Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-16
DELAY RESULTS FROM
HAsTY WORK OF COUNCIL
Aldermen Find Ordinance Giving
Work to Unemployed to BE
Defective.
SUBSTITUTE MEASURE PASSED
No Expending Body Named in APP
propriation as Adopted by Lower
Brancll-Special Meeting Of C0un-
Gil Called for Friday Night.

Prevented from giving the expected
immediate relief to the city's unem-
ployed by an eleventh hour discovery
that the ordinance as passed on De-
cembcr : by the Common Council was
defective. the Board Of Aldermen Ia st
night passed substitute ordinance
appropriating s125.O00 for immediate g
expenditure in public work under the
direction of the Administrative Board
When IT became apparent that the
ordinance as passed by the Council
would not be concurred in. Councilma n
Jones. patron of the measure. who
WAS present as spectator. at once
put in circulation a petition asking
for special meeting of the Common
Couhcii This week TO concur I'm the
passage OF whatever measure the
Board might adopt. The five necessary
signatures We're easily obtained, and
President Peters, of the Common Coun
Gil, who WAS present in the chamber
ISSUED call for a special meeting of
The lower branch to be held at s o'clock
Friday night
TENT OF ORDINANCE
FOUND DEFECTIVE
The ordinance passed by the Com
mon Council on December reads as
follows:
BE II ordained by the Council OF
the city of Richmond, that the sum OF
S12a, 600 be, and the same Is hereby,
appropriated TO the credit OF an ac-
count to be raised and known as spe-
cial Improvement appropriation which
saic sum shall be used and employed
in making needed public improvements
including the employment of labor, sup
pies ami equipment, and said boa r,l
shall draw upon said account by
proper vouchers. charging said i'm
provements to the proper department
accounts. All work under this or
dinance shall be by per diem en-
ployes."
In this form the measure was re-
ported to the Board last night for con-
cuirence. and crowded chamber was
on hand TO witness the unanimous an
proval of the measure that had been
forecast
FULLER DISCOVERS
FLAW IN MEASURE
Alderman Puller discovered the fata,
flaw. He pointed out that the ordi-
nance as drawn failed to designate
the cNpending authority. While il was
generally understood that the Admin
istrative Board was to administer the
appropriation. only an indefinite ref
erence was made in the ordinance 10
an unnamed board. TO pass such an
ordinance. said Mr.. Puller. would ONLY
mean that City Auditor Crenshaw
the fund, since no expending authority
was DESIGNATED. and tho planned relief
would be indefinitely delayed.
Alderman Gunst was inclined to be
lieve that the reference i'm view OF
the wide publicity that the method OF
administering the fund had attained
was explicit enough, and said that he
was prepared to vote to concur in the
ordinance as passed by the lower
branch, The measure. he thought, was
of such Il pressing nature that il could
not afford to be delayed longer
WOR<MAN SUGGESTS ORIGINAL
PROPOSITION AS SUBSTITUTE;
at this point In the discussion Alder
man Workman moved as n substitute
for the defective, ordinance reported
from the Common Council the passage
Of the measure prepared by the Finance
COMMITTEES. segregating the S125,0OO
appropriation to the several depart
ments This ordinance had been lie
feated IN the Common Council on the
ground that the division of the sum
among the several departments would
hamper the Administrative Board In
using the. appropriation to the best
Continued on Second Page)