The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-15

to the Council at this crit
stcal tuncturo when tho welfare and
progress OF TIL" oity are 80 deeply In
ssyolved, not 20 allow pride q, opinion
or any other personal consideration
: or preference to sway your Judgment
and SO deprive tho city of the new
s;Sform OF government SO earnestly and
universally desired by the people" In
conclusion the chamber asked every
member with singleness of purpose
to siEnalize his fidelity and patriotic
devotion to the city by voting for
the measure without any alteration
Just as 1t has been returned to your
body from the Board of Aldermen"
Hirschber&'s Attack.
Mr.. Hirschberg led the nght against
concurrence. protesting that 1t was
not his desire to Kill tho ordinance.
I but that by standing firm the lower
! branch could force the Board of AL
dermen to come to Its views and in
clude the Fire. Police and Health De-
partments. He was convinced that
had the vote been directly put the
4 Board would have concurred In the
substitute without amending It. The
effort to amend 1t there, he character
tied az a juggling performance and
charged that since the Council had
come to order there had been In pro-
gress an active campaign of the poll
ticians in the chamber. telling mem
bers that were the Police Department
put in the saloons would be closed
! that no more Scent limit" would DO
allowed. Richmond had tho best gov
erned city in the United States. he
asserted, in reference to control of the
liquor traffic, Its regulations and their
enforcement being models for other
cities. and the argument being
used, nc thought, was without merit.
The whole proposition. he asserted.
was that the Police Department had
too much power TO be controlled by
the council that If the matter related
20 the Fire and Health Departments
alone, not one word would have been
raid. He considered 1t an insult to
the Intelligence of the voters OF Rich
mond to cay that they were not COM
petent to select Ave good men to ad
minister this portion of their govern
ment in an economical and efficient
manner.
Tho question has narrowed down."
ne concluded. ito whether this body
controls the Police Department or the
Police Department controls It. To-day
some policemen on the force have been
out campaigning against having that
department under this board"
Called by Lynch.
Mr.. Hirschbers read the names OF
the twenty-one members before vot-
ing for the substitute, and suggested>l
that IL any had changed their minds
they must have been properly sp.
preached"
What do you mean by that?" de-
manded Mr.. Lynch.
II mean when 4 man is approached
by politician and asked TO do some
thing against his wiIl-that's what i
mean by properly approached"
Chairman H. II. Pollard. Jr., of the !
Committee on Finance. vice-president |
of the body. and recognized as one |
OF lite ablest members, who before |
voted for the Hirschberg substitute to
include the three departments now I'M
der special boards, said:
IT haven't opened my mouth before |
in public about this matter. We have |
come to crisis tonight. and bo-
lieve tho wise thing to do is to concur
in the amendments. This report does
not suit me altogether. but l am not |
willing to endanger this reform any |
longer, and therefore l am going to |
vote for concurrence. All legislation |
Is more or less n matter of compro- |
mise. have never before seen the
Council SO evenly divided on any mat !
ter. am willing to give and take !
when / cannot get all want. hope |
The time will come when those three
departments can be placed under this |
one head We have an excellent gov !
eminent in the city of Richmond. but
friend OF mine who once sat by me
during an exceptionally dlsorderiy
meeting of the Council, remarked: God +
certainly takes care of Richmond. |
There is no doubt whatever that we |
need better method of working, and |
am sure this plan will work a great !
beneH The work is too great for
the Council committees to undertake
any longer"
Mr.. Umlauf earnestly supported Mr.. |
Hirschberg. urging the body not to
concur. The Aldermen had passed the
amendments by only thirteen votes, he
stated-the change of one man would
have insured concurrence there. and
he believed that If sent hack the Board
would take. the entire proposition as
laid down, by MIR. Hirschberg Efe be.
1ieved It would make for conflict of
authority to continue three appointed
boards of citizens when the effort was
being made to unity all departments
under one head.
How They Are Lined Up.
Mt. Lynch argued the danger OF
RplacinE the Police Department under
this board at the start, especially IN
,he irst election. where all 1--WE com:
Snissioners were to be voted for and
when II wac OF the utmost Importance
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