The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-10
Mayor Tells Why Pol
lock and w ise Should
Face Inquiry.
LOWER BRANCH
TO INVESTIGA TIE
Lawyer Members of Council Re
ply to Charges and Claim Right
to Practice Their Profession
Before Courts and Boards
Without Irnpro-
priety.

An Investigation OF charges con-
tained In a special message from.
Mayor Richardson against Councilmcn
Gilbert *. Pollock and George r. Visa
was ordered last night by the Com
mon Council. a special committee OF
five members being provided for with
power to summon persons and papers,
and to examine witnesses under oath.
The charges. as already outlined. ars
that the two Councilmen accepted "a
fee of $500 from certain dairymen for
their aid in securing an amendment
to the city ordinance which would per-
nit dairymen to feed to milk COWS
fresh distillery waste.
Both men admit receiving the fee.
but claim that 1t was for services as
attorneys before the Hastings Court
and before the Chief Health Officer.
| Salient points of the Mayors message
transmitting to the Council such in
| formation as had been brought to his
| attention were that the money had
been raised by contributions from ten
or twelve dairymen and had been
placed in the hands of John a. Deitrick
with the understanding that it was
not to be paid to Messrs. Pollock and
Wise until the amendment to the ordi-
nance had been adonted by the Council
and approved by the Mayor: and that
the ordinance was approved by the
Mayor on March 10, and the following
day Mr.. Deitrick paid over the money.
Some reference is also made to the
action of Chief Health Officer Levy
in instructing dairy inspectors mot
to use any strenuous efforts to detect
the feeding of distillery waste" fol-
/ lowing the action of the Board of
Health in recommending to the Council
| an amended ordinance.
! Attention Intense.
Almost every member OF the Council
| was in his seat when the presidents
gavel fell. with an unusually large
audience made up o. city officials.
Councilmen- elect. Aldermen. dairyme,.
! members of the Board of Health and
many others. The various papers in
cluding the letter Of Mayor Richardson
to President Peters, tho presidents call
for the Council meeting, and the
Mayors message to the Council were
read by City Clerk August amid IA
profound silence. every ear being
strained to catch every word. The
Mayor wrote Mr. Peters informing him
that he had been informed that GER
tain dairymen had raised fund which
had been paid to NIessrs. Wise and
ordinance relating to dairymen It
was in view of that letter that Pres
ident Peters called the special session
OF the Council ito inquire as to cer-
tain charges relating to the official
conduct and integrity of members"
The Mayors Message.
Sergeant at-Arms Ruskell then pre-.
sented the following formal con1mnn!-
cation from Mayor Richardson:
n Ia
the City of Richmond:
Gcntlemen.-I feel constrained To
bring to the attention of the Common
Council certain facts which have come
days.
On the morning of May a. 1910, was
informed by four reputable gentlemen
Of report which had reached then,
that Messrs. George z. Wise and Gill;
bert *. Pollock, two members OF the
Common Council, had Jointly received
| the SIM of $500 for securing the pas
sage by the Council OF an amendment
| to an ordinance concerning dairymen
and the sale of milk. by which amend
ment the words prohibiting the feeding
Of "dlEillery waste. usually called
swill," to mich cows We're stricken
out of the eighth and ninth sections OF
/ immedlateiy commenced an inves-
tigation of this report. and from state
ments made to me by several persons,
admissions of Messrs, Wise and Pol
lock believe that the following facts
will appear:
Some time during the latter part of
last year Messrs. Wise and Pollock
werc counsel for Mr.. Taylor. dairy
man, who was tried in the Police
Court, and in the Hastings. Court ION
nance which prohibited the feeding Of
milch cows on ''distillery waste, usually
called swill." The case was tried and
determined. and am informed that
ceivcd their fees in fun for such SER
vices.
During the trial of that case much
was said as to the wisdom of such =
prohibition. and subsequently several q,
of Health and sought TO secure an
amendment to the ordinance By strik-
ing out this prohibtory clause
The board had the matter under Gon-
Vary "a, 1910. adopted a motion In
struoting the Chief Health Officer to
recommend to the Council an amend
prohibition, and allowing the feeding
OF the by-products OF distillcries and
breweries under such rules and resu-
lations of the Board OF Health as may
be necessary to insure tho proper and
sanitary use of said products as food
| for mich cows"
Not Be TOO Strenuous.
| After the adoption of this resolu.
| ton the inspectors were instructed
| BY tho Chief Health Officer NOT 10 use
any strenuous efforts to detect the
| feeding OF distillery waste"
| am not Informed as to what Efforts,
were made, or what influence was ex-
erted. II any, BY Messrs, Wise and Polr
| lock to secure the adoption OF thu
above resolution. or to mducvtha Chiet
| Health Otf1cer To Instruct the inspec.
| tors to be. lax IN the enforcement ot
afterwards informed them Of such ac-
| tion g