The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-04
Voice of the People


To the Editor Of The Ttmes-Dispatcn.
Sir-Being appointed by a municipal
convention held in Richmond as CHAIR.
man of q committee for the purpose OF
seeing that the present Commission
Government Amendment to the consul
tuition. which has twice passed tne
legislature, shall DO carried at the
next election. I mail you herewith an
editorial from tho yirginIan-Piiot OF
thts city, in favor Of said amendment.
and shall be obliged II you can nnd
SPACE to print this In tho columns OF
your paper. .,
Az to the editors views Of boards. y
have served in the Councils Of Norfoik
prior to and subsequent to the eS's
teuce Of our BoarG Of Control. ana
am very positive that the, writer is
wrong in his unfavorable estimate OF
its value, although I agree with MN
that commission government would De
preferable and that our board has not
achieved it's highest possibilities.
One instance Of the value OF our
Board of Control is that 1t has Sc
cured q judgment of $4,000 In the
matter Of requiring the I1ac
tton Company to furnish botn
work and material in the paw
,nr NJ the tracks Then, too. =
can nee the difference in the speed IN
which business is dispatched tnsousn
the means Of q board, even witn hm'eeo
nowers. and also in the more oroe.S
manner In which business IL attenae'
"a and then the board Is IN sessio"
every day and the old council co""
tee. ran in a rather Independent anu
banhazard manner. Then. too. matters
are handled with more economy
Nv opinion, from years Of service as
a councilman, is that the adSantas.s
hitch have accrued from a board WIN
limited authority will be more tnA"
Increased BY commission government
do not venture to state that ny
are any such individuals. bue ! nav
never yet met q critic oppose1 u ~"
,bs existence Of the board who was
,ho,ougbly familiar with its workings
and who was able to compare inc P@se
with the present.
\, would be. indeed. ,ungratefui LOT
me To appear in public print as CO."
hating the views set forth in this very
favorable editorial. but In forwasS
inv IL to you for publication, In ofo.'
that I may be placed In no false pos
ton I feed constrained 10 STATE ..'
nrivate opinion. which is not Tor puo-
LEGATION at present
a, meeting of the League OF VIZ
einia Municipalities. held at -siexana''a
last week a motion in cppositSo"
the present amendment was vote.
down with out one dissenting vote anu
n motion was passed Win s'~
vote. providing for the formation Oh
committee Of ten, f'r tne p'.P"s
ss.iro tia, the amendment In ques-
,;,, .bou,d he carried At the polls Al
our WILLIAM II. sARGEANT. IT.
WuelespaB Re60s0
a. 10 we'll known to our readers the
virginia Pilot takes small stock w
,bose make-shifts For government es
enr,,nsssion to which s,me Nirxi".a
r,,I.. have re.orted pending the time
-h.n ,hex viii be free to adopt the
real thing The system row IN "'et
,io, 4, this state can mot be ra"'cs's
altered unless or until the '"nsuH"
,jopal provisions regulating nIn'c'psi-
t.ies shall! DC repealed ana rep'ace" 10
others less restrictive IN IN" inca"
,,rne We believe that such experiments
So-so,k has tried and Richmond Is
.n,u, 20 try. but add an expensive and
,r.ssc,c,. cog to machinery already
e.. cumb-ous and comrlicsfcd and
eve rather 90 s,sIy further divide tina"
20 concentrate power and responsible
re- Neither the Norfolk Ecard - Con-
fro, nor the Richmond Bard Of Nd
nin.ssratson can be clothed WITH OF
exerc.se any original or final author
s,v wtfJe the Mayor and Councils are
endowed with fuIi executive and I~g's-
,.,tye Functions ny the fundamcnts1
i.v Of virginia: for their respective
c,~,o~asyyes and functions car not 6e
taken sway or cmssculated by any act
~ assembly or local ordinance. ana
.cx Attempt on the part Of such bosrds
81 ssse,t Initiative or conclusive poll
c,~s must be impcter' In the fact %
oMrssys vino draw their warrant %
.urrpmsry src-n the highest source "
the mske-sbsss sppesdsge I've rcmpceea
a. elements sws~pt On tpsusur7t!ne Wv
S,.shOAs s,v coaducssee the muntcspos
nusswe~u. % win Inevitably ewsS9wsss