questioned cons
corning the charge that "a City Hail
lobby has been at work to defeat
the consolidation Measure He an
swered:
Il do not believe that there has
been any lobby at work against the
measure. That charge was made by
the newspapers, not by the men who
are conducting the campaign for an
nexation. Personally, / will a that
i have seen no evidences OF lobbying
at the City Hall against this asordi-
nance. / do not believe h lobby
exists or has existed In fact That
was merely an allegation by advocates
of annexation, probably due to the en-
thusiasm of the campaign in support
of the measure"
Mr.. Dabney and Councilman
Charles r. Richards, of Marshall
Ward. met in h City Hall Monday
morning and engaged in a spirited
controversy owe the merits of the or
dinance. Mr.. nabney remarked
II hear you have prepared a bunch
Of figures which you intend to spring
on the Council hen the ordinance
comes up for debate. Now. ] want
to tell you that Henry Pollard knows
all about your figures. and he Is going
to explode your argument. He Is 60
ing to hoist YOU high as Haaman.
Take my tip and don't introduce your
! figures. You are a friend OF mine.
and / don't want to see You knocked
into s~mithereens. That Is surely what
is going to happen to you If YOU per-
sist in your intention to spring your
statistics"
To Lead the Fight.
Harry r. Pollard. Jr.; chairman of
the Special Committee on Consoiida-
ton of Richmond and Manchester.
will lead the fight for annexation on
the door of the Council chamber. The
opposition win be led probably by
Councilman Richards. although no
leader has yet been agreed upon by
the Councilmen who VIII vote against
the measure. The opponents of the
ordinance deny hat there Is any or
ganizations of their forces at this time.
They declare that they rave made no
effort to organize, being confident that
the advocates of the measure are in
a minority not sufficiently large to be
feared.