The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-09
OPINION CHANGED
BY BOARDS ACTION
Election of Policeman, Once
Fired for Cause, Affects Line
Up on Charter Amendment.
MATTER UP AGAIN TO- MORROW
to Make Final Effort
to Agree as to Depart
ment Control.

| Renewal OF the fight to have moor
porated In the proposed charter changes
the provision to give tho city Council
power to place the Fire. Police and
Health Departments undor control OF
! the Administrative Board whenever II
sees fit will be made at tho meeting OF
tho Board of Aldermen tomorrow
night.
The Common Council has twice in
serted this amendment In the proposed
charter changes. and IL has been voted
down as many times by tho Board Of
Aldermen. Tho last recorded vote In
the Board was in favor of the amend
mont and against. With tho return
OF Alderman Perduc. who has been Ill
Tor some time. but who was able to
attend tho meeting of the Finance Com
mlttee last week. another vote will be
gained by those In favor of giving tho
City Council authority, In Its diBcre-
ton, to change the control OF the
three independent departments. and but
| two more in addition will DO needed for
concurrence In the action OF the Com
mon Council 1t liz said that ORC Alder
man has already undergone n change Of
feeling and Will vote for tho amend
mcnt, and that another Is ready to
change.
Police Hoard Criticized.
The action of the Board of Police
commissioners In re-elccting to the
force "a man discharged ten months
ago for grave violation of the rules OF
the department has been severely criti-
cized, and II is said. some OF those who
were opponents to the proposed change
of the control of the department are
now as heartily In favor OF It.
Another criticism directed against
tho Police Commission Is that all its
meetings are held under the strictest
secrecy. and that the general public
knows little Of tho Inner workings Of
the department moro cloacly related to
the people than any other. Several
members of tho commission themselves
would not oppose any change.
a member of the Board OF Aldermen
said last night that the Police Depart
ment could he made n most valua BILE
asset to the city. and that the control
of the force by tho Administrative
Board would be followed by a stricter
enforcement of traffic ordinances and
health laws, to which now. quoting
the Alderman, little attention liz paid.
Agree Some Qucstions.
If the Board Of Aldermen fails to
concur with the Common Council, AL
derinan Ordway Fuller Will Insist that
both branches ngrce on n resolution
authorizing the City Attorney to pro-
coed with the work of having tho Cen
eral Assembly enact into law those
changes on which both branches of the
1 Council are agreed.
There are several important meas
ures In the charter changes on which
both branches have agreed" said Mr.
| Puller. and 1 am in favor of having
them enacted into law. whether We
agree on the others or not"
Unless some action looking toward
compromise between the two branches
of the city Council Is taken tomorrow
night, the whole Issue Will be lost and
there VIII be no further opportunity
OF changing the charter until 1916.
Any further delay. even IL a compromise
should be finally effected. will also i'm
peril the chances of having the changes
enacted into law.
! Members OF the Board of Aldermen
who have consistently voted to give
! the City Council power to change the
control Of the three independent de-
partments are Messrs. Disney, Grundy,
Paul. Mitchell and Fuller; those against.
| Gilman, Nielsen. Grimes. Melton. Bliley,
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