The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-06
DECIDES TO STAND
ON ORIGINAL PLAN
Citizens CommitteeWill
Ask Aldermen for
Amendments.
THINK COUNCIL
IS COMMITTED
Believe 1t Will Concur in Boards
Action-Business Mems Club
Endorses Return to First
Observation-Disclosures
Will Be Polled
To-Day.

AWAY and n more distinct view OF iust
what the Common Council did on Mon
day night. advocates or a change In
methods OF government express them
selves as distinctly encouraged. the
Council having. in fact. gone further
ana done even more than the propo-
hents had believed was possible
rearinK however. that the action
adding the Fire, Police and Health
| Departments to the administrative
board was in reality a move OF the
opposition to overload the measure In
| INC board OF Aldermen. and 80 cause
its defeat members OF the special COM
miitce which drafted the plan. at q
conference held yesterday afternoon,
decided TO stand on their original re-
port. and to offer in the Board such
amendments to the Hirschberg ordi-
nance as Will make 1t practically what
| was first recommended.
| Vote squnreIy on THsuc.
fhis VIII give the Aldermen chance
TO vote on the issue originally
raised. and. with the three boards
eliminated. there are stated to be four
teen OF the twenty-four Aldermen
| pledged to Its adoption. should the
amendments fail. the advocates will
ran In and use every effort to get the
substitute ordinance through the
boarh making clean sweep OF the
city's business affairs and going as far
toward commission government as Is
possible under tho State Constitution.
IL amended by striking out those
thrcc boards. the paper will have 10 GO
back to the Common Council for con-
currcncc in the amendments. and as
the Council is almost unanimously, on
record as ravoring an administrative
board. favorable action there is re-
sardcd as reasonably certain.
| INC four-ward plan. which went
through the Council az It came from
the committee, will como before the
Board OF Aldermen for concurrence.
aRsirit Is now claimed mat its pas,
ftSse is assured. Concurred In by the
Aldermen. and signed by the Mayor.
II -ould be the law of the city need
Ing no furtheri action to be put into
full effect at the spring election. avoid
ing entirely other proposed methods
oil reducing the size Of the Council
Bu.ineaH Men Stand Pat.
AZ meeting of the board of direc-
tors OF the business Mems Club last
Eht the members unanimously In
dorsed the action taken by members
OF the special committee in standing
on the report as Originally introduced
not interfering at this time with the
Fire, Police and Health Boards. Pres
ident ~ D. Siiis was directed to ap-
point committees by wards to inter-
VI the various Aldermen, and the
club membership pledges itself to back
up the original proposition.
| In every circle the situation was
being canvassed yesterday. and while
practically all those Interested in the
changes agree that the unifcation of
all departments under one paid board
Is the ultimate goal. and will un-
doubtcdly be reached. there was divi-
sion as to the expediency of attempt
ing SO sweeping change ut one move.
! The critical stage in the Inaugural
ton Of the plan would lie in the first
election. when five men are to he
chosen-later, but one at :. time is to
be elected. 1t has men pointed out
IT In this. lrst election certain Ia.
sues might BE injectcd-for instance.
some elements might centre on men
In III ed to what is known as n wide
open" town. while a reform element
might throw its entire strength to men
who would be aggressive in enforce
ment Of Sunday closing and similar
]; $. but who at the same time might
not have the business ability needed
fo- 81 important post
AT the first election IL is espcciallv
desired that the attention of the voters
be centred on securing business men
of Integrity and ability, without the
Injection of special issues Later, when
the board is in office and giving proof
OF its ability, and when the plan o.
election makes the voters of the en-
II,
1t would. it is argued, be simple mat
ter to transfer all police fire and
health problems to II. This feature
was much discussed Yesterday
Some Predictions.
y hasty canvass of those at the City
Hall last night and of such members
OF the two branches OF the Council as
could be located, resulted in the pre-
diction by some of the best known.
political workers in the city that the
four-ward plan would so through the
hoard with several votes to spare, and
without amendment; that it would he
signed by the Mayor ana put into cf-
feet a the spring election. 1t was also
the consensus Of opinion that the city
! Council is now ioverwhelmingly pledged
to the establishment of an administra-
tive board. practically along the lines
indicated in the report of the special
committee, the only point now at issue
, being whether the three boards shall
be included. AS to this point the
; prophets thought that while there was
n remote chance OF the whole plan
going through the Board OF Aldermen
! at this time, the balance OF probabili
ties was of the Board passing the rcso-
! luton with amendments eliminating
the Fire. Police and Health Depart.
Z ments. and that the Council would
J practically without objection concur in
the amendments.
An active canvass OF the entire
, Board OF Aldermen Is in progress, com.
mttees of the business mems orEani-
. zations endeavorlng to find just how
, each OF the members stands as to the
FORWARD plan, as to the IIirschSerg
. plan of administrative board, and as
to the committees plan OF Administered