The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-01
CLAIM THIRTEEN
WILL OPPOSE IT
Politicians Feel Certain Govern
mcnt Change Will Be De-
feated by Aldermen.
But CITIZENS FIGHT ON
Department Heads Will Be
Forced to Come Out and
Show Where They Stand.
BUT CITIZENS FIGHT ON

Thirteen OF the twenty-four men,
Ders of the Board OF Aldermen are
Claimed by the opponents of the pro-
posed changes In methods of city gov
| efnment as being absolutely pledged TO
vote against both ordinances. The lis;
/ mas not been made public, and the
workers for Tie redistrlcting ordinance
! and administrative board plan do not
Tor moment concede defeat, or even
admit that majority of tho upper
branch of the Council is In opposition.
Working In underground ways, and
without showing their heads above the
surface. the opposition claims to have
made Its canvass, and the word was
1 passed yesterday In circles usually
/ we'll informed as to city politics that
however the Chamber of Commerce
and citizens might rejoice over the
, landslide vote in the Ordinance Com
| mittee. and even If the Common Coun-
t Gil. by narrow vote, on Monday night
adopts the papers. that their ultimate
and final defeat was certain. Tho OPP
position believes that the commercial
organizations and others favoring the
| new plan OF government have spent
| their force in the mass meetings al
ready held, and In the impressive dem
onstration before The committee and
that. as is frequently the case. the at
verted, and the two ordinances quietly
put TO sleep.
Twcnty-0nc Votes Needed.
! Twentyonc votes In the Common
Council are necessary for the passage
| OF the two papers next Monday night,
and 1t is there that tho Immediate fight
centres. After that eight days elapsc
for canvass of the Board of Alder
men, The Mayor is on record as inii-
| eating his approval of the principles
of the two papers. But the CONNER
cial organizations announce that this
time the politicians are mistaken-that
as matter of fact they have only be-
gun to fight. They propose to take
at once POLL of tho Council and to
issue n list OF the members of the
body, with their wards, their occupa-
ton and their address, in order that
every opportunity may be given 10
citizens to let their Councilmen know
how they stand
The Chamber of Commerce also pro-
poses to interroEatc city officials, Re-
port has 1t that certain supcrIntcnd-
cnts OF city departments employing
many men, while processing to be ncu-
trail. arc actively working against the
ordinance FOR the administrative board.
The business men propose TO prob
this report, and IL such n condition OF
affairs exists, will show the Taxpayers
In plain English just why certain de-
partmcnt heads fear business man
agcment OF the city's affairs. 1t IS
| regarded as significant that the de-
partment heads who have most notably
made good In the management of their
departments favor the plan. Others
when interrogated by the newspapers
have avoided expressing themselves
! saying that they had not had time TO
consider the matter" leaving /, TO be
inferred that they were so overworked
with the public business that they had
not had opportunity to look into the
merits of matter believed TO be for
the public good. Advocates of the
plan assert that the political influence
OF such men Is vastly overrated, and
that the final vote will show them so.
III the Council 1t is notable that OF
the active floor leaders. the men who
are doing the main work OF the body
lock, Pollard, FERGUSON, Lumsden
Reade. Richardson. Vonderlehr and
President Peters are claimed as strong
supporters. MIR. Umlauf will vote for
, the redistricting ordinance. and only
opposed the administrative board
plan, because. according TO his views,
II did not go far enough and include
the Fire, Police and Health Depart
ments. MT. Mills Is claimed as n sup
porter of the administrative board
plan, though he will offer substitute
plan of redistricting the city, with a
reduction OF the number of members
from each ward a plan which many
would support were it not for the fact
that 1t Is impossible of ACCOMPLISH
inent before the spring primary, and
therefore means two more years of Il
Council of sixty-four members. The
opposition is slow to announce itself
Men who are confidently claimed by the
opponents. when asked for an express
| sion for publication. are non-commIttal
and assert that they are still consider
ing the matter.
The alignment OF the forty members
VIII differ Some are for redistricting.
into four wards and oppose the Ad-
illustrative Board-some favor the
latter feature, and Will oppose tho
plan OF rcdistricting. Some men OPEN
~ say that personally they think the
! plan a good one, but will not vote
F, for II until they hear a more general
demand on the part OF their ward con-
| Stitucnts.
| In the Board of Aldermen the align
men of members is already much more
distinct than in the Council The vote
! IN the Ordinance Committee Wednes-
day showed Mcssrs hIoncurc, Kahn,
Moore and Gunst IN favor, though since
then political factions in Washington
Ward have been bringing strong pres
sure on Mr.. Moore TO reconsider. Al.
S'h.'h iNchioiuo anu Ion lIedNE were
( on the special committee which drew
the report. MIR. Bennett has announced
i his advocacy. Mr. Gilman is believed
TO be In favor. though he has issued
f, no statement, and Messrs. Grundy and
Hobson are claimed by the advocates
of the plan. This gives but ten fla
vorablc Aldermen against the thirteen
claimed by the opposition, who assert
that Messrs. Adams. Atkinson. Bliley
Cowardin Donahoe. Grimes. Melton
Mitchell, NGlsen. Patram, Pcrdue. Tow :
ers and Whittet arc firmly opposed
Whether this claim is true or not only
the final roll call can tell. Mr.. Butler
has not stated how he stands.
I copaidnrIpr the Ronrd nf AlJar.