The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-30
Lawyers Claim Increase
to $4,000 Was I'm
warranted.
COUNCIL CONTROLS
PAY OF OFFICERS
Amended Charter Provides Ad-
ministrative Board Must Secure
a ut h GRITTY From Council.
Has Acted Without Author
ity, Says President Peters,
OF Common Council.

Apparently without authority. either
delegated or implied. the Admin!stra
tive Board has raised tho SALARY Of
Superintendent william p Knowles. Of
the Gas Works. from $4,000 to $4,000
year. The raise became effective
July !, and the first semimonthly
check 10 Mr.. Knowles. carrying the in
crease, was allowed by Acting Auditor
Crenshaw. with the boards approval
on July Is.
Until brought to light yesterday. IT
Was not known outside OF the mem
bership OF the Administrative Board
that Mr.. knowlcs's salary had been
increased. The raise was Included i'm
the new pay roll OF the Gas Works.
which. according TO the rllinute-book
Of the board, was approved en- bloc
Beyond the bare notice that the pay
roll OF the Gas Works had been ap-
proved no notice of the superintend-
ents Increase in salary appears on the
official record.
Pctcrs's Opinion.
at II my opinion that the bonrd, in
increasing MIR. KnOwi~s'n snlury with
out first securing authority to do 40
from the Council. went beyond Its
powers" snid President n. l.. Pcters,
of the Common Council. Inst night.
when nsk~d for statement. at, Of
coursr. hn- the power to incrensc or
diminish the pny of employer. Mr.
Knowles, however, il an officer, md
the authority to incrrase his snlary
must come from the city Council. No
such authority has been delegated to
the board"
what the Act Says.
on The authority of the Administers
tive Board 10 Increase or diminish sal
aries Of city officers and employees.
Section IS OF the amended City Char
ter says:
..rhc city Council shall fix the pay
nf all officers, hut when such pay hnr
brcn fixed the shntl not be in
crenscd b. the City Council until the
propriety OF such fncrcnrc has hcen
referred to the Administrative Donrd,
considered by them aud reported upon
to the Councii: provided. however, that
the Council mnH delegate 10 the Admin
istrntivc Bonrd the power 10 fix the
pny of NIL officers twhoin they now
or may he hereafter authorized TO mp
point, and provided further TINT the
pay of all employees of The city shnII
be- fixed by the Administrative Bonrd,
md mny. from time to time, lie In
creased or diminished by snid bonrd."
Says Bonrd Exceeded Power
The City Council has never dele
gated to the Administrative Board the
authority TO Increase rhc salary OF the
superintendent of the Gas Works" said
Vice President Joseph +. Powers, Of
the Board Of Aldermen, last night III
II has raised his salary. II has, in my
opinion, clearly exceeded its powers
as defined in section 20 Of the act under
which the board was created. am
thoroughly familiar with the language
OF that section. 1t clearly reserves to
the Council the right To FIX the sala
r!es of all city officers, unless that
power is delegated TO the board"
The same opinion was held by one OF
the most prominent lawyers In the city.
He was intimately familiar with the
provisions OF the amended charter. and
expressed himself as follows:
~ think thnt the Administrative BOARD
acted without authority In increasing
the sniHry of Superintendent Knowles
without the Councils authorization.
CONTINUED on Seventh Page)