The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-07
COUNCIL s PLAN
PROBABLE WINNER
Opinion Grows That Aldermen
Will Concur in Hirsch-
berg Amendment.
PETERS URGES ITS ADOPTION
President OF Council Believes
I'VE Should Stick to What
We Have"

/ "Wc Should Stick to What
We Have"
Belief seems to be growing steadily
among citizens who favor the charter
! changes that the wise course for the
Board of Aldermen to pursue next
Tuesday night Will be to concur In
the now plan of government lust as IT
comes from the Common Council. thus
ending the long drawn out debate
There are not lacking those who for
practical reasons express the hope that
the Board Will 80 back to the original
ip position. eliminating the Fro.
Health and Police Departments from
! consideration ut this time. and that
the Council will concur In such an
! amendment. But others argue that
this means further delay. and the dan
ger Of reopening the whole question
! on the floor of the Council, whereby
means of further minor amendments.
the whole plan might be passed along
fr"m meeting to meeting until too late
to he of practical effect before the
coming Legislature or in the coming
| city primary.
! In all the debates In the committees
and in the Common Council. not one
word has been said against tile admin
lstrat.ve board as method OF gov
Z
/ tiTcly on whether such board shall
take over the three departments now
managed by separate boards While
most of those who favor the changes
agree that that is the ultimate goal.
| there arc those who greatly fear that
by adding TO the issue. the whole plan
! might fail.
| Whether tho board shall from the
start have control OF the Fire, Police
and Health Departments is regarded
I by them as of small import compared
/ with the Importance OF establishing
such board and launching II with
the work now In the hands OF fourteen
Council committees. The two real is
sues arc contended to be the redistrict-
| Ing of the city into four wards. and
the creation of paid board to manage
| the city's business affairs.
| Alderman Hobson'a Views.
Alderman Graham IIobson came out
! strongly last night as an advocate of
the plan lust ~ it comes from the
was any politics In the efforts to keep
the Fire and Police Dcpa rtments from
It's control. he was glad the Council
had seen TT to include them. II there
were such evidences of politics, and
as II result the Fire and Police De-
partmcnts were eliminated from the
general plan. MIR. Hobson said he would
vote against the whole plan. and wait
for Council elected on the Issue.
Several men close to city politics last
night expressed the view that the
Council could adopt this reform at this
time Just as 1t now stands before tho
Aldermen or IL might face the prob
ability of n determination on the part
of tn voters not to stop short of an
out and out commission along the most
advanced lines. as between the two
most of those who take part In city
politics prefer the present PLAN as not
so revolutionary in Its nature.
Roth Sides Claim victory.
AS to the actual situation in the
Board Of Aldermen. both sides express
confidence, but as there are only
| twenty-four votes there and with both
claiming a large majority. it may be
tahen that the result Is greatly in
doubt. 1t is predicted that the Board
Will concur in the four-ward plan OF
rcdistricting, with several votes TO
spare, and without amendment making
that plan the law of the city without
further ado. 1t is probIematical
whether the BOARD prefers the admin
istrativc board plan with or without
the Fire AMI Police Departments. and
| the fear is expressed that during the
effori to swap horses in midstrcum
the citizens and Taxpayers who advo-
cate the plan may be left with nothing
and careful work.
President r. Lee Peters, OF the Com
| mon Council. in an open letter to The
! !. ,es-Dispatch, strongly advocates
! concurrence In the two papers just as
they came from the Council.
Mr.. Peters's Views.
His letter follows:
IT have just read with much interest
your editorial on the change in our
pre- It form of government, and the
action taken by the Council on Mon
day night
IT consider you are thoroughly cor
rect in your views in this matter that
we should stick to what we have.
II think that tho special committee
! and the directors Of the Business Mems
| Gu are making n very serious mis-
! take in interfering with the amend
ment. as adopted by the Council which
was included In the substitute ordi-
nance adopted. I believe tho action
! taken by them requesting the Board of
| Aldermen to defcat the amendment
| will kill tho entire proposition for 7
| think the sentiment has been In the
Board up to this time in favor OF the
amendment, and It will stand a better
chance of being adopted than the orig
in"l ordinance recommended by the
special joint committee. and I hope
| that you Will write more editorials
and make them even stronger than the
one this morning. and, further. that
you will lend your MD through your
columns to pass the ordinance as
adopted by the Council.
| uVonrQ vary trUlV