The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-03
CHARTER CHANGES
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EFFORTS OF COUNCILMAN MILLS
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q
GIL MEETING.

Notwithstanding strenuous efforts on
the part of Councilmen Mills and Had
don, members OF the special council
committee on charter changes, common
council last night declined to take
further steps toward closing the breach
between the two councilmanic bodies
on the question of charter hanEes.
The committee several weeks ago re-
ported resolution to council embrace
ing a number OF recommendations, In
Guiding that of giving to the city coun-
Gil at any time ii might select the
right to place under control OF the ad-
minstrative board any OF the city de-
partments not now under control OF
that board. The boards now acting In
dependently are those OF fire. police ana
health. The members OF these various
boards do not wish to have themselves
abolished" and some of them havo
been active in their efforts to dissuade
the city council in their apparent trend
toward one-board government.
The board of aldermen has upon two
occasions stricken from the committees
report that section. giving council the
right at any time to CLOSE out" the
three boards while common council
has as persistently adhered to its orig
inat proposition of sticking by the re-.
port of the committee.
The committee held a meeting yes.
terday afternoon at which were present
Messrs. Mills. Fuller. Haddon and Mel
ton. besides the city attorney. Th6
object Of the meeting was to inquire
Into the presentation to the legislature
Of a measure, which gives to all cities
In Virginia with more than one hum
dred thousand population the right TO
frame up any sort Of local government
which they might feel disposed to do.
under certain restrictions. These re-
strictions require, after council haa
framed up its plan, that the people shall
vote upon the same. and then the gem
eral assembly will be asked at Its next
meeting to ratify such an election ana
such plan.
City Attorney Pollard stated to the
committee that he had presented tho
bill he Richmond members OF he log
islature, as citizen, however. and NOT
as the city attorney. He explained
that at a recent meeting Of the league
of municipalities that body had ap-
pointed a legislative committee to pre-
sent a bill to the legislature giving all
cities in Virginia the right to regulate
thei rown affairs upon the application
at any time Of fifteen per cent or tho
voters. This did not appeal to him, 20
he framed up the bill. which Is known
as senate bill 1872. which gives Rich
mond the right as specified above.
After the committee had accepted MI.
Pollard's explanation and adopted =,
resolution approving his actions. .
resolution directing the city attorney -
appear before the legislature and Ad-
vocate amendments to the city charter
carrying the various items In the COM
mittee's original report which had besn
agreed upon by both branches OF coun-
Gil was adopted.
But at the meeting OF council later
this resolution was defeated, and tho
charter changes resolution remains ~ II
did some time ago. The board OF alder
men now has the resolution as sent II
by the common council last THURSDAY
night--including the clause concerning
the fire police and health boards
This will be considered at the meets
ing of the board next Tuesday night.