The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-28
LAUNCH FIGHT FOR
BOARD Of CONTROL
Cutchins Declares Present
System Of City Govern
ment Inefficient
.GUNST WOULD PAY
COUNClLMEN SALARY
Ordinance Providing for Creation
of Administrative Commute
To BE Called Monday Night.
Reports Will Be Made.


influential politicians in Richmon6
and REPRESENTING he declares, the hest
element Of the city, Councilman John
A. Cutchins. OF Lee Ward, chairman
of the Committee on Forms of NUM-.
cipal Government, will Monday night
Introduce on the floor of the Common
Council an ordinance providing for 4
change in the form of government Of
this city from the bi-cameraI to the
administrative committee plan. abof-
tshing Immediately the police, fire and \
health commissioners and the various
Council committees which now trans-
act large part of the city's BUSH
ness.
The administrative committee SHALL
according to the ordinance, consist
of four members appointed by the
Mayor They shall give their entirs
time to the transaction OF municipal
affairs. They shall be bonded for nor
less than $4,000 each, and shall serva
four years.
Il propose to make the fight of my
life for the passage OF the ordinance. 4 q
said Councilman Cutchins. and from
the assistance already promised T
would really be very much SURPRISES
il ii We're defeated"
Conditions in the Council are such
that If the city is to be prosperous
and progressive certain changes posi-
lively must be made. l do not say
that there is corruption, for, on the
contrary. ! think the Council liz hon-
orabie and clean. But 1t is inefficient.
The members do the best they caH.-
| They work hard and eonscientinuaiy.
out they are not experts in all tha
matters brought before them. ana
necessarily very grave blunders are
made" E
VIII Make Report.
Before the ordinance il offered tf1a
report of Councilman Cutchins spec
otal committee will be submitted.
This, after reviewing the work Of fnne
committeeman in studying questions
or municipal government and In M
Vestigating as well as possible cundf~a
tons in other cities where difgerentl
forms Of government are in force.
says: 1
lin studying our own form OF COVE
eminent. IL has developed that Rich-
mond has been particularly fortunato
IN having had in her official Positions
Tor the most part men of uneuestior-
ed Integrity and character. and haa
been singutariy free from imputatfonn
of graft or of official misconducf-A
state of affairs admirable in ftsalf.
( but which has served TO Iull us fnto !.
i feeling of security and self-satisfac-
+ tlon which blinds us To the faults ana
fallings OF the obsolete instrument
under which those officials act, and
which will prove fatal to any change
Tor the better, whether at present o.
+ in the future. 1t cannot he rucceaa-s
rutly denied by even the most enthusf-
asttc and partisan admirer of our<
present form at city government, with
It's bi-cameral council, it's numeroua
supplementary boards and its endless
eomlttees, that II Is, at best. an ex-
4 tremefy cumbersome instrument ~
government, nor can It be successfullv
I maintained that il In an econnmicafs
+ form, On the contrary. the one poinfs
! upon which every speaker who an
I peared before your committee. as we'll
as each member of your COMMITTEES
agreed. was that our present form cfS
government Is not economical"
! Coming then to the specific points
| OF weakness in the present system 0f
I local government. the report with-
out reiFrvation or apology states thesNs
/ defects as follows: Szg1
"u) The lack OF c0-ortiia,atfnn
among the various departments. 4,
/ "t2) The many matters Of deta1Is
with which they are not familiar, ana
the many routine duties now rpauirr,f4g
OF members OF the council.
"(3) The cumbersome machinerY
which makes necessary the long delay
I'm the passage of every ordinance
however proper and much desired ~
/ passage may be.
| ''CD The division of authority ana
responsibility between committees as,ff
department. heads; and,
+"tS4 The failure to have sOmx<Se
proper purchasing agent to do tho
necessary buying for all of the depart
mcnts."
Would Pay Councilmen.
Two members of Mfr CutchinxAs
| committee Will file minority report1.a
however. and propose, they deriArA
to do all In their power to preYex1&
/ the adoption of the majority repUfEs
or the passage. of the ordinances.
/ The two minority members ax65
| Alderman Marx Gunst, OF Lee WARD
and Councilman Joseph f.. PnwnrS
of Madison ward. the former KOin4<s
so far as to recommend not only IT,
trrtunttuH uf the bt-GHrnsrat syste75s
but suggests that the counciimen 6lE
paid "a salary OF not less than $3.o44K
nor more than $4,000 each per Mx6f1|
mum. s8 MI
Alderman Gunst admits that mayt
| mistakes are made by the prN0mNE
council. and therefore advises tAS
the number of councilmen he red1
/ cd He declares in favor Of ahOlt
| ing the council committees.
agrees with MIR. Cutchins in advOc1A
ling the appointment OF n purchase
agent for the city who shall b. TIL
I ject to the council. however: sS3
Too Much Power.
Councilman Powers in his re1
Iopposes all ideas Of changing the 16
/. OF local government. He ADMITS
certain abuses exist. but says that {
can be remedied, and Will ba reN&
II ffxxfa n IL nrfn9inaf