The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-27
many new LAWS
soon FORGOTTEN
City Clerk August Sends Copies
to All Parties Inter
ested.
PUTS III UP TO POLICE CHIEF
Some Important Penalty Ordi-
nances Take Effect From
To-day.

Whose business is 1t to enforce city
ordinances Of general application which
have penalties attached? That is q
question which has bobbed up in one
way and another recently, and, so far
as an investigation of the intricacies
been able to show, the answer points
to the Chief of Police AT least, 1t has
been traced as far as his office, though
1T Is possible he may refer 1t to the
Police Board or to some ono else. AL
most every month the City Council
adopts several now laws having a gen.
eral application, but it must be admit.
ted that but little attention is paid to
them. The City Code Is filled with vo-
luminous ordinances on every conceive
able subject, so that any one who Will
study deep enough may find law to
suit his needs.
Brakes on Wagons.
On February IS of this year the
Mayor signed an ordinance requiring
all persons driving wagons over the
streets of the city. carrying or designed
to carry more than 1000 pounds load
to equip the vehicle with brakes. The
matter was fully debated in both
branches of the Council and there was
a public hearing OF owners Of vehicles
before the Council Committee on ordi-
nance. Charter and Reform.
AS required by law the new law was
published for five consecutive times III
the paper holding the city contract
for advertising. It was afterwards
published in circular form by the City
a q H. ~.
governing the conduct of his Office. a
copy was sent to the committee recon-
mending it: to the City Attorney and to
his assistant; to the Special Account.
ant, the City Auditor, the Chief Of
Police, both police station houses. the
other city officials and department
heads prescribed by law Yet wagon
CARRYING loads Of structural iron,
bricks and other substances weighing
Tar IN excess of one ton. continue TO
go about the streets. and so far as
the record shows. there has been no
instance where the fine imposed In the
ordinance has been collected. The
Westminster at the city scales has not
been overworked testing loads that
city Clerk August says he has done
everything he can to let the public
know that certain ordinances are in
eject: that he has advertised them In
'S 7" SlepSls anu sent printed copies Of
them to all persons especially affected,
ana TO practically all the department.
heads of the city government
Some New Laws.
he calls especial attention to the
fact that the following important re-
cent ordinances Will have been pub
nshed five times as required by law
with the publication of TODAY. and
Will then have the binding effect Of
law:
An ordin,,co %
signaling device on all automobiles
operated on the streets of the CITY Of
richmond. and TO prohibit the opening
fof muff1ers on automobiles while on
the public streets.
An ordinance to require the street
railway companies to stop their carr
on both sides of intersecting strce.s
at connecting and trensfer points. ex-
cept at Eighth and Main Streets.
An ordinance to require the head OF
any department, committee or other
person authorizing certain distractions
IN the streets TO give notice of such
obstruction to the chief engineer Of
the Fire Department.
An ordinance to require the Rich
mond and Henrico Railway COMPANY
to properly safeguard the city Jail and
other property of the city adjacent to
the viaduct now being constructed on
Marshall Street from injury, and from
the liability of escape of prisoners
SOIiHhed III tne CITY jail.
An ordnance TO require the protec-
ton OF food from contamination by
dirt. flies and dogs.
An ordinance to prohibit city Off
GERS from receiving or agreeing to re-
ceive any compensation for services
rendered or TO be rendered in relation
to any proceeding or other matter in
which the city of Richmond is a party
or is interested, before any body hav-
Ing under consideration such proceed
ing or matter. and to impose penalty
for the violation of such prohibition
Will They DC Enforced.
All Of these are what Is known as
, penalty ordnances-that Is, 1t is pro-
vided that the violator may be fined
| in the Police Court for each offense.
| All will have the effect of law from
| to-day, and all persons directly In
terested In any way, including all de-
partment heads of the city government
have been duly notified by City Clerk
4 August, who works like clockwork
and in thirty years has never
| omitted any one. The public will wait
| with some interest to see whether any
( effort will be made to enforce the new
laws which the Council ground ou'
\ with eff ort and only after long debate