The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-02
Final Draft of City Gov
eminent Revision Is
Completed.
FOUR WARDS WILL
BIZ GIVEN N A M ES
Proposed Numbers Are Elilni-
nated-Administrative Board to
Be Given Power to Appoint
Most City Officers-Plan
Result of Long
Study.

Having completed its draft of pro.
posed changes in the charter of the
city to provide for the employment OF
an administrative board to take owe,
all executive duties now performed by
fourteen standing committees of the
CITY Council. the Special Committee op
Changes in the Form of Government
yesterday afternoon recommended to
the City Council for adoption a re.
fised draft of sections IS to 80 and 81
TO Ga of the charter, in addition TO
an ordinance for the redlstricting of
the city Into four wards already re-
commended.
The redistricting ordinance hereto
fore printed in full. was reconsider.
ed and the names of the four proposed
wards rcinserted in lieu of numbers
In order to meet objections of members
of the Fire and Police Boards Tho
wards will be known as Jefferson
Madison. Clay and Lee, having approx
imately equal population. and each
with a proportion of fully developed
and of outlying territory. The plan
cuts the Common Council to twenty
members. the Board of Aldermen to
twelve. the Board of Police Commits
sioners to five and the Board of Fire
commissioners to four members, the
cut in the two latter boards being in
cidental to the plan for reducing the
the charter requiring five Councilmen
and three Aldermen from each ward.
What LIS Proposed.
The plan for an administrative board
provides that five members shall be
elected by the vote Of the people from
the city at large, their salaries to be
not less than $4,000 a year each, the
members TO devote their entire time
to the city. They are to take over all
fNnxt T. .
Joint standing committees OF the CITY
Council. Including the committees OH
streets, Water, Light, l5Iectricity
Cemeteries Markets. Relief OF the
Poor. Improvement OF James River and
others of lesser Importance
While admitting that 1t was anomal-
Gus to continue the Boards of Fire and
ioiice commissioners. made up AS thcy
are of members elected by the Council
by wards and serving without pay.
yet II was tacitly admitted that those
boards were too strongly entrenched
politically to be tampered with at this
time. IL the administrative board plan
works as 1t is hoped 1t will. the con
troll OF the Fire and Police Depart.
inents can be later transferred to ii by
legislative enactment, without hammer
ing or endangering those very import
amt emergency departments while the
experiment Is being made
Cuts Council IN lfalf.
fhe plan recommended calls for a
Council Of twenty members and a
Board of Aldermen of twelve, the hold
over members TO continue In office UNI
I'll the end OF their terms. The Conn.
Gil retains all the Legislative functions
the right to levy taxes, make appro2
rriations, issue bonds. enact ordin-
hnces and Impose penalties To the
board is transferred the power to an
point city officers and employees. To
supervise their work, to audit accounts
award contracts, and generally to
nave charge and supervision of streets
Alleys parks. cemeteries markets,
sewers and all such city utilities as the
gas. water and electric works
appropriations made by the Council
In lump sum in the annual budget as
the city's revenues and financial con.
dition may Justify, are to be expended
by the administrative board as 1t NAV
deem best, thus eliminating the waro
lines which have for years hampered
and rendered ineffective the work OF
the Street Committee, and making II
possible 10 carry on systematically.
general ruiaic Improvements for tho
benefit OF the whole city
Result of Long study.
The committee. which has drawn
these resolutions is made up of Coun.
climen Gilbert Is. Pollock. John
Lynch and Frank NJ. Reade Aldermen
Joan II. Don Leary and Robert Rem.
nolGs. with the citizen members--C
Meredith l.. u. Norris and IT, "
Rountrec--all of whom have given
time and study to the details of the
report, aud many nights OF discussion
to the points involved. Both the re.
commerdations as TO the ordinance
for rcdistricting the city into four
wards. and the proposed charter
changes are The unanimous report OF
the comnittcc after long study and
after every point involved has been
given critical examination by city At
tornev Pollard and former city At
torncv Meredith. men who. by the way,
entered the work far apart in their
Niows. hut who come ont in the report
III practical unanimlty.
The report Itself is Ia Il large extent
the work OF City Attorney Pollard and
Special Accountant George $ Cren-
shaw, both Of whom h.,vc given weeks
OF work to its preparation.
Rc,listrictinG Of CITY.
Generally speaking. the redistrictinE
plan proposes that all of the city east
OF Eighteenth street lie known as JET
ferson Ward that lying between Efgh-
tcenth and THIRD Streets, Including
South Richmond and AL Islands IN
James River. he known as Madison
Ward that norton north OF the line
made bv Main Street, Park Avenue and
Stuart Avenue and west OF THIRD
Street. TO be known as Lee Ward, and
that south OF the same line as Clay
Ward. In order the more fillyeto carry
out the terms of the anneSatfoni d gree
ment with Manchester all OF wfics
obligations are reafftrmed md n:iidc
bindings the former city Of Manchss
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