The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-15
BOARDS ABOLITION
IS URGED BY BLAIR
SAYS MAYORS WORK AND SALARY
SHOULD BE IN
CREASED.
TO SEPARATE DU TIE S
CHARTER COMMITTEES DISCUSSES
AMENDMENTS MORE SHARPLY
DEFINING AUTHORITY OF
BOARD AND COUNCIL.
TO SEPARATE DU TIE S

the session Of the committee on char
ter changes, which was held l.-st night
In the council chamber
The committee. heads Of both
branches of the city council council
men ana aldermen, members Of the
administrative board and citizens were
In attendance, making it impossible to
have the meeting in the committee
room.
The proposed changes IN the char
ter by which count / hopes to reduce
70 s. minimum the possibility Of fric-
ton between the administrative board
and the council by more sharply de-
f3Bine the powers OF each, were dis
cussed by councilmen and citizens and
drafts OF some OF the PROPOSED amend
ed sections of the charter were read
by City Attorney Pollard, who an
swered a mum Der of questions relative
10. the legality of the amendments.
Adjournment was taken 10 Novem-
Der 24th, AT which time II Is likely the
committees report 10 council Will be
adopted
In the meantime the proposed
amendments will he drafted by the
city attorney and typewriter copies
furnished the committeeman and
heads or the two councilmanIc bodies
Particular attention was given. dur
ing the reading of the drafts Of
amendments by the city attorney and
the discussion by the members, to the
sections relating TO the duties of the
administrative board and Of the coun-
ell. Some Of the sections, as the
amendments Are proposed, are to be
changed in but a few words. Others
have considerable portions eliminated
In the effort to separate the duties of
the. administrative and legislative
branches of the city government.
Especially is this true Of the Sec
lions authorizing the board to name
clerks and officials who come under
their control and Of the sections att
thoriztng council TO name officers and
other employees in the departments
under theirs. The sections providing
for the fixing of salaries, and the
granting OF increased pay OF employees
under the control of the two branches
also came in for consideration.
After each of the amendments were
discussed. each WAS laid oyer to n fu-
ture meeting. definite action being
taken on none of the changes
Mr.. Mills and Mr. Haddon. of the
committee, were more active In the
discussion than the others, each hay
ing to propose certain changes to
which the committee. nor the city
attorney had yet given serious con-
sideration
A free employment bureau or
agency to be operated by the city
for benefit OF those out of work is
wanted by Mr. Haddon. He declared
he wanted Richmond to have the
right under its charter to establish
and maintain an agency through
which all the unemployed in the city
might have Jobs found for them The
agency would he run along the same
lines us the regular agencies now in
existence here. he said. but no fee
would be charged either the employ
sr of the person looking for employ
ment Other cities in the country
are operating such bureaus success
fully, he declared,
The committees discussion enned.
Chairman Puiler asked fer expression
from President Adams, OF the board
of aldermen and President Peters, OF
the common council. Neither dea
sired TO say anything at the time ex@
eept TO declare themselves interested
and DESTROYS Of having copies or the
proposed amendments when they
have been drawn. f.. r. Fuller, sub
chairman OF the finance committee,
declared his interest and presented a
list Of figures from the office of the
city auditor. which he said he was
sure would be of assistance to the
committee.
Citizens being invited TO give
their views. Mr.. Blair rose. He opened
by declaring ne thought an afternoon
paper had done him an injustice. and
certainly had done injustice to some
member of the administrative board
by tntimating he had animus IN ad-
vocatfng that the administrative
board be abolished. He called at
tention TO the fact that the news
papers had quoted someone as saying
he was actuated by personal motives
because the administrative board had
refused TO cut down paving assess
rnent at his request, and had refused
to elect a relative to a clerkship, He
denied he had such motives and de-
ciared he was appearing as an advo-
cate for abelishing the board be-
cause he had now, as he always has
had. the welfare of the city AT heart
After stating that he had served on
five different committees during the
time he was A member Of council and
expressing his qualification that the
city governing bodies are composed
Of clean men and declaring he knew
Of nothing he could say against mem
hers of the board personally he said
that his opposition was based on the
grounds that the existence OF the board
is a needless expense. He declared the
administrative board costs the city,
In salaries. the maintenance of an au-
tomobiie and the salary of clerks and
employees. $4,000 a year, and that tho
dement's TO the city fan far short of the
cost.
Forty thousand dollars is Interest at
4 rwr cent on a million dollars. he de-
clared enough TO give the city the
money to meet many of its needs
I'VE have tried the experiment" he
continued many people had favored
trying the administrative board or
commission form Of government idea.
Thay looked upon II as an experiment
I contend 1t has been given fair trial
and fail TO see whefe the city has
gained one iota OF benefit"
Mr. Flair declared that wherever
the commission form Of government is
tried IL is sooner or later found 10 be
a failure and abandoned for the rea-
son that eventually unscrupulo4s men
OF politicians get into II and move to-
ward bankrupting the city.
He spoke OF the German system of
municipal government, where real ex-
ccutiye power is placed in the hands
% mayor who is paid s. salary that
makes ii worth his while to devote
all his time 10 the cttys business and
10 manage H.
Make goaf mayer mayor In reality"
Fe urged give him something 20 do
other than welcoming DELEGATIONS TO
n