The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-30
Plans for Change IN Govern
rnent Are Recommended
for Adoption
ONLY ONE OPPOSES
FOUR WARD PLAN
Other Measure Also Goes
Through With Flying COL
ors. There Being but Two
Votes In Negative

Both ths four ward and administrA-
tive board plana In connection with
Q change In form OF city government
Woro recommended for adoption last
ntght BY The Council Committee on
Orctnanoa, Charter and Nsform- In
tho ca1e ~ tho former. onw one vote
was cast Ia tn Negative. Two Of tho
twelve rnansbeEU of tbs cofnmitteo
voted asainst ths latter plan.
The vCtA on the four-wRrd plan
stood ~ follows. Ayes-Messrs. Lnms-
Zen. Kahn. Moore. Butler. Gui1st. von-
dcrlehr. Moncure. Nielsen. Hirschbers.
Pollock, Uualauf; noe1-Mr. Brown,
who halls from South Richmond.
It wns Mr.. Lunsden. Of Marshall
ward. who made the motion urging
the COMMITTEES to pass favorabiy upon
the measure MIR. Nielsen. OF tho same
ward. explained In casting hts vote
that he was acting In direct opposs-
tion 70 a large majority OF his con-
stitueacy:
Two ve<s IN Negative.
In passing upon the administrative
board plnn. AessrA Umiauf and Nel-
son cast The two negative votes. their
objection being based, ~ thsy stated,
on the fAGt that this plan failed to
eliminate tbs poiice and lire boards -
an Integral part OF tha municipal gov
eminent. Incidentally. Mr.. Nielsen let
IL be known that he was In favor Of
letting the people pass upon tho de-
merits or dement's Of the admtnistra-
tive board plan instead Of the Council
In reply u this, City Attorney Pol.
ar0 explained that such could not -
dNQ1nSaOtl Tho ordinApscaa A. nuGdn1f
i alnslAt tAskha4s 1spe s6S-
ter amendment Ia other words. It
would take practically two years Tor
Ar. Neasen's idea TO be put into effect.
The two companion ordinances are
now ready Tor submission To the City
Council next Monday night IL they
pass that body. by a majority vote
tEey Will go to the Board OF Alder
men Tuesday night OF the following
week Meeting equal success. they
VIII then be Ready Tor the Mayors APP
prosa OF disapprovai. as that Official
may see fit 1t may be stated. how
ever, that no opposition fruin that
source Ia anticipated.
Effective at Once.
Following approval by the Mayor.
the four-ward plan viii become effec-
i've at once. except 20 far a. IL ap-
plies to the election OF counciimen,
In this respect. the ordinance will not
become effective until September /.
1912.
The administrative board ordinances
which provides for q board OF five
men. electise by the people, must 70
To the Legislature for charter amend-
mont before II Gun become efYectiva.
However. ~ the Legislature meets
carry In January. II Is believed to be-
Reasonably sure that the ordinance
VIII be In force early In the coming
year. provided II receives the sanction
OF the State soions.
All appeared to be smooth sail
Ing last night until Councilman
Airschberg. of Jefferson ward. moved
70 Amend the administrative board
measure BY moving that the police,
are and health departments be
abolished along with the other
changes proposed.
In making this motion, he took
occasion to assert that the commit
tee which drafted the ordinance was
afraid OF the political influence WELD.
Cd by members OF the police and FIRE
departments.
''sonebotiy Afraid"
Though there are hardly more
than see Of these men all told" he
declared. 1T looks as II thair voting
power and influence u 70 great that
somebody IL afraid to incur their
displeasure by placing them under
direction Of an administrative board"
Mr.. Hirschberg was Of the opinion
that h~wxs-the efficiency of The laeads
OF these two department that in
reality was responsible for their high
standard ut present However, ne
could not say tho same for the heads
Of the other city departments. whose
dehciencies he believed. were In 4
large measure responsible for the
movement to kive the city q more
effective ana business-li like form Of
government. Incidentally, hi declar
ed that but few member OF the Conn
ell had the courage to charge exist,
Ing bad conditions to the head. Of
the departments whom he classed a
deficient.
umiauf Thinks 80.
MI. umlAuf. OF Clay ward, was
likewise OF tho opinion that fear Of
firsmen had caused tho change ia
IN government COMMITTEES 70 allow the
boards In these two departments to
remain ~ they are.
Though he characterised Mr.. Um-
lAuf - the generalization Of fairness
AZ 4 general rulo. Mr.. Pollock. Of
Madison ward, acting N spokesman
for the change In government COM
mtttee, asserted that nothing was
more unfair than tho Clay ward coun-
cilnien's assertion that politics was
tho ''poles reason Tor not eliminating
tina police and nrs boardA Mr.. Um-
lAuf objected 10 the term sole"
Whereupon Mr.. Pollock very grac.
iously yielded the point. agreeing TO
substitute the ~malu" reason instead.
Pollock Te1Is Haaooa.
NJ. Pollock went On b ~ that thu
A~~HSa Unt - ah0sslAnp Hnn ,-unA $500