Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-08
Lower Branch Passes Ordi-
nance Designed to Help
City's Unemployed.
Administrative. BOARD
GIVEN WIDE LATITUDE
Authorized to Pay Any Equitable
Wage and Employ Any
Number.
ALL DEPARTMENTS BENEFIT
Tentative Plan Provides $4,000 EN-
penditure for Material and
Equipment.


recognizing grave crisis in local
industrial conditions. said to DO due
20 AN unparalleled scarcity of work,
the Common Council last night passed
by unanimous vote an ordinance ap-
prosriatiag $4,000 to be expended
at once. under the direction OF the .id-
ministrstive Board, in public Improve
mcntg.
offered by Councilman Gilbert X. Poi
lock- as substitute for the ordinance
introduced by Councilman Carter g.
Jones and reported In an amended form
by the Finance Committee. It was
accepted by Councilman Jones. and
was adopted after q running debate
that lasted more than an hour.
In the ordinance reported by the FL
nance Committee the s125.00o was par
celed out 70 the eeven departments IN
deHnite sums. IS follows: streets gen
orally. $4,000: grounds and parks. SEQ
600; street cleaning. $4,000: Water
Works. 10000; Gas Works, $4,000
cemeteries. Sl5,0e0, and electric plant,
$4,000.
POLLOCK OPPOSES
DICTATION TO BOARD
Councilman Pollock entered vigorous
objection To the ordinance because IL
undertook to dictate TO the Admins
trativc Board the amount that shall be
spent In each department. Such q pro-
ceeding, he held, was, on its fac, i'm
practicable and would hamper the
board In giving early employment to
the largcat number. Tho board. hc
said. should be left free to spend the
money where IL was nout needed and
where 1t could be spent to tho best ad-
vantage.
Mr.. Pollock objected also to the pro-
vision of the ordinance limiting the
wage TO be paid to 81 4 day. 1t would
be altogether Inconsistent, ho held, for
the, city to pay one man s2 a. day and
another man 50 a DAY for identically
the same work, merely because. one
and siis ot,eE y Is 'th tfis Sfovisiesai
or emergency fnrce. 1t was not a oues-
tion of charity, he said, but ono os
paying the laborer regular wages for
useful work.
IL was idle for the city to promise to
employ 200 mon when the whole pres
ent army OF city employees numbers;
little moro than coo. said Mr.. Pollock
Tho practicable thing to do, he urged.
was to give the Administrative Board
free rein. authorizing 1t TO employ as
many men as can aLynntageousIy be
employed. The board. knowing the OBJ
ject OF the appropriation, he thought,
would OF Its own accord do its utmost
TO employ as many mon as possible.
OFFERS SUBSTITUTE
FOR FINANCE REPORT
Holding these views. AR. Pollock
offered Il substitute for the paper re-
ported BY the Finance Committee, ap-
propriating 1925. 900 in a lump sum
without restrictions as to the manner
in which 1t shall be spent The money,
the substitute provides, shall be placed
TO the credit OF an account to be known
as the Special improvements Account"
to be expended by the Administrative
Board In public improvements upon
vouchers Issued by the several depart
ments.
Councilman Jones declined at first
to accept the substitute, asking instead
that the Council pass the original ordi-
nance introduced by him, which pro-
vided Tor the employment OF at least
700 men at 81 q day. The Pollock sub
stitute. he feared. might leave the way
open for cheap contract labor and de-
feat the intention to give employment
TO day laborers at q reasonable wage.
In order to meet this objection MFR.
Pollock added provision to his sub
stitutc, directing that all work under
the special appropriation be done b.,
per diem employees. With this amend
meut Councilman Jones accepted the
substitute, and it was put to n vote
and unanimously passed. The measure
will come up for concurrence at the
meeting OF the Board of Aldermen next
Tuesday night.
WAS BASED on REPORT
FROM ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
The Finance Committees ordinance
apportionins the appropriation among
the several departments. was based on
q report made to the committee ycster-
day afternoon by the Administrative
Board, in which :. tentative apportion-
ment was described. The division,
however. was made by tho board mere
i to indicate tho probable manner in
which money would be spent the re-
port recommending specifically that the
appropriation be made In a lump sum.
In it's report to the Finance Com
mittee the board drew attention TO the
fact that approximately one-third Of
the $i25,00o appropriation would have
to be expended for tools, equipment. and
materials. It was estimated that even
with this expenditure for materials and
equipment, tho balance remaining
would make possible the employment
OF 100 men for two months.
The board reported It's belief that 1t
would be greatly embarrassed II COM
PEELED - employ ut once as many as
700 men, to, be designated as, aud TO
do the work of, day laborers, a 1t
would have been required TO do undei'
the original ordinance. 1t asked leave
to be allowed to employ men from
time to time, as needed. With large
additions to the laboring army, 1t was
necessary also. 1t was pointed out. to
employ at least limited number, OF
skilled men as supervisors. und for
work demanding skilled service. Under
the amended measure that WAS passed,
no definite wage Is fixed, and the board
Will have the power to employ any
class Of labor at any ratio OF COM
pensaton that 1t deems equitable
BOARD OUTLINES
@ PLAN OF EXPENDITURE
Tho following sections from the re.
port submitted by the board to the
-(Corltjnuefi on 'rsecTnd par. 4 -