Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-14
LABOR AID ORDINANCE
BECOMES LAW THIS WEEK
Board of Aldermen to Pass Measure
Unanimously Mt Meeting
Te-Morrow Night.
JOB HUNTERS ON THE TRAIL
Beset Offices Of Administrative Board
In Daily Stream With Applications
for Employment-n1ay Begin Hir-
Ing New Forces Next Monday.


that the measure will encounter more
or less opposition, the Board of Alder
men Is expected Tomorrow night to
concur by an overwhelming vote. IL
not unanimously, In the ordinance ap-
propriating $125,0O0 for immediate eX-
penditure on public works. The meas
ure Is designed to give employment to
several hundred men who will be put
TO work by the Administrative Board
under the direction OF the several city
departments.
IF there is any opposition to the
ordinance in the Board of Aldermen, L
haven't heard of it, said Councilman
Carter c. Jones, patron of the measure,
last night. ION the contrary, the
members with whom / have discussed
1t have assured me that they intend
to vote for 1t. 1t was reported that
an attempt would be made at the
special meeting Friday night to re-
consider the vote by which 1t was
passed by the Common Council, but
the body adjourned within five minutes
after 1t met without even an intima-
ton OF such action"
ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
HAS UNRESTRICTED POWERS
Such criticism of the ordinance as
has been expressed is directed against
the unrestricted powers it confers
upon the Administrative Board. AS
passed by the Common Council, the
ordinance places the whole appropri-
alton OF $125.O0O ut the disposal of
the board without restriction as to the
| manner In which 1T shall be spent or
In what class of work.
The ordinance as 1t was reported
from the Finance Committee undertook
to divide the sum among the several
departments. specifying how much
should be spent in each This plan
was opposed by Councilman Pollock,
who pointed to the delay that might
follow when 1t became necessary to
transfer part of the appropriation
for one department to another, In
order to carry out a certain plan of
improvement. The Common Council
! agreed with him that the spirit OF
the ordinance would be best served
by giving the Administrative Board
a free hand. Such disposal of the
appropriation was strongly recon-
mended by the board Itself
The ordinance carries clause put
ting II into effect Immediately upon
its passage. If IL Is passed by the
board Tomorrow night, and the GER
tainty OF its passage is not now ques-
toned. 1T will go to the Mayor for
his signature on Wednesday. Owing
to it's emergency character. the Mayor
is expected to sign the ordinance
promptly. and the probability Is that
it will be law by Thursday. In that
event the board>will be IN position
force by next Monday.
STREAM OF UNEMPLOYED
BESETS BOARDS OFFICES
Ever since the ordinance has been
On the Council calendar an unending
stream OF unemployed men has fled
| daily Into the offices of the Admins
trative Board with applications for
Jobs. To all corners the clerks and
members of the board have replied
with the advice n OK ha
OF the ordinance through the official
Legislative channels. and to report Mt
the boards offices again AS soon as II
becomes law.
A number OF the applicants have left
with the board their names and adj
dresses together with references and
n synopsis OF their previous working
experience. AS far as possible, those
who have left addresses WILDE noti-
tied as fast as openings become avail
able. With the ratification of the Or
dinance by the Mayor this week. the
headquarters of the Administrative
Board will become the clearing house
fcr the cityS able-hodied UNEMPLOYED
According TO ono member OF the
board, it will not be possible to give
work at once to more than a fraction
OF the men that seek employment. Ma
terials. equipment and supplies will
vetto be purchased and installed. be-
fore work on a large scale can be un-
oertaken. The ordinance as originally
drawn by Councilman Jones contem-
plated the employment of 700 men at
81 day. 1t is not believed that more
than half that number can be employed
a any one time.
MUST EMPLOY FOREMEN
AND INSPECTORS
Under the ameu:.ed ordinance tho
hoard will have the power to, employ
foremen and inspectors and skilled la
hor ut current wage rates. AS origi-
nally drawn. the measure provided a
uniform wage of So a day for Gil men
given employment from the Proceeds
of the special appropriation. 1t was
fcund that it would be impracticable
to adhere to this rule since there APP
! peareG no good reason for the city to
discriminate between its regular and
emergency forces In the matter of
wages when both were engaged in
rendering the same service.
All men given employment under
the emergency appropriation, there
fore, will receive the wages paid other
employees of the departm ent to which
they are assigned. These range from
S2.25 to $3.50 and 81 day, according
10 the scale of remuneration fixed for
the different kinds of work by the de-
partments.