The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-27
MCCARTHY WRITES ON
B|CAMERAL COUNCIL
FormerMayor Deplorcs Existence OF
Two Branch Body For Good
Government.
LITTLE POWER OF MAYOR
Writer, Back in 1908. Made Prophesy
Concerning Appropriations For New
Bridge. ArInory. Electric and Gas
Plants.

The public need not be surprised,
when on Tuesday night, at the meet
ing of the Committee on Charter
Changes, Mayor Ainslie expresses him
self in favor OF giving the Mayor more
actual authority
Nor need there he any surprise when
Captain Mccarthy representing the
Administrative Board expresses himself
in favor of the abolition of the bicam
eral council
Mayor Ainslie has committed himself
upon frequent occasions ~ to his stand
In this respect. He does not agree
with city Attorney Pollard that the
Mayor has all kinds Of power and can
do anything. He is satisfied that the
mayor has no real authority That he
can do nothing but make recommended
tions. and that there is absolutely no
power in the Office except in the case
OF wrong doing on the part of some
official.
The Mayor. according to Mayor Ain
slie's Interpretation of the Constitution
and the Charter can do nothing toward
improving the working forces of he
city government He cannot discharge
a man for the good OF the city, nor
can he employ one for the same pur--
pose.
Commissioner Mccarthy has com
mitted himself to the abolition of the
bicameral council II is not certain
hut that he would like to have the
Council entirely ohliterated In an
article written when he was Mayor on
Saturday. August l. 1908. Mayor Nc
Carthy described interestingly the
modus operandi OF the city government
He expressed himself strongly against
councilmanic power. and said the city
government would not be improved
until the form then fastened upon the
people was radically changed 1t has
, been changed, by the addition of the
Administrative. Board but the bicam-
eral council still exists
In his article Captain Mccarthy,
then Mayor refers to the appropr.a-
tons then being made by Council. He
speaks of the actions Of that body in
/ terms numerous, If not prophetic.
Funds were being talked of for
the new bridge. now completed. the
Blues armory, now completed a large
sum for the proposed electric plant.
and much money for the rehabiiita-
tioi of the gas plant.
Captain Mccarthy was no prophet,
but the money was spent. and the re-
suit of its expenditure is now seen
on every hand, 1t is said by many
that the Administrative Board is now
clamoring for bond issues to meet the
! requirements of the growing city
What Mayor Mccarthy wrote for
/ the Evening Journal at this time is
well worth reading now. while the
question of charter changes Is upper
most in the minds of the people:
/ tBy GARLIC a MCCARTHY
Being asked 20 write sonnet hing on
municipal politics. proceed at once to
say that there are two kinds: That
Kind of municipal politics which -four
ishes when some persons are engaged
I in an effort to remove city officers or
/ comncilnen in order to take their
places, is the kind which will not be
! mentioned this time.
fhe other sort of municipal politics
! f,ourishes on the inside amongst those
who are officers or members cf the
! Council. and ii is this inside form
which Is our subject today.
The storm center of municipal
politics tinside) is the treasury how
ito get money in the treasury and
then how 10 get it out. Without the
exciting stimulus of money to spend,
the sessions of the Council would be
duh and unattractive. The various
committees of the Council would
perish for want of a quorum. but for
( the same delightful employment of
distributing the funds. The older and
more experienced members of this
| body soon tire of the routine expendi-
: ture of the ordinary revenues, and
crave the more exciting and interest
J ing employment to be found in the
appropriation of money which does
! not exist and which must be magical
/ ly produced by the creation of more
/ debt and the sale of more bonds.
The present Council is making
record for itself by spending all Of the
| magnificent current revenues OF the
city and at least million more. 1t
has cheerfully put aside $350,000 of
mythical money for the gas plant. and
another s350,000 of dream money for
tn electric light and powe~ plant. and
| Will probably appropriate another
100000 of the money of the future
for the Blues Armory. and will then
probably proceed to appropriate some
purely ina ginary funds for the new
| free bridge. While resting from these
| herculean visions and dreams. they
will consider under nightmare condi-
| tions the purchase of the dock and
the reconstruction of the public school
buildings. all to be done with an easy
sort of currency created by something
closely akin to rubbing Aaddins
lamp.
THE people-the great masses Of
the people-have yet to learn that
they pay by labor and self-denial and
high prices for food and clothing what
the government. Federal, State and
city spends. In this year 1908 the
people contribute for the expenses of
600. but this trifling amount being in
sufficient for the ambition Of the
energetic councilman. he coolly adds