The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-07
TRYING TO BLOCK
UNION IN COUNCIL
Minority Planning to Cripple
Ordinance by Proposing Minor
Amendments.
LEADERS ALL FOR ADOPTION
Lobby Routed, and Opponents
See Little Hope Now of
Defeating Measure.

With virtually all of the Leaders
/, pledged now to support the annexatio,
i ordinance. the minority in the Common
q Council which is endeavoring to blocl
the viii of the people, was castin.
1 about yesterday in the vain hope o
finding man who could conduct tn
, battle on the floor. SO far none ha
been found. True, there are member
who are determined to put forth every
effort to cripple or kill the measure
but they are less organized than they
were ten days ago.
Meanwhile, the business people have
kept up consistent bombardmeni
through the mails, sending letters by
the score to Councilmen urging them
to seal the agreement for Greater
Richmond and adopt an ordinance
which has the warm support of BUST
ness organizations and citizens gen
orally. With the exception Of a few
lowls here and there, no voice has
been lifted against the union, and the
preponderance of public sentiment has
had the effect of making 1t possible
to get the measure through the lower
branch by safe and gratifying ma
iority. Then the fight will be trans
ferred to the Board of Aldermen with
renewed vfgor.
state Acted Promptly.
Before he retired from Office Gov
ernor Swanson signed the amended
law which will enable the people of
Manchester to vote on the question of
consolidation In time to have the
combined count included in the next
census.
There was no opposition to the plan
in the Legislature. Indeed, it was
rushed through, members taking the
view that where the Richmond and
Manchester delegations We're united, 1t
would be n most graceful thing TO do
to speed the law, so that they could
have their part in the upbuilding OF a
greater city.
Practically all talk of side-stepping
the issue in Council by throwing it
back to the people has been abandoned.
This proposition met with such unpop-
ular favor that the wisdom of a change
was apparent There was really no
danger of that move in view of the
fact that the majority Is ready to
adopt the plan in its present form.
Realizing that the minority is pre-
pairing to defeat the ordinance by
: methods which arc being very sener-
ally condemned, the leaders will go
Into the fight with the understanding
or considered The effect Of such
amendments would be the same as
killing the ordinance. for 1t would have
no chance of passage in time for TIN
census If it must go back to Join
committees. In word. the program
to DELAY has been studied and discuss
ed by the minority, and there was
time when 1T believed Its scheme woul
prevail. but that is not likely or posi-
BILE now Each day has brongh
strength to the measure. just as 1t ha
brought hope to those who have labor
ed so faithfully for the past 81:
months
No Lobby Work Now.
The elimination of the professional
and political lobby working agains
consolidation has relieved Councilme'
of a tremendous annoyance. yet thos'
who worked openly for a while ar
using other methods now. which ha:
forced the business psople to keep con
stantly on the alert and still plead fol-
other votes, With no big leader
about hopelessly, one or two having
virtually given up the fight.
Although tbs CONSOLIDATION ordinance
will he presented TO the Common Coun-
Gil tonight. 1T will probably be made
the special order of business for a
meeting Thursday night Adopted
then, it will go to the Board within one
week. the Mayors signature making
ii law in Richmond.
I'VE have had ample time to study
this ordinance" said a member of
Council last night, and there is no
sense In trying to crush 1t with amend
ments It must be adopted or reject
ed in Its present shape.
Council Now In Line.
From my OVID information am sat-
isfled that the Council Will pass it by
good. healthy majority, and those peo-=
ulo who have been in the habit of dis
counting the intelligence In that
branch will have reason TO see tho err
ror OF their way when the majority
vote for annexation IS printed in the
newspapers. We have got to regard
the business sentiment of the commu-
nifty Just as much or more so, than
we regard the political sentiment in
the various wards. I have found.
moreover that the people who have
studied the question who are progress
sve and patriotic, and who are earn
estly concerned in the welfare OF
Richmond are in favor of consolida-
ton. OF course, ] have found that
some property owners arc opposing II
We call that selfishness, but the aver
age man put in their place might dc
the same. This Is the bigGest question
which has been presented to the City
Council of Richmond In years. The
business people have Endorsed ant
urged 1t. and you will find the Council
displaying a broad aud patriotic spir!