Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-05
BOARD MAY CONSOLIDATE
IMPORTANT DEPARTMENTS
Hirschbcrg Moves to Abolish Office
OF Superintendent Of Water
Works.
MAY PUT TRAFFoRD IN CHARGE
Conflict OF Authority Since Pumping
Stations and Sources OF City Wa
ter Supply Were Transferred to
Electrical Department.

with the order abolishlng the hands
and carts force barely twenty-four
hours old, Commissioner John IIirsch-
berg, in an iconoclastlc mood, yester-
day offered n motion providing for the
abolition of the office OF the Superin-
tenhent OF the Water Works Henry
4. Beck moved AS Il substitute that the
motion be passed by. and it was car
ried unanimously, Mr.. lIirschberg him
SELF voting with tho majority.
PREVIOUS TO this motion MIR. Hirsch-
berg moved that L. w. TraTord, Super
intendent Of the Electric Plant and
since March ]. in supervisory charge
or tho Water Works pumping stations.
be placed in full charge OF the whole
water system. office and plant Mr.
Beck moved that the motion be passed
ny, and 1t was carried, 3 to 1-Folkes
Beck and Mccarthy voting for 1t. and
HirschberE against It.
FORECASTS COMPLETE
REORGANIZATION
tarS tale of a development that is far
reaching in It's significance In tho
opinion OF many that claim to he in
crosse touch with the Administrative
hoard. yesterdays unsuccessful mo-
lions are the opening guns in n move
nent which will terminate I'm the re-
casting or the Water Department adj
rniniStration. When the Roasting is
Superintcn Davis. who Is the pres.
ent head. will yield the management
to an expert engineer
whether the Water Department will
DC merged with the Electric Depart
| ment. under the management of Mr.
| lratord. or whether the two tepart
ments Will remain distinct and n now
I superintendent will DO placed in
tho open question. Mr. Hirschbcrg -
rs understood. is In favor Of uniting
| inc management of tho two dcpnrt
inents under Mr.. Trafford Other mem
ptrs OF tho board have shown more
reserve In expressing their preferences
| All or them admit, however, that n %
| castlnR OF the water administration
| II not far on.
PRoBLEAI NEEDS FURTHER
CONSIDERATIONS. SAYS BECK
voted to pass Mr.. Tirschbcrg's mo-
| mons py because I was not ready rcs
l tcrday to make my decision" soid
Henry +. Beck last night mir. Trar.
1ord has Just been given tho suner
VISION or the pumping stations OF tho
Water Department., and I want 70 600
how the new arrangement works ho-
lore voting for any further Changes
] me Water and Electric Dcpart
mcnts are both important enough for
separate management The brod NJ
either one ought to be a busx, n,,n =.
may he that matters ca, he so ar
ranged rs to make 1t economical 10 adj
mlnistrate both departments from tho
same Office. ! am not vct cony;n,
that that can he done Until w.c h.,,o
nad an opportunity to see how NJ
IraHord gets along with his now dr..
!ies' ana until have been able to give
the matter more study do MT Nc
p"T" co vote lot any sudden change"
The Introduction or the IIirscbbcrr
I"o'ions Tor drastic changes i'm tho adj
!h'nIstration or the Water Department
, ,E"m INC hoard by surprise. Tho mo-
.nI
prrintcndcnt Davis who had on,lino
10 inc board for instructions "a In tho
comparative Jurisdictions OF his Office
ni,u Mr.. Irah"rd's Office under tho order
" T ",n went INTO effect on March !.
ihAfFoRD IN CHARGE OF
SOURCES OF WATER Sr-ppIy
mr. Davis wanted to know il he was
10 take orders from Mr. Trufford m,
was informed by Mr.. IIirschberg that
40 i'i as the pumping station was con
noiror Mr. !ranord WAS his superior
IIhccr reporting TO the board Mr..
avs pointed out that the supcrintcn-
rHSs or the pumping station included
:npcrFiSion over tho Settling Basins
nc canal and tho whole stretch of tho
river To Boshcr's Dam lie wantod 70
Know If MIR. Trafford's authority wou,d
extend that far. Upon being Informed
ny inc board that. under the order I'm
erect March ]. Mr.. Trafford Is tho su.
perHisihS authority over everything
~" WIN mo pumping stations
Mr.. Davis expressed the beliof that
mere was conflict of AUTHORITY he
'"een A'r. Traff0rd and himself
II think. too. that there Is n conN,ct
on authority, replied Mr.. IIirscbhcrr
And to put an end to any conflict or
iriction, move that L. w. Trorord
nc paced In charge OF the whole wafer
system including the Office, plant and
an inc same to go Into effect April ;"
MOTIONS PASSED ny no
nE TAKEN UP LATER
MY. seek saw no good In proceeding
SO precipitatciy, and moved that The
: 'no'ioh be passed by. Mr.. Hirschberp
atone voted against tho motion. JJnon
lhe defeat of the motion Mr.. Jirsch
pcrs moved that the office OF suporin
tehdeht OF the Water Works be abol-
lshcd Mr.. Beck countercd with another
inotioh to pass by, and this time Mr..
iiirSchberE voted with the other three
members present in the negative.
While radical change in tho al
ministration Of the Water Department
> Is promised in the early future. nothing
VIII DO done. II Is believed. until the
board completes It's changes In tho
Engineering Department The hands
and carts force goes out OF existence
on April ]. and the board Is now Mt
. work on plans for providing an effec-
tive substitute.