Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-16

those who have been most active In
| calling attention to the defects in our
| present government.
JONES EXPLAINS HIS
DEPARTMENTAL PLAN
Chairman Jones, at the suggestion
| of several members, submitted to the
committee an outline Of his depart
| mental plan" OF charter reform. which
would abolish the Administrative
Board and centralize the admnistrn
ton Of the entire city under pow
! erful Mayor, elected by the people.
, The Mayor, under this plan, would APP
| point the heads Of departments and
would be responsible to the people for
the administration of their trusts.
In preparing this plan, said Mr.
Jones. his chief object was to centralize
responsibility in IL single head The
Mayor, under his plan, lie said, would
he held strictly accountable by the
people FOR the economic administration
of the city's business. and he, in turn
would enforce a corresponding ell
| cheney in the departments by reason Of
his power OF removing department
heads and appointing others in their
places.
| MEMBERS SKEPTICAL ABOUT
ELIMINATION OF POLITICS
For thirty minutes after briefly ex-
pounding his scheme, MIR Jones was
piled with questions MANY of the
questions betrayed a frank skepticIsn
, both in the general plan suggested BY
MIR. Jones and In the assumption that
such scheme would be less subject
to political influences than the present
plan it was designed to supersele.
You talk about eliminating poll
tics and getting able men to iii i'm
portant positions" said Councilman
POLLOCK, addressing the chair. Don't
you know that by creating a Mayor
with all the powers your plan delegates
to him you would inauguratc the worst
political system Imaginable? y Mayor
as powerful as that could lntrench him
self so solidly behind the city employee
voters To whom Mr.. Meredith has re-
fcrred. that no amount of criticism on
the part OF the people could dislodgc
him"
Mir. Meredith betrayed similar dis
trust of the virtues of the depart
mental plan" pointing out that while
1t was intended to destroy the politics
which. II is admitted, play a prom-
nent part in the present Administra-
tive Board. it actually created n ma
purposes than the present board
SAYS FEAR OF REMOVAL
WOULD KEEP MAYOR GOOD
Mr.. Jones thought that the Mayor
under his plan would be inhibited from
building up political machine through
fear OF removal for inefflciency at the
next election. To this MIR. Meredith
the handicap OF 1000 voters with
which an outraged public opinion
would have TO deal with. Mr. Jones
countered with the suggestion that
provision be made for the referendum
ami recall.
Councilman Ratclife thought that
before the committee undertook to do
any radical recasting OF the charter,
1t should make an effort to ascertain
whether or not the present form Of
government is really inefficient He
was not altogether certain how such
Information could he obtained. but an
effort In this direction. he thought.
should at least be made.
HEMISS IN FAVOR OF
CENTRALIZED AUTTiORlTY
r. l.. Bemiss. OF the associated cit
liens committee. said that II was not
so much case of modifying a form
OF government that was bad, as 1t
was of getting something better than
the city has at present. Home gov
eminent and the Capitalization of re-
the two ideals to be kept In mind.
Alderman Adams, in connection With
his motion providing for the secur-
ing of the charters of selected list
of cities suggested that at Its next
! meeting the committee Invite repre-
scntativcs of leading civic and COM
mcrcial associations TO appear before
| IL and express their views as to the
| charter changes that are needed.
Such a plan, for the present at
least, objected Leon Wallerstein. would
| lead to no definite end.
1T was my understandings. said Mr.
WaIerstein, that the Council mem
bers OF this committee would be In
position to lny before the joint body
suggestions for the reform OF the char
ter, TO eliminate the bad features with
which they had become familiar. 1t Is
of the Council they are In position 10
know the weaknesses of the present
system better than those OF us who
are not members of that body.
SAYS GENERAL HEARINGS
WOULD GIVE LITTLE HELP
THE purpose in providing an adj
visory committee Of citizens to act
with this committee. l take 1t, was to
give representation to the very orgnnt-
cations it is now suggested to invite
at large to appear before the com
mittee. l don't think we would gain
anything by listening to general OBJ
! jections and suggestions from these
sources. Instead of narrowing the
problem to point where we could
deal with it, it would spread and am
plify 1t until we should be lost in -
volume of suggestions that would lead
nowhere"
Other members OF the committee held
the same view, and it was tentatively
agreed for the present that there would
he no general hearings until the MEM
| bers had themselves had an oppor-
tunity to make a more detailed study
Of the charter change problem.
| Sailor Is Drowned.
WEST POINT, VA, July 15.-John
Fuller. n sailor employed on one Of the
Baltimore pockets. was drowned here