Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-22
Charter Reform Committee Will
Not Change Ward System
of Representation.
REJECTS SlX-WARD SCHEME
Will Seek to Secure Needed Re-
forms by Amending Charter
Now in Force.

and put ii through the necessary pre-
liminery steps in time for action by
the Legislature this winter, the Coun-
Gil Charter Change Committee last
night voted unanimously for "A motion
offered by Councilman Pollock declar-
inE II 10 be the sense OF the commit &c
that II should proceed as expeditiously
as possible to modify the present char
ter. rather than to draft a new form
of government to supersede the form
row in force.
In the opinion of Mr. Pollock. con-
Cured in by the City Attorney. the
adoption of this motion by the COM
mittcc leaves il free to adopt tho re-
form plan Of the civic Association In
It's entirety. with the single exception
Of the section providing for a single
chamber Council. The motion prc-
cludcs the adoption of this feature of
the associations scheme
COMMITTEE VOTES TO RETAIN
COUNCIL IN PRESENT FORM
After debate which consumed most
OF the threehour session. the commit
tee voted shortly before adjournment
at 1920 o'clock to retain the City Coun-
Gil in its present form. without change
AS 10 the number of wards or the rep
resentation from each ward.
On this point the debate was keen
est. Councilman Ratcliffc pleaded for
Z reduction in the size of the Council
from thirty-two members TO twenty
members. proposing that there be
elected from each Of the four wards
three Councilmcn and two Aldermen.
The motion was defeated by a vote OF
to 1, Mr.. Ratcliffc alone supporting
IT.
Councilman Pollock urged a red's-
tricting OF the city into six wards and
;he election from each ward OF three
Councilmen and two Aldermen This
would have decreased the Council from
thirty-two members, which u has at
present, to thirty members The plan
received the Endorsement of Charles V.
Meredith, OF the citizens committee.
PoLLoCK'S SIx-wARD
PLAN Is DEFEATED
Mr. Pollock's motion to this effect
was defeated by a vote OF 6 to 3.
The members voted as follows:
For the siN-ward plan-Councilman
Pollock and Aldermen Adams and
Powers-3.
Against the p!an-Councilmen Jones
!laddon. Peters and Ratcliffe and Alder
With both substitutes for his motion
defeated. Alderman Christians motion
declaring for the retention OF the pres
ent four-ward plan and the bicamcral
Council as at present constituted was
put on It's passage, and was adopted
unanimously. In voting for the motion,
Mr.. Pollock reiterated his preference
Tor the six-ward plan. expressing the
hope that tho committee may at later
date see fit to revise its views
Councilman Ratcliffe. earlier in the
evening. offered a motion declaring it
to be the committees conviction that
the Mayor should he elected nv the
people Chairman Jones called atten-
tion to the fact that the motion was
superiuous since if any other course
were pursued with regard 10 the Mayor
the reform plan. according 10 the con-
structfon OF the City Attorney. would
be an entirely new form OF govern
ment. The committee had already de-
cided to conflne its efforts to modifying
the present form.
In order to dispose of the question
without further debate however. Mr..
Ratcline's motion providing for the
popular election of the Mayor was nut
and carried unanimously
SETTLES COMMITTEES POSITION
AS TO LEGISLATIVE HODy
1t was generally conceded after ad-
journment that the Charter Change
Committee had taken a long step for
ward In reform program by disposing
definitely of the mooted points noted
in the foregoing. 1t settled definitely
the committees position with reference
20 t-l,
government, and paved the way for the
consideration at future meetings of the
administrative and executive branches
around which the real fight will CEN
ter.
Representatives Of the Civic Associ-
alton. not moro than half a dozen Of
whom were present last night. were
apparently satisfied with the evenings
progress While Wyndham II. Mere
dith, asked during the progress of the
meeting for statement of his opinion
on the ward question. reiterated his
conviction that small Council elected
from the city at large was the pref
erablc plan, he was not downcast by
the committees decision to retain tho
Council unchanged.
FAVOR RETENTION OF
COUNCIL IN PRESENT FORM
Leon Wallerstcin expressed the be-
lief that the Council as at present con-
stitutcd should be retained. having
heard nothing to lead him to believe
that the body is too cumbersome or
too small. Fl. r. Pollard. Jr. did not
regard the size OF tho Council as
matter OF particular moment. and was
In favor Of retaining as it is consti-
tuted at present. Charles V. Meredith
said that he would prefer to see Il
small reduction in the Council. but was
opposed to the abolition OF election BY
wards Thomas Branch McAdams fav-
ored the retention Of the Council in
its present form.
The meeting was singularly free
from the passion and recrimination that
have characterized the last two or