The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-26
AIR OF MYSTERY
AROUND HALL
Subcommittee Meets Behind
Double Closed Doors to
Figure on Salary.
JOB SEEKERS STAND ASIDE
Municipal Light Plant in
Lilnelight Because OF
Sudden Secrecy.

There was an air OF mystery about
the City Hall last night Dark secrecy
pervaded the innermost recesses of the
cloak room, where a subcommittee
from the Council Committee on Flee
tricity attempted to determine what
shall be the salary of the superinten-
dent of the new municipal electric
plant The committee has $1,000, which
VIII revert to the treasury If not spent
by December 81, and the lobbies are
filled with office seekers, who would
be machinists, and electricians, and
wipers, and oilers, and helpers, and
messengers, and assistant forcmen, and
lock keepers. and gate Keepers, and
night watchmen, and day watchmen,
and dozen or two other Jobs which
aspiring citizens, DESTROYS of getting
on the city's pay roll. think might just
as well be created as not.
Behind Double Doors.
Seeing the formidable lobby, and
fearing the pressure of many place
seekers, Chairman Richardson started
a flight, closely followed by Engineer
Trafford and members of the subcom-
mittee. Clerk Alfred Mcdowell unlock
ed the door of the dark Council cham
Der. across which the committee fled
the door being locked behind. Not
content with the privacy assured by
the wide spaces of the Council cham
Der. and apparently fearing that some
eavesdropper might be hiding in some
members desk, the committeeman fed
on into the cloak room where the door
was again locked.
Outside the doors Councilmen and
others remarked that there was a pc
culiar significance in the fixing of the
salary OF the superintendent of the
new plant, since the program announc-
ed many months ago is for Engineer
Trafford to be given temporary charge
to operate the complete plant for a full
year, and so demonstrate the accuracy
of his preliminary estimates, after
which Chairman E. d. Richardson, now
a member of the Board of Aldermen,
viii be elected permanent superinten-
dent. So the salary matter was a mat
ter of interest. both within and with
out the committee room.
Plant Nearing Completion.
There was no statement at the close
of the secret session held in the cloak
room, save that the new plant would
be put in operation when it 1t ready
a statement somewhat similar to that
issued about two years ago.
What Is of more general interest. is
that workmen began yesterday setting
UP the poles for the ornamental lights
on Broad Street, working from JEFF
ferson Street eastwardly. The under
ground connections have already been
made, and according to the engineer,
1t will take but a brief time to swing
the lamps into place, and cut on the
current The power house will then
be in operation only to light Broad
Street, but as soon as the contractors
for other parts of the work finish up,
the lighting system all over the city,
and the power for pumping water. Will
be cut on, and from the latest state
ment of Chairman Richardson, the en-
tire plant will be complete and in run
ming order about March 1, 1911. Chair
man Richardson expects to resign from
the Board Of Aldermen about that time,
50 as to comply with the Constitution
and be out full year before offering
formally for the position Of superin-
tendent, for which it Is understood he
already has the votes of his conferes
pledged,