The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-13

Legislature acts on tho city.s reaues
FOR an administrative board. H,
thcusht the reduced Council would b,
hnable to handle the situation with
rut the aid of such paid board AIR
Hobson replied that even without tn,
proposed board the business could b,
much better dispatched by one-hali
of the present number of members
Mr.. Bliiey asserted that tho PEG.
e pie did not want the city cut into four
( wards: that there should be reduc.
ton of the Council on basis OF more
wards and less representation. MIR
Grimes agreed that he would favor
!, 3ng eight wards.
III South Richmond Views.
4 ar. Patram ably stated the posi-
tion OF certain portion of the Wash
: tngton Ward population. His people
no said. believed it to be an attempt
so freeze them out; that they consid-
! cred 1T violation of campaign promises
: made during the annexation contest
and that South Richmond would not
I. have proper representation under this
Z. FORWARD plan.
I. we gave you our city to help YOU
( build our city" he said. IF you adopt
I this Will have to go back to my PEG
Pic and tell them YOU didn't keep
your promise"
His colicaguch Alderman John
& Moore. took different view. He ex-
f, planned that At a meeting of the
: Washington Ward Democratic Club
z several weeks ago, he had asked Tor
an expression of opinion, and it had
been determined to leave the repre-
scntauves in the Council 10 use their
. best Judgment. Il thought the matter
out" continued Mr.. Moore "and /
voted in tho ordinance committee for
the plan. ! think X is a good thing
for Richmond and consequently ii
must be good thing for Washington
Ward. which is part OF Richmond,
and therefore l will vote for it here to-
! night II seems strange to mo TO read
IN the newspapers of to-day that the
same Democratic Club held n meeting
last night, and instructed the delcga-
ZION TO oppose the ordinance. l have
received no notice OF any such meet
fnS, and know of no reason why the
club should take such action this late
in the fight. when it refused to do so
before. 1 believe this new plan Of
government the best thing that has
ever happened for the good OF Rich.
snond, and am for it.
How the Vote stood.
With the applause which followed
Sh!s speech still ringing through the
building, the roll was called on the
ordinance as il came from the Council
and ii was concurred In by the follow
ing vote:
Aycs-Nessrs. adams. Bcnnctt, But.
Ter. CowHrdin, Don LcaSy, Gilmnn
Grundy, Gunst. Itohson, Kahn. Mitchell
Moncure' Moore. Rennolds. W'hittct-
no.
Nocs--aics.rs. Atkinson, BIiicy, Don.
nhoc, Crimes, Melton Nielsen, Pasram
Perdue. Po.rcrs-9.
The Administrative Board.
The main question of the night them
came up. the joint resolution instruct
ms the City Attorney to secure from
the next General Assembly such
changes In the charter of the city as i
VIII provide for an administrative
board. The Hirschbcrg substitute or
dinance as adopted by the Common
Council was read by title, detailed
reading being dispensed with, every
member being familiar with the plan
by this time. Mr. Don Leavy opened
the debate, stating that as q member
OF the special committee which drew
the report every one knew his atti-
tude. and he explained that while fav-
orinE the committees plan. he wanted
to see an administrative board Great
ed-be the plan amended or unamend-
ed But to test the issue, he moved
TO strike out all of the sections alter
ed by the Hirschberg substitute, re-
laung 10 the Fire, Police and Health
departments. and Insert clauses which,
would restore the ordinance to the en-
act form in which 1t came from the
Epecial committee, and in which IL was
recommended by the Committee on
Ordinance, Charter and Reform and
had received the support Of every com
mercial organization and newspaper
IN the city
Hobson stands Firm.
Mr. Hobson favored standing Arm
Tor the paper as II came from the
Council. including the Fire, Police and
Health Departments He had no as
surance. he said, that II would pass
me lower branch in amended form.
end he hs.s never seen the citizens so
unanimous .sor achything before.
If l thought II could 20 through
h=re, SAID Mr.. Don Leavy. Il would
vote for II as It stands, but the Issue
Us too Important for me to stand here
and see ii slaughtered"
Mt Gunst said that while an adyo-
cate OF the original plan. he also
would do nothing 20 eudanger the
general proposition. He stated that
ne had been unable to find q majority
OF the body in favor Of concurrence
as the paper stood. and therefore he
AdVocated striking out the three de-
Fartments which had been added as a
stone with which to sink IT.
II the poll shows for anything"
continued Dir. Gunst. the vote in the
common Council on the ordinance with
these amen.ments. making 1t what
was originally proposed, Will be &c
10 IA"
MI Bennett, answering some re.
anarks from the Washington Ward
uelegation. asserted that the Southside
mad been given improvements since con
soIidation such as IL had never before
dreamed Of II thank God" he asserted
that the ward lines have been wipei
out by our action tonight Now lcts
pass the administrative board measure
q and give Richmond government We
z can be proud Of"
Says Committee Was Scared.