The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-14
Pan TO AMEND
ORDINANCE AGAIN

I
Ter compromise tonight. placing the
fire and health departments under
control of the administrative board
and leaving the present system Of po-
lice management, a. It L. In doins
this. IL Is understood that supporters
OF the compromise measure will point
out with some emphasis several rea-
sonA, which they think would justly
the1r STAND.
I OpsDsed 70 Deal.
This move. II was stated last night.
I Will iskeiy preciptate a more deter
mined nxnt than ever. for the Hirsch-
berg Unlauf element are known to be
/ opposed TO any such deal.
President Peters OF the Common
Council let 1t be known yesterday that
he - stanaing pat on the ordinance az
adopted by that body last week and
sent to the board OF Aldermen.
/ i see no reason why all the de-
partmenta should not be included In
the general administrative plan" he
said.
Approves Ward Plan.
General satisfaction waA expressed
at tn action OF Mayor Richardson
in placing his seal of approval upon
the FORWARD plan. The ordinance
reached him late yesterday morning
and quickly received his endorsement
This action on the part of the mayor
VAS not unexpected. The ordinance
is effective Immediately. except SO far
az 1t relates to tho terms of council
men in office.
In this connection. the measure does
not become operative until September
]. 1912, when the new Council. with
its reduced membership. goes In.
How 1t Works.
Under the new system. the Board
OF Aldermen will be composed OF
twelve members. three from each OF
the four wards, while the lower branch
will have twenty members. five from
each ward. Thus. each of tho two
branches will be cut down exactly
one-half in membership. without any
reduction in representation In the new
wards. To procure a reduction In
ward representation by any other
means charter amendment would
have been necessary through legisla-
tive enactment. whereas under the
system adopted only the approval OF
the two counctlmanic branches and
the mayor was necessary. Further
more. 1t was found that the redtstrict-
ing scheme could not be effected In
accordance with the federal statutes
except by the reduced ward plan. the
national law providing that the city
wards be rearranged in districts every
ten years, to accord is eQuitably as
possible with the census figures.
Ho wThey Merge.
The new system merges jefferson
and Marshall wards in one larger
ward which is to be known as Jener-
son ward Madison ward. which re-
tains it's name, will include all OF
Washington ward within It's bounds
Lee and Clay wards will gobhle UP
Henry and Monroe warGa retaining
their respective identity. Efforts were
made by the special committee which
drafted the so-called twin ordinances
to apportion the population OF the city
equally among the the four new
wards This was accomplished az
nearly as could have been pracucaAy
done. 1t Is believed.
10 This tho Motive7
/ Rearrangetnent of the ward lines
will naturally put some OF the pres
ent Couneiimen out OF commission.
and there are some persons who sus-
pect that the prospect OF retirement
to private life may be the real motive
underlying some Of the opposition 10
the move for better government.
In event the administrative board
| plan fails to become reality. II Will
! devolve upon the reduced Council TO
administer the duties OF the city gov
| eminent through Its committees as IL
| done at present. And there are prob
/ ably none who seriously doubt that
, the. new system viii work far better
| than the old. even If there is no i'd
ministrative board to shoulder most
| Of the work.
/ Must Rsarrsngs Books.
! To rearranse the ward lines In keep
I ing with the terms and provision OF
i theA I'd NIL
sioners must be named by the Judge
| OF the Hastings Court It will be
their duty to adapt the poll lists anu
books to the new order OF affairs.
This. 1t Is estimated. will entail a
| cost of $4,000 approximately.
The books must be changed to suit
the new conditions in time for the
April primary when city officers In
GLIDING the Mayor will be nominated
for succeeding terms. The regular
election comes off In June.