The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-29
Whittet Would Place
Them With Other
Departments.
SUGGESTIONS FOR
CHARTER CHANGES
Department Heads Recommend
Amendments Giving Admins
trative Board Wider Powers
In Fixing Salaries of Those
Under Its Control-Pol-
!, lard to. Prepare Plan.

Blk department heads ana two mem
bers Of the Administrative Board re-
sponded last night to the invitation or
tho Council Committee on Charter
Changes TO como before II and make
suggestions for amendments 10 Tho
citSs charter that would improve the
relations between the board and the
various city departments Surcestione
were submitted providing for these
changes:
To abolish the Fire, Polio. ana
Health boards, and to place these de-
partmcnts under the control NJ ~.
Administrative Hoard
To transfer TO the board tbs dnt~
isnufng md hearing or allegation. for
the pnvinE of sidewalks and nIieyr-,
service now performed by the street
Committee.
To give the board complete contro,
over the location and construction NJ
pubic dumps-a service, 1t appears nor
now performed by nny committee or
department..
To give the board the power to In
departments under It's control. md 20
relieve IL from the duty of passing
upon the salaries OF employees and Of
hcerS In departments not under ftn
Jurisdiction.
To authorize the board to settI..
without reference to the Council. ali
claims arising for time lost ON account
OF injuries to per diem employees while
IN the discharge Of their duty.
Members Speak Freely.
Notwithstanding the conglomerate
nature OF the MISUNDERSTANDING as
IT did representatives Of independent
oepartments-the members spoke free
ly OF their difficulties and BETRAYED an
evident desire TO secure complete har-
mony between the various divisions of
committee took turns in questioning the
department heads and took particular
pains to bring into the light the re-
lations of their departments with the
AdmfnistratiVesBcnr
me conference was attended by
Chairman Whittet and Subchairman
Hirschberg. of the Administrative
Board; City Attorney Pollard, CITY En-
gineer Boiling. Chief Joynes. of the
Fire Department.: superintendent Cohn.
of the Street Cleaning Department.;
superintendent Davis. of the Water De-
partment; Chief of Police Werner, Sec
retary Pollock, of the Board of Police
Commissioners. and Alderman Fuller
and Councllmen Mills, Haddon and Rat
cliffe, OF the Charter Changes Com
mittee.
Pollard to Submit Plan.
Chairman Fuller. of the committee,
after interrogating the department
heads. asked City Attorney Pollard to
make such suggestions for changes in
the charter as seemed to him desirable
The City Attorney asked for time to
digest the suggestions offered at the
hearing, and said that he will be ready
at the next meeting to submit in writ
Ing schedule of charter changes to
take care of the suggestions.
The committee voted to meet again
on November Ii, at which time the City
Attorneys report will be ready for CON
Z u.i1
charter changes suggested by the con-
ference, as well as changes which, in
the opinion OF the City Attorney. would
tend to clarity the relations of the
board and the city departments
Whittet for Consultations
Chairman Whittet, of the Admins
trative Board. the first one to be ques-
toned by the committee, stated that he
mad no specifc complaint to make on
the score of cooperation by depart
ments. but thought 1t was extremely
desirable that the charter be amended
in several sections to define more clear
iy the powers of the board, as distin-
suished from the powers of the Coun-
Gil and Its committees. There was
shsht friction, he said, between the
ooaru ana the Committees on Streets
and Public Utilities
While he was not prepared to saw
that the consolidation of the Fire. Po-
lice and Health Boards, under the Adj
mlnistrative Board, was desirable at
just this time, Mr.. Whittet said he was
OF tne OPINION that such consolidation
would prove wise and improve the em-
cheney OF the city government He
spoke only for himself, he said. and
not for the board
As TO Allegations.
Mt Wnlttet was of the firm opinion
ina, me issuing and hearing of allie
cations for alley and sidewalk nov,nr
should be made one of the boards func.
lions. The present system abounds
In red tape and causes great delay
city Engineer Boiling concurred in re-
commencing this change, and suggest
ed further that the allied question Of
grades be left to the board also. Mr.
Boiling directed attention to the laxity
OF regulations governing the location
and construction of public dumps and
strongly recommended that this duty
be left to the board
Subchairman Htrschberg indorsed the
position OF Mr.. Whittet as to the CON
solidation of departments. and in re-
ply to questions gave 1t as his opinion
that the placing OF the Health Depart
ment under the boards control would
make for better cooperation between
that department and the Water Depart
ment, which, 1t appears. do not always
work together without friction. The
Health Department, said Mr. Hirsch-
berg. makes frequent criticisms of the
Water Department and Its service. bnt
being independent OF the board. as
sumes no responsibility. The city, he
thought, would benefit spy an, early
change "
May Give Council Power.
The discussion MS to tine tadvisabiIity.
of changing the charter to effect q con-
solidation of the independent with the
board departments. prought from City
Attorney Pollard the suggestion that
the General Assembly might he asked
3fContfn,lefs a NJ nj IevenfI,g ro uc = -.