The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-24

| investigation now pending. He is on
! the stwo important committees Oh
! Ordinance ana Streets.
Clarence T.. Seaton has been in
Common COunCii tor several terms.
he is one OF the watch dogs of the
treasury. and permits little to get
by" In the general conduct OF affairs.
MIR. Seaton Is one OF the members OF
the Finance Committee, and ia a
successful merchant OF the West End.
George w. Rogers Is looked upon
in Council as 1--we wire. He is al
ways looking out for the interests OF
the city. not only of the East End,
where he grew up, but OF the whole
city He is one of the active ones of
the T. +. AS. mixes In with the NOV
ing events of the day, and Is one of
the leading advertising men in the
state. He is chairman of the Com
mittee on Dock, River and Harbor,
and is a member of the Committee on
Advertising aid Enterprise
Thorough Investigation.
The resolution by which the COM
mittee became possible was drawn by
Councilman Gilbert X. Pollock. 1t
was designed to embrace a thorough
investigation of the Police Depart
ment. including every member of the
Police Board. and every member of
the department.
1t Is said by legal lights that the
City Council has no prerogative under
which 1t can investigate the Police
Department The charter says Coun.
CT. may investigate any body created
by its own actions. or any individual.
but II gives to the various boards, such
as the police. Ire, health and schools,
the power to investigate persons ap-
pointed by THOSE boards.
Under this understanding. Il is be-
lieved the special committee will take
SO far az X concerns members OF the
Police Board 1t will summon all
members of the Police Department
to testify to the official conduct OF the
members OF the Police Board. and to
show the truth or falsity for the
charges that certain members of that
board have grossly neglected their
duties and have interfered with the
work of the Chief Of Police and his
men, were we'll founded.
The committee named yesterday
will go into the investigation with the
determination of probing to the bot
tom Every man who testified before
the Vice Cotpmission will be examined
by the committee.
Counsel will be on hand to repre-
gent the various interests The ac-
cused commissioners will be well
taken care of, II is said. by several of
! the leading lawyers OF the city. Reg
ular court procedure will be prac-
tlced.
The most interesting bit Sf gossip
around yesterday was that to the
effect that rebuttal evidence would be
offered to refute what certain police
men had stated before the Vice Com
mission. II this be true. 1t IL likely
that after the councilmanic investiga-
ton, the Police Board will have to
| go into one of its own.
How 1t All started.
| The naming of the committee is the
elimination OF the efforts OF the Vice
| Commission appointed last year by
| the Mayor to break up the business
| OF commercialized vice In Richmond.
This commission was given $1,000 by
Council to aid in it's Investigations
and to endeavor to solve the social
evil problem.
| AS a result the Mayor ordered the
immediate closing OF the so-called seq
| regated district, Following this, evil
dence presented by the Vice Commits
sion tended to implicate three men,
bers of the Police Board in the con-
| duct of SOCIAL lawlessness in this city
Mayor Ainslie called upon the COM
mission to produce evidence warrant
| ing an investigation. and the commits
sion promptly produced such evil
dence. naming half a dozen police Of
ficers, two captains a detective and
he Chief Of Police as witnesses.
All these, and all the other mem
bers Of the police force will be heard
by the Special Council Committee on
Investigation as the hearings which
are likely to be started tomorrow pro-
coed.