The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-10
CHARTER CHANGES
FAVORED BY ALL
Speakers Before Clay Ward
Actives Differ Only as
to Detail.
coUNCILMEN HEARD FROM
w. I. Dabney Says Chamber
Considers Board 90 Per
Cent. Of Issue.
C0UNCILMEN HEARD FROM

Agreeing to man that the legisla-
tive and administrative branches of tho
city government should be divorced,
the speakers at the meeting of the Clay
ward Actives held last night in Nom
roe Hall, differed to some extent as to
tho machinery to be used in bringing
this condition about Members of the
City Council. as we'll az OF the Board OF
Aldermen, were among those who
made speeches. all declaring themselves
In favor of municipal reform along the
lines proposed by the measures pending.
on the point Of whether tho Police.
Fire and Health Departments shall
be placed under the proposed admins
tratire board or be left in control OF
the present boards occurred the most
serious disagreement. Alderman Ora
ham Hobson, OF Henry Ward. DECLARED
himself as emphatically In favor OF the
plan as It now stands. providing for
both the redistricting into four wards
ana the board. but gave warning that
ne would vote down any compromise
Any other proposition than the one
now pending. he told his hearers, will
receive HIS opposition.
VIII Stand by Board.
Councilman Clyde RatclifTe, who was
the second speaker. declared himself
two measures now being agitated will
remove present unwieldy and rumber-
some conditions. and said that while
he was bitterly opposed to at least one
provision in the measure providing for
the administrative board, rather than
5eopardize the plan by loading 1t down
with amendments. he would vote 70, It
as It stands,
+ Alderman J. F. Don Leavy depre-
Gated what he called the circulation
of lot OF bosh about the heads of
the different departments being Mt
loggerheads. 1t Is not the fault of
the heads he told tho meeting, but
the fault of the present committee
system which makes impossible any
thing like unity of action. He pointed
to the reduced Council and the ad-
ministrative board as the remedy for
this state of enairs.
Matter OF Policy.
Neither OF the measures now pend
Eng involves question OF principle
declared w. T. Dnbney. who made a
lengthy speech. they are questions Of
policy. Every honest man must he
committed to the principle OF helping
to insure the best and most equitable
administration of public affairs There
can be no question about that. We
have to consider here only a question
OF policy. An attempt. think, has
been made to becloud the Issue by
laying too much stress on the ward
line question. To my mind the aues-
ton of how many wards we should
have and what shall be the boundaries
OF those wards ia ono OF the minor
questions OF this whole campaign
I'VE arc Interested only In the point
that the Council shall be smaller, and
that there shall be an administrative
board. Speaking for the Chamber Of
Commerce. I do not hesitate to say
that we regard the board as 80 per
cent OF the Issue"
Speaking on the point Of placing the
Fire. Health and Police Departments
under the board. 2fr. Dabney thought
It would be highly expedient to leave
them to their present management I'M
til such time as tho efficiency of the
new administrative board In dealing
with municipal problems should war
rant placing these minor matters, and
ought to have no weight with the Al
dermen in giving or Withholding their
votes on the pending propositions.
Widely Iuduraed.
He emphasized the argument that
the proposed measures have received
the Endorsement OF every business body
In the city. and that II Ia inconceiN>-
able that the business men. who are
most vitality concerned with tho form
OF city government. should advocate
unanimously measure which would BIO
hostile to Its Interests.
Alderman Graham Hobson, who
spoke next wanted the departments
In question put under the admTnistra-
tive board, while Alderman Don Leavy
thought that the newly created board
should not be overloaded at the start
Councilman Jacob Umlauf was uncon-
ditlonally for the inclusion OF the do
partmonts under tho administrative
board. and thought that a commission
OF five men sltting all day would be
better able to admlnlHter the AFFAIRS
OF the three departments referred to
than the present boards. which each
stay in session perhaps ten hours per
month.
In his speech. which concluded the
evenings program. Councilman r.
Gray Haddon regretted that he has
been referred to az one not In favor
OF good government because he voted
against the FORWARD plan, and
reiterated his opinion that such
plan is not the best policy. Al tho
Same time, he told tho meeting, II 1t
came to q question OF four wards or
the condition that exists to-day, he
will cast his vote with tho four
warders. Personally. no thought q
five or six-ward arrangement would be
best
While at first opposed to the ad-
ministrative board idea. he said. he had
come to regard It as good measure,
provided the Police, Fire and Health
Departments are made subject to 1t In
common with the other city depart