The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-21
BOARD TO ABANDON
COMMITTEE PLAN
Subdivision of Authority Among
Administrators Has Not
Worked Well.
OPEN TO SERIOUS ABUSES
Folkes, Beck and Mccarthy Are
Opposed to Its Con-
tinuation.

/ with voting majority OF the Ad-
! ininistrat!vc Board opposed TO the fur
ther retention OF the committee plan
| under which II has transacted business
since September Is. 1918. that body
| VIII within the mex; few days aban-
! don the practice as method OF ad-
inin!sirat!ve procedure The change
viii be tar-reaching IN it's effects, and
| VIII be the most important readjust-
| inent tha; has occurred within the
board since 1T took Office on January,
! 1913.
! While a definite statement from the
| board is Lacking, at least three mem
bers are openly In favor Of abandon
ms the present committee plan. Carl
! ton Mccarthy and Elben G.. Folkes are
on record as opposed to the subdivision
| Of the boards administrative duties.
| and Henry +. Box indicated last
night that IL the motion to abolish
! the committees is introduced he would
support Ii.
! The committee plan under which
! tho board is now ,-orking was en-
! bodied Ia resolution submitted by
! john HirschberS on September TO-
| 1913 IL provided for the assignment
! OF the several members OF the board TO
! the supervision OF tho various city
/ departments. In behalf OF the plan. 1t
was urged that II would eliminate
much duplication o. enor; and IA
! HOW THE DEPARTMENTS
! WE'RE ASSIGNED
| The Hirschbers resolution was adopt
| ed by unanimous vote. and OH Sep
| tenber I5. 1913, Chairman White. di-
I vidcd the board into subcompittees as
| follows:
! Hirsc hbers s-wa,er Department.
Electrical Department. grounds and
| parks, city Hospital. and public
| charities
| Foiloe s-Gas Department, Street
| Cleaning Department. narelsts, ce,ne-
/ t"rles and dog pound.
| Mccarthy and Bcck-Street Depart
! nent. sewers, streets, alleys. bridges.
| bridge approach and Office force.
! Whittci-Jamcs River dncludins
| wharf and city tuE). city Chemist.
weights and measures and printing
and stationery.
Under the system thus created. the
separate board members assumed n
large degree of personal responsibility
/ for tho conduct OF the departments as
sicned TO their care as well as a cor
respondingly large personal authority
/ in directing their affairs. Ia theory, no
! individual member could act with re-
! gard 10 any important matter related
/ 10 his department without the ap-
proval of the rest of the board. In
! practice, 1T Is stated. the individual
members virtually manage the depart
ments under their supervision
HAS OPENED THE WAY
TO POSSIBLE hBIsI.
The objection is now made that what
| was ORIGINALLY designed to eliminate y
duplication OF work and facilitate
business has had an opposite effect and
that to continue tho sH stcri would be
to invite abuse. Acting with the best
Of Intentions. il - pointed ou;, indi-
viduol members OF thc board often neg
lcct 10 apprisc their associates on the
board OF their departmental rulings.
While much OF the business disposed
of percmptorily is OF trivial nature,
some OF it is highly important aud
shodld hc considered carefully by the
full membership.
The committee system. il is pointed
out. leads easily to an unchecked use
OF tho appointing power. Members as
signed to populous departments WELD
Il strong power because OF their au-
forcc--a power which. il is objected.
can easily he made an instrument to
strengthen politically the man who
wi"lds il
Il have from the beginning peen op-
posed to the system" said Mr. Folkes
yesterday. one plank IN tha platform
upon which | ran for the .Ndministra-
tive Board asserted my opposition to
a division Of the board into subccm-
mittees Wncn the plan was first
voted on IN September ! voted against
II. but was prevailed uJ,or to Change
my vote I" ';'ntorm with the views of
the other four members. who'Grged that
the plan be given trial
BELIEVES IT HAS NOT
WORRIED WE'LL. IN PRACTICE
rs long ago as last March there
was movement in the board to abol-
ish the committees. On March O. Mr.
Mccarthy moved that the plan be aban-
donci and supported the motion II
was defeated because Whittet Beck
and tiirschbcr. voted against it, Ii
'he motion is made again shall sup
por; ii.
'It is my belief that the committed
plan has not worked we'll in practice.
and that its further retention is uD-
desirable There is no saving i'm lin.
because the board is required to heal
all matters as committee of the
whole and to pass upon them in n body
II sits for that purpose every day and
may well assume charge of all its
administrative duties as an undivided
board"
Views along the same line were ex-
pressed last night hy Henry Beck.
who thought that the abandonment OF
the committee system canuo. long be
postponed. He had voted last March
to retain il a while 'onycr, he said, to
demonstrate his contention that it was
wrong in principle.
Ihere nave peen instances III which
members assigned to certain depart
ments have. without due consultation
with the rest of the board, disposed
of important matters. / have prob
ably done it myself. There is no con-
! scious abuse of authority, but there is
n tendency to forget to report to the
board matters OF detail and other mat
ters which appear trivial on the sur
face and are really OF deep significance
l shall vote to abolish the committees |
II motion to that effect is offered
EDJIN CASE AN
EXAMPLE OF SYSTEM
An example OF the confusion the |
present system enScnders. ii Is pointed
out. is offered in the case of the ap- |
pointment of Dr. Edlin recently by |
Mr. IIirschberg TO do certain tubercu-
losis work at the City Home The ap-
pointment received only cursory con- |
sidcration from the other members of
tho board. One or two members when |
charged later with responsibility in the |
continued OH Second PaEe)