The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-29
Tells Committee He'll
Send Minority Report
to Council.
SHARP DEBATE ON
CHARTER CHANGES
Though Invited to Offer Motion
Councilman Mills Retaliates
With Charge of Steam Roller
Methods-Melton De
clines to Support
Majority View.

10 like to offer an amendment to the
! charter abolishing the Administrative
/ Board I think it ought to be abol-
7 ished said Councilman Morgan r.
! Mills. addressing Chairman Puller. Of
! the Council Charter Changes Commit
, tee, last night
( You have that right, Mr Mills" re-
( plied Alderman FULLER II am ready
+ 10 entertain such a motion, if YOU wish
to Offer it,"
/ II couldn't offer such motion in this
committee With any hope of success
'ill incorporate everything / want in
minority report 10 the Council
The meeting or the Charter Changes
Committee ahoundcd in short inter-
changes OF this tenor. IN when Chai-
man Puller, Alderman Melton and
I Couuclmen Ratclime and Mills TOOK
leading parts The rnemhcrs spoke
t frankly, ana tho dialogue at times as
+ .umed q hcllieercit notv In every in
stance. however. tho participants stop
( pcd short OF tho dead line. and thc com
/ Initt"c proceeded viii It's business
Approves .tmcndInr.its
officially. tn" committee. by :. vote
oi 10 =. recommended TO th. Council
Tor passage resolution carving
dozen or more amendments TO the pres
\ 'iiA 'ile i''l
Thcy ranged iu Importance from
provision giving the Administrative
Hoard full authority to increase the
salaries OF all officers and employees
in the departments under its direction.
I" an amendment giving il control Of
the location and construction Of pub
lie dumps.
An Important amendmen, vests the
'ouncil with tme right. at any tiin.
iu TIE future it may select to place
III Ere Police ana Health Depart
ne uts unGer the direction Of the board
In The event OF such action. il Is pro
Ni"ed. tho noards at present control
+ linz these departments are ipso facto
abolished
With the exception of the amend
i.ert just noted ana the on. govern
!i. salary increases. uoac OF ,hc pro-
posed changes encountered serious oh
rcslton. Hoth had been adopted at
IL" previous meeting ot the commit
+ To- and could not be rcconSidcrcd
e>crrt by a two thirds majority Tic
opposition could muster only Alder
man Melton ana CounciImau Mills
wao c"ntented themselves win scrv-
irr notice thaI they would Join in
suhmit'ins minority report oppos-
inc thrse and "thcr amendments
Mentions strnm- -RoiIcr.
Ccunciiman Mills. who was absent
Iom the mectin. OH Monday night.
when an tn, amendments which were.
last night approved in final form
were adopted tooll exception TO tho
committees action in voting down IN
his absence his amendment providing
tul a reduction III tile membership of
tht ADMINISTRATIVE Board from nvc To
two. fhc committee ho said. appears
10 have resolved itseit into a steam
roller. against which the opposition had
no chance.
Councilman Ratclimc dislikod the
term steam roller ana challenged
Mr. Mills 10 make a clear statement to
the committee OF his objections to any
of the amendments that We're adopted
in his absence. lie voted his conVic-
tons then and was ready 20 vote them
again. he said. ana did not want tho
steam roller appellation applied to
I him.
The interchange assumed "a sprightIy
/ tone, but actual hostilitics were avoid
ed. Tho chairman had ruled earlier
7 i'll the evening that the adoption OF
! tho amendments would not be recon
/ sidcrcd except upon q two-th irds vote
I upon motion to reconsider offered
/ by Il member who had voted with the
members present was willing to offer
/ such a motion. and Mr.. Mills declined
/ To state his objections unless the pucs-
I ton were rcopencd. He was unwill-
G lile 10 biitf amy now resolution en-
| bcdying his views
Mills and Melton. Minority.
/ CITY Attorney Pollard presented the
! complete draft OF all The changes au.
/ thoriHcd at it's last meeting together
( with i few amendments clearing up
/ less important sections in the charter.
/ The completed report to the Council
! was put to vote and secured the
/ support of Chairman Fuller and Coun-
I cillnen ltatclife and IIaddon. Coun-
! Gilman Mills and Alderman Melton
I formed minority, voting against the
report.
Among The more important charter
amendments recommended is one maxi
ing the City Collector an elective OIL
Ger. The charter directs that he may
be elected by the Council. leaving I'm
doubt the question as To who shall elect
/ him Ii adopted. the amendment will
place his election with the people
Other amendments authorize the Ad-
minstrativc Board to order allegations
for sidewalk and alley paving. and give
/ 1t the power TO establish grades An
other change authorizes the city to
establish ana maintain a municipal en-
! ploymcnt bureau.
The committees report also author
izcs the City Attorney To cooperate
with the city's representatives in the
General Assembly to secure the enac-
ton OF laws cNempting municipal bonds
from state and local taxation, and Civ
ing the cities OF the State the right
10 control the laying out OF streets ana
alleys within two miles Of their corpo-
rate limits
No Reply to Proposition.
Dcnver. Col. November 2S.-tiovcr-
from either tho Colorado coal opera
tors or their striking EMPLOYEES to n