The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-06-13
The Commissioner Declares
: That the People Have Made
Demands for Larger Ex-
Penditures
Men Entitled to
Increase In Pay
Expenditures Along Legiti-
mate Lines. Says Commits
sioners, Declares Board Has
Kept Well Within Bounds.
Resolution Matter of Form

There is very little oecasior--~at
least, no oocasion--for all this hula
ba.oo about increases in salary. IN
crease in expenditures and additional
men for the various city departments,
said Comm ssi oner Hirs1hberg Nester-
day.
The resolution introduced by Al
der1nan Gnnst at a recent meeting or
the board of aldermen, at the request
OF Alderman Powers, who was in the
chair AZ the time was simply n.atter
OF form II was designed % give
the mem bers Of the city council n
idea OF what had been done during
their term of Office, in addition TO
what had been done, mainly under
their direction. hY the administrative
board
Increase Follows Growth.
AS a matter CT fact. as every one
who keeps In touch with city a1aars
knows increases are made every year
The Increase IN business and in fs-
qusrements necessitat such enlarge.
ments OF the departments. This is A
natural result following the growth o.
the city.
The city has an advertising com
usttee, which every year has at least
ten Thousand dollars 10 its credit
said Mr. Hirsoh5erg. which lis used
10 advertise the city and to bring INTO
the city as nasay people and manufae-
turing plants as may come While
this money at least 5000 Of which
has been spent within the past few
wears = lis designed 70 help the CITY
will same ore please let me know
how many manufacturing plants have
come into the CRY within the last tive
years. Wa have had innumerable
ri
here by the indonitahle energy OF
Booster Ell Da nnes, and those con-
ventions have brought much money
here, and have aided in the aayertis-
ing Of the city broadcast
When Howl Goes Up.
But when il comes 20 Increasing
the wages 81 workmen ana adding 10
the denartrnents Of the City govern
menf which nave expanded there
seems to be a howl. Does not the
natural growth OF the city, its expan-
sion within itself. call FOR larger ex-
pend..u-e yea. by year, The ADMIN
is,rat!ve board Is doing what 1t can
10 curta!l unnecessary expenses, ana
when the report of Auditor Crenshaw
is dsgyesse6 by any one who wished TO
go through il without prejudice and
with a fair mind. IL will be seen that
the administrative board has kept
within bounds and that there has not
one cent beer spent more than reces-
sary 70 the maintenance OF the vart-
Gus depa rim rts.
One OF tho main expenses alluded
to in the report Of the city auditor
is that Of he establishment and mains
tenance Of the Virginia hospital. This
item, in the city ; expense WAS brought
about BY !nceSsant clanaor on the part
ef eager citzers. These citizens
crowded the council chamber night
after night Many speeches were
made. DR. George Zen Johnston and
DR.. s c. Mitchell headed innumera'hle
delegations for the hospital change.
There was practically no opposition
10 this scheme. Which is generally con-
ceded to have been one OF the best
things ever done by the city council.
But 1t costs something TO maintain
such an institution.
Another proposition which caused
much discussion was that requiring
the gas department to. inspect all
burners IN the city of which COM
plant might emade, This required
men 10 be added to the staff In the
ras department
Sun Another Demand.
Still another demand which the
people made upon the city was that
Of more men in the street cleaning
department Dus. covered everything
tied In DAYS. The administrative
board, by direction OF council. en-
powered the superintendent OF the
street cleaning department TO hire
more men He did so. More street,
were cleaned and more garbage aid
ash cans were dumped. Then the as
ISOLATION for better housing got busy.
and. through Councilman Unlauf, had
an ordinances passed requiring every
citizen to have at least two recptacles
in his back yard. one for cornbnstible
material and one for ncncombustible
material The superintendent OF
street cleaning stated before the COM
nnittee that such an ARRANGEMENT
would necessitate the employment OF
more men and horses or mules, The
ordinance waS passed.
A: various times thfre have been
demands upon the heads of various
darartYnents for better facilities in
handling the business OF the depart
ments 1t was argued that en- wears
ago a horse and buggy might. have
been able to cover the territory en-
hraned hv the particular department.
hut that with modern appliances,
methods ara other things. automo-
hiles were the things for aid in the
transactions Of business.
Men Entitled to Increase.
And again" said Mr. HirsthberE.
''rnen who had spent much OF their
life ia the service OF the city. and
who were getting mere pittances for,
what they did, were entitled to In
Increases, no matter how slight. And
npon the recommendation Of council
the board took great pleasure IN Civ
inc the workman his hire. am sat
isfied that any private corporation or
Company In the city has increased the
pav.of liz workmen at least a little