Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-18
WANT COMMISSION
TO FRAME CHARTER
Committee Votes to Ask for Law
Authorizing Hastings Court
to Appoint Body.
FOR PREFERENTIAL BALLOT
Ratcliffe Resolution, Held to Pro-
vide for Change That Is Con-
stitutional, Is Adopted.
:OR PREFERENTIAL BALLOT

stitutional, Is Adopted.
Members of the Council Charter
Change Committee last night adopted
a resolution recommending that the
Lesis Stature he asked to pass q bill
allowing the Judge Of the Hustingsl
Court to appoint II charter commission
To have charge of the task OF framing
Il new charter for Richmond.
The resolution. offered by Wyndha.n
X Meredith. one Of the citizen members
OF the committee, was offered as a sub
S'itute for a resolution introduced by
Alderman Adams. who sought TO have
the so-called Optional act" designed
for the city OF Norfolk amended 50 as
to apply TO Richmond.
Mr.. Meredith offered a rough draft
the essentia! points o. which would he
| TO confer tho power sought upon the
Judge OF the Hastings Court. should
nc be pctitioncd by IL per cent OF the
quailhcd voters to name a charter com
mission. 1t provides also that he shall
appoint a commission OF seven mem
hers. to serve without pay. to draft
, 4 charter to nc submitted to the people
which. If approved by n majority Of
the qualified voters. Is then TO be sub
mitted to the General Assembly for
ratification. The City Attorney was re-
! Guestcd TO put the paper in proper
legal form for submission to the
Council.
/ PLAN ELIMINATES
UNNECESSARY ELECTION
Under the Norfolk plan. the voters
would have to elect members Of the
proposed commission and then hold a
! second election following the oonlplc
iicn of the commissions work wa.
pointed out ,int the Mca.....A rcsolt.-
ton would eliminate an unnecessary
election. The Norfolk plan also pro-
Nidcd saiaries for the commissioners
The Ratcliffe resolution asking ,hcl
General Assembly to pass :. bill allow
/ ing Richmond tho US" of the preferen-
tial ballot in making nominations at
primaries. was adopted, following an
I opinion from City Attorney Pollard to
the effect that it would be constitu-
tionai for such "a law to be enacted
I Councilman Ratcliffe's resolution as
originally drawn would have applied
only to nominations for tho office Of
Mayor ana for the Administrative
/ Roard. Upon motion Of Alderman
/ Pnller this measure was amended 10
/ include all city Offices which carry
/ emoluements.
! Mr.. Meredith assured the committee
+ ij'nt the adoption Of the preferential
ballot would be of much benctt to the
city's electorate. as il would tend more
/ clearly to reflect the sentiment of the
people and their wishes
I iCoUNCILMAN RENEwS
4 HIS FIGHT OF OLD
! The adoption of these two resolutions
were the only definite accomplishments
! Of four-hour session. City Attorney
! Pollard submitted 10 the committee
men his draft OF all the work so Gar
accomplished by the committee. as had
been requested at a previous meeting
! II was the signal for a debate which
continued uutil Adjournment was takca|
at 1885 o'clock.
The cause OF tho long -dra wn-ont
wranclc was the renewal by Council
man Pollock OF his fight to place the
/, Police. Fire and Health Departments
uncer the direction of Administra-
tive Board and to have the City Coun-
! Gil elect the members of tic board
Motion after motion and substitute
after substitute designed 10 accomplish
! this end were defeated
Councilman Pollock cuntcnded that
of the action of the committee, but
that it merely Expressed the sense Of
+! the committee" and would have to bc
adopted by the committee before sub
| mission to the Council
/ HOLD THAT DRAFT Is ACTUAL.
WORK. OF COMMITTEE
Councilman Ratclinc aud Alderman
! Adams promptly objected, declaring
& hat hC
! the committce. and to begin by amend
! ing tho resolutions az passed would
! simply mean doing a thing twice. and
not only add to the work. but carry ii
/ SO far that the committee would find
! that i; would he Impossible to submit
/ it's recommendations Ia The Council
| some time next month. which must bc
| done IL il is hoped 10 get the charter
! amendments at tho coming session Of
| tho Legislature. which opens in
| January.
| Councilman Ratcliffc was on the point
! OF offering motion to adopt the city
s, Attorneys draft Il whole. when
Councilmau Peters moved To adjourn.
| He withdrew this motion AT the request
| OF Councilman Ratclifc, hut Council
man roliock renewed it. and insisted
, upon it, and the committee ADJOURNED.
voting in opposition to il.
When Mr.. Pollock renewed his fight
TO remove the Police Department from
the direction of tho Mayor. he Was sup
ported by Mr.. Meredith. who declared
that such a course WAS radically wrong
MEREDITH FEARS Politics
IN POLICE DEpi iRTMENT
"'rhe Police DEPARTMENT." said Mr..
Meredith. is the most dangerous arm
of tho city government. and is susccp-
tiblc to manipulation by politicians
The plan which you have adopted. TO
have your Chief of Police named by
the Mayor and the members OF the
police force appointed by The chief Is i
extremely dangerous. You will lind
that by this method you will make
your Mayor the tool of the Chief of
Police. The situation would he one
! which could he built into Il nice politi-
| cal nest"