The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-10
CHARTER CHANGED
BY LEGISLATURE
Governor Mann Approves Act
Which Gives City New Sys-
TEN OF Government.
EFFECTIVE FROM PASSAGE
First Administrative Board,
Elected This Year, Takes
Office on January l.

| Amendments to tho charter of the
city of Richmond requested by the
City Council for u better government
became effective yesterday morning.
whan Governor Mann affixed his sigma
;urc 10 House bill No. 81. which has
been adopted with blu, one dissenting
voice in the two branches of the Cen
eral Assembly. The &C, took effect
| rom its passage.
1t provides for an Administrative
| shall be elected, and defining Its pow
| ers and duties. Other charter amend
| ments authorize the City Council. If IL
20 desires. TO maintain pension fund
maintain warehouses within or with
| out the city. and If the Council shall
deem IL advisable. to abolish the Oi!ice
Of City Collector. y charter amend
how action shall be taken on bonds
furnished b. public officers.
| The Administrative nonrd.
| The, act Of the General Assembly
amends and re-enacts sections 10, 20,
IS, 20. SO. 81, 81: ~, 62. 6$ and 81 of
| the charter OF 1870 as hitherto
amended Under the terms OF the
amehdments referring TO the Admins
| in the general election next November
| I'VE citizens at large, 10 compose the
| irst board. Terms are TO DE for four
years. except in the case OF the first
| board. when two are 20 be elected for
| Two years. two for three years. and
| one Tor Tour years. the respective terms
winners In the election. The term OF
| office of the nrst board begins on jan
| uar% ! next: when the board VIII or
ganize ny elHetlng a chairman. It is
Clerical assistance. The salary is 10
be not less than sl.OnO per year each.
The new board will from January
next take over all duties OF an en-
now exercised by any Council commit
tee Including control of streets, al
!!eys. sidewalks. bridges. parks, pub
lie buildings, sewers. water works. gas
! works. electric works, with their
mains, pipes, poles and condu!ts: GENE
leries, markets. almshouses, cremato-
asemcnt and Jurisdiction over any all
| departments of The city government
other than the Police, Fire and Health
Departments"
Contracts md Patronage.
| The board is 10 have the express
charge of the letting TO contract OF
all public work, the election or an
| po!ntment of all city officers and en-
ments under its charge. and is to make
! rules and regulations Tor the gov
eminent OF all officers and employees in
| charge OF the departments under it's
same by the imposition OF penalty"
Appropriations are TO be made NY the
| Council in lump sums in tho annual
| budget. anticipating the annual rcvc.-
nues OF the city. The City Council, re-
duced in membership 10 one-half its
! present size after the spring election.
ievying taxes. appropriating money,
adopting ordinances and granting
franchises The Council retains tie
/ right 10 create an office and nx It's
condensation. though thu. Council m
II IL sees IT. delegate the power to
! ny the pay OF such officers as the
| Administration Board is empowered TO
appoint. and power is reserved in the
| Administrative Board TO abolish any
Office ii is empowered to hll. or to
| consolidate the duties OF Two or more
Offices.
other Amendments
While definite provisions are made
! In the new charter for the Administra-
1 tive Board, the other amendments are
| optional--not mandatory. The revised
section ~ is in accordance with Il res
! olution offered In the Council by Nor
! gan r Mills giving the City Council
! In It's discretion. the right TO main
| tain Il special fund to be known as the
City Employees Fund" the profits OF
which shall be appropriated 10 aid IN
! the maintenance of persons incapaci-
,atcd for work by reason Of age or
! inhrmlty, who have been continuously
in the clty's employment for twenty
| years.
|
! out the IDEAS of Mr.. Vonderlehr, giving
the Council the right. II It so desires,
+, to maintain reformatories and work,
! houses within or without the city, and
:! to require all able bodied adult pris-
| oncrs confined In the City Jail to per-
form manual labor in such work
houses. The revised section AZ allows
| the Council, If II so desires, TO abolish
F, the office OF City Collector and confer
its duties on the CITY Treasurer. who
collects the same taxes for the State.
Since the Office OF collector has been
put on a salary basis and its methods
improved, the movement for abolition
OF the Office has largely died out.
Pollution of Water supply.
One piece of legislation requested
Dy the City Council. not as a charter
f, change applying only to this city, but
as general statute. has not yet been
enacted, and is meeting with much
Opposition. 1t is in accordance with
Morgan r. Mills. chairman OF the
Water Committee. asking an act to
prevent the pollution of streams.
Chairman Mills states that the annual
settling basin because of the discolor-
alton OF James River water by pulp
and iron mills centrlng around Cow
ington and clifton Forge Is $4,000.
the installation OF simple apparatus at
the mills. The bill has been offered
by Senator Harinan, requiring every
person maintaining factory from
healthy waste material may flow into
any river from which any city btains
it's water supply shall establish and
maintain. under supervision OF the
State Board of Health. sutabla plant
for the publication OF such waste ma
terial so as to prevent the pollution
of the waters The act provides a
fine of $25 for failure to install such
H..