Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-24
CHARTER CHANGERS
Reject PLAN FOR
ONE-MAN POWER
Kill Jones Scheme for Ad-
ministration of Depart
ments by Mayor.
EFFICIENCY BOARD is
HELD UNCONSTITUTIONAL
City Attorney Pollard Delivers
Broadside Into Governmental
Idea of Civic Association
POLLOCK'S PLAN "MONSTROUS'
Objects to City Being Put on
Operating Table by Ex-
perimentcrs.
PLAN "MoNsTROUs"
Objects to City Being Put on
Operating Table by Ex-
perimentcrs.

tee last night. nevertheless. with
Chairman Jones in the lone minority.
united in banning from it's further
consideration the chairman's plan for
The creation OF Il powerful elective
Mayor, clothed with the authority to
appoint all department heads
Early in the meeting the committee
adopted unanimously n motion offered
by Councilman Pollock, dccla ring il
the conviction of the body that the
modified charter to he drafted shall
provide for AN absolute separation OF
the Legislative, from the executive and
administrative functions OF govern
incnt
EFFICIENCY BOARD PLAN Is
ILLEGAL, SAYS POLLOCK
Previous 70 this the chair had pre-
sen,ed an opinion from city Attorney
Pollard holding that the efficiency
board, as provided by the reform plan
OF tho Civic Association. would be ille-
Eally constituted since II would be
composed in part OF judges who would
be barred by the Constitution from
being members OF that body
Bereft of It's efficiency board. the
Civic Associations plan differed In no
essential respect from the plan Of
fered by Councilman Jones Both
made provision for an elective Mayor
with wide powers of appointment and
removal. as central features. The de-
cisivc manner ~ which the committee
rejected the Jones plan was unani-
inously interpreted as indicative of the
committees sentiment with regard TO
kindred scheme OF the Civic Associa-
tion There was no escape from the
conclusion tha, the Council members
Of the committee. with the possible OK
cep,ion OF Mr. Jones, will cmphatically
and with short paricy. reject it
JONES BATTLES ALONE FOR
ABOLITION OR ADMINISTRATIONS
OF the several stormy sessions that
The Charter-ChAnee Committee has held
since its creation. las, nights meet
ing was b! lar the stormiest Prac-
tically alone. both among the citizen
and Council members of the commit
tee, Chairman Jones battled for the
abolition OF the Administrative Board
and the substitution for il OF Il direc-
torate composed Of an elective Mayor
appointing and controlling a board.
each member of which should he as
signed TO tho control of a particular
department.
broad question Of administration there
was practical unanimity on one point
that it will under no condition sub
scribe 10 a plan which would center
the administration of the city's busi-
ness In the hands OF single indi-
v!dual. whether Mayor answering
the general description Of him in the
Jones and Civic Associations plan. or
a manager responsible to a commission
or to the Council
COMMITTEE FAvORS
RETENTION OF BOARD
tain from the speeches of members last
night. the body's views on administers
tive changes. the committee is over
whelmingly in favor Of retaining the
Administrative Board, ether In its
present size or In slightly reduced
size. On this question there was no
division among those who spoke at
all always excepting Mr. Jones, who
refrained from committing himself af-
ter his own plan had been rejected
The storm centered around the prob
lem of how the board shall he con-
stitutcd and elected Councilman Pol
lock spoke repeatedly and with vigor
in support of his conviction that the
election of tho board by the people was
n fundamentally wrong procedure and
that the members should be elected by
the Council, either upon or without
nominations by the Mayor.
POLLoCK'S PLAN IS
CHARACTERIZED AS "A1ONSTROUS"
Against Mr.. Pollock's plan of election
there was allied practically every
speaker Of the evening. City Attorney
Pollard characterized as "monstrous"
Mr.. Pollock's suggestion that the
Mayor be given seat and vote in the
administrative Board. and that he at
the same time remain fully possesssd
of the executive powers Of removal and
suspension given to him by the Con-
stitution. II was monstrous he said
TO propose that the Mayor shall have
the power OF removal over officials CO.
ordinate with him in function and an
thority.
But the sensation OF the evening
came few minutes before midnight
The committee had threaded tho mazes
of arguments for and against the Pol
lock plan. for and against certain fea-
lures Of the Jones plan, and had dis.
cussed the significance Of tabulation
presented by Mr.. Pollock purportino
10 show that the Administrative Board.
in its three years of life, had saved the
city $7$4,000 in street and sewer work
alone. 1t was debating heatedly a
resolution offered by Alderman Chris
CONTINUED on Third Pagel