The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-22
Calls in Departm mt
Heads to Discuss
the Details.
THINKS SYSTEM
WILL HELP CITY
Believes It Is Sound in Theory
and That It Will at Least End
, Nuisance of Tearing Up
, Same Streets Every Day.
Semi-Monthly Ses-
sions.

First among American cities. II IL
believed, to make use Of this we'll
established device OF government,
Richmond will within the coming
month launch a municipal cabinet.
composed Of the heads Of the city
departments and the Mayor. for che
purpose of an advisory supervision
Of the city's affairs. While the cab
inet is recognized as an important
adjunct to government on a national
scale. this city. 1t is claimed. will be
the first to give 1t a tryout as a part
Of municipal machinery.
Invitations will be mailed to-
morrow by Mayor George Ainslie to
the heads Of the various city depart
ments calling for their. attendance at
. meeting to. be held this week for
the purpose Of taking up the plan
IN detail. This informal conference
will establish the personnel OF the cab
met. define more clearly the scope OF
its wo:k and decide upon the fire.
quency of its meetings.
Mayor the MoviaE Spirit.
Behind this municipal innovation
stands Mayor Ainslie. who is convinced
that the projected cabinet will result
in z higher efficiency for the various
departments and aid him materially
IN the discharge Of the duties OF his
Office. The Mayors once. he believes.
. can be put to other uses than those
Of of,iciatins at baby shows and vel
coming conventions. and the cabinet
idea Is a step forward.
NO. have neve. heard OF any such
thing In any other city" said the
IN .
IL nothing against a plan which prom
ises large practical benefits to our
own. 1 am convinced that 1t IL sound
IN theory and intend to give the ex-
pertinent a fair tryout The confer
ence this week will put the matter on
q definite basis. and hope to have II
working within the next two or three
weeks. ~
The Cabinet Personnel.
II have not finally decided upon sne
membership OF this Mayors or mIni-
eipal cabinet. twill certainly IN
,cIude the City Engineer. the superin-
tensent sof the City Gas. water and
Electric plants, the city Attorney.
the Building Inspector. the Chief
Health once, and an omcer from the
ci,y's Fiscal Department 1t Is my
purpose to hold the membership down
to eight o. ten. to prevent the CABINET
from becoming unwieldy.
Behind the whole plan rests the
conviction of the Mayor that the city
viii profit by the correlation between
the departments which the caoinet
will make possible. Much waste ana
Inconvenience. he believes. winch 70
nov unavoidable because Of the alb
sence OF correlation. Will be eliminates
vhen the heads of the departments
consult one another feguiafiS WIN
Ssxard to projected work
Aiusg at C0-0Derati0n.
.srhe idea is simply this" said Mayor
Ainslie yesterday outlining his plan
u a reporter for The Tmes-Dtspafcn.
eth. administration of the executive
A.nsrtrnent Of the city II, generally
and practically speaking. substantial
IL the sane as that OF any private
business large enough to be dlvfoed
into departments or divisions.
"The relation OF the Mayor to the
city department il. In that regard, the
s.me AZ that Of the general manager OF
Q private business to its DIVISIONS
Sovever they may be designated. Now.
no department Of q private business IL
. separate independent entity tn it.
ALI but it is a part OF an organtza-
zion Of itself and other parts. and an
informed and sympathetic cooperation
n essential to the best results
wSulA C0rrelste Depart0eots.
~For instance. the work of the Street
0enartment, the Water Department
and the Gas Department. In laying and
repairinR water mains. gas mains.
sewere. house cor INJECTIONS. etc. should
b. done with as little disturbance Of
en- street surface as possible. and this
er,d can be attained best. IL seems to
M. BY working on a plan which has
sscefved the approval OF the heads of
an the departments concerned
~The complaint is frequent that one
Aepartmen, digs up street and re-
pairs Its damage. only TO have another
Apartment come along short while
eSter and repeat the process In many
eases this could have been avoided
SaA each department been workins
WITH a knowledge Of what the other
vus doing and both with a keen. ap-
srec,ation Of the value " teamwork.
"While I am on this subject ] Will
a. that I think that all disturbances
o. the surfaces OF the streets should be
rallied and relaid by the City En-
eineer, in whose ONCE the responsible
nv for the condition OF the city's
streets should centre.
~WNen one or more OF the depart
Rents have finished their work. and
Shs trench. or whatever II ID. 10 ready
o Be .eflled. and the paving ready to
- relaid. that work should. IN my
opsnion, be performed only by the
Sog,sserins department The cost Of
She work could. Of course, be entered
1 against the department for which y
= dsne."
NsAe ~ rogssv00ey.
This plan Of centrsitzing respon.
eebflsty. Mayor Ainslie thinks. would
insure expedition and uniformity 10
che W~rk. lMsteAA q haitsng sad IN
'AsRerent WORK now performed ~ sew
0rsl Department., q eby private cof-
Segsssons. one depafsmens woula take
Vs1doss0 . assa 1s0~l