Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-26
WILL NOT CALL CHARTER
COMMITTEE THIS WEEK
Chairman Jones Believes Meeting
Should Wait Until After
Primary Election.
DATA is NOT YET IN HAND
Members Take Time to Study Model
Charters of Cities With Reform
Governments - Civic Association
TnbulatinE Valuable Information.

There will be no meeting of the
Charter Change Committee this week."
said Councilman Carter C. Jones. chair
man Of the committee, last night.
The members are taking time to
familiarize themselves with the mod :
ernizcd charters of several cities
whose forms Of government are looked
upon as models In their class. and this
study will take some time 1t will
be wise, I think, to wait until the
primary is over to hold another meet
ing"
Compliances with the committees
requests for copies of their charters,
sent to number of cities more than
week ago, are coming in slowly.
The city clerk of Toronto has notified
Clerk Mcdowell that charters of that
city in separate printed form arc not
easily available. and has sent in lieu
thereof typewritten summary of
Toronto's governmental scheme The
plan Is complicated by commissions and
bodies peculiar to Canadian govern
ment. and will hardly be adequate to
fichmond's needs.
MANY CITIES PROMISE
TO SEND THEIR CHARTERS
Other cities have advised that copies
OF their charters will be forwarded at
an early date. In the case of several
cities the charters are part OF elaborate
city codes, and are not available in
separate form.
Acting independently Of the com :
mittee. the Civic Association of Rich
rnond has n committee at work com
pilinG useful data on the various re-
form charters OF the country AS soon
at rig1
hcnsive volume and Is properly ar
ranged. it will be presented to the
Charter Change Committee for its IN
formation
The board Of directors of the Civic
Association will meet at S:15 o'clock
tonight at the Mechanics Institute.
Among the important items Of bust
ness before II will be the selection OF
permanent downtown Office as head
quarters for the executive secretary
George W. Rogers. who has taken
charge of the associations publicity
work.
UNBIASED INFORMATION
DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN
While the matter OF securing copies
of charters will not prove Difficult,
task. reliable information as to prac-
teal operation of these charters. It is
believed, will be difficult to obtain.
Members Of tho Charter Change Com
nittcc who participated In the con-
ference that led to the reforms Of 1912
which created the Administrative
Board, have already warned the other
members that every charter that will
come to them will look admirable on
paper. and that there will be n con-
slant temptation to adopt features
which look we'll on the printed page.
but which are of doubtful value in
practice.
The committee is practically agreed
that the information 1t needs above
everything else. is unbiased and com
prehensive testimony bearing on the
operation Of reform charters in prac-
tice. To secure this information the
committee has considered the advisa-
bility Of bringing to Richmond for con-
sultation municipal government experts
or established reputation, who have
had opportunity to observe the merits
ana shortcomings of reform govern
mcntS in actual operation