Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-10
CHARTER COMMITTEE IS
WORKING NIGHT AND DAY
Changes in Plan OF City Government
TO Eliminate Administrative
board Being Drafted.
TIME is BECOMING SHORT
Legislature Meets in Twenty-Five
Days. and Bills Not Introduced
Early i'm Session Have Little Hope
OF Ever Coming to Vote.

Members Of the subcommittee OF the
Council Committee on Charter Changes
are working day and night to complete
the draft OF desired amendments to
the City Charter TO obtain more CEN
tralized form o: municipal government,
and expect to complete their work
within the next ten days. Chairman
L. Lee Peters said yesterday that tho
committee hoped to have it's report
ready for presentation the frs, part OF
next week. but that il might possibly.
be delayed for ten days. lie believed.
however, that rot more than two weeks
would De required al the latest
The subcommittee Is SIN working out
fercnces practically every night; C!ty
Attorney Pollard has also been called
in to assist the members. and every e!-
fort is being made 10 complete the
work rs quickly as possible Members
declare that the detail work is OF great
volume. and Of such Il character as TO
require extended COZ sideration before
any definite decision is reached
Little time remains for the subcom-
!nittce TO complete is report, and ac-
iion by the Council for presentation TO
the General Assembly this year. The
Legislature conrenes January s--thirty
u'-J Isoil local DlllS
f!cd after the first three weeks in the
session are frequently left on the cal
endar az adjournment. For this reason
the subcommittee is laborns with all
possible haste consistent with the i'm :
portance Of the work before e.
Members of the Council have been
slow In coming to the assistance OF the
subcommittee. and have shown little
spirit Of cooperation AS yet. AT the
direction OF Chairman Peters. letters
were sent TO every member OF til. Com
mon Council and Board OF Aldermen re-
que.t!nE them TO ile with the subcon-
mittee any suggestions that thcy might
have in mind that would prove bene-
fetal TO the city government IL placed
in operation. This was done because OF
the short time in which the subcom-
n;ttee had to work. and because Il was
the desire OF the Committee 20 collect
the views OF the entire community. as
reflected by the Counoil
ONLY ONE REPLY ,I.s
so FAR BEEN RECEIVED
Only one reply had been received
yesterday by Chairman Peters. al
though tho letters we're mailed out
more than two weeks ago. This phase
Of the charlsr-reforal movement ha.
caused little or no discussion in coun-
'l!!lluEiC Circles, MS .lCerS OF both
branches apparently being content 20
wait for the rel ort of the subconmit-
tee before giving any consideration 10
the matter.
The Board 81 Aldermen meets to-
morrow night and tho next meeting OF
the Common Council will not be held
until January 4. Under these circum-
stances, i, viii, be necessary 10 call
special meetings OF both branches of
the Council for the consideration OF
the committees report. It is fully ex-
pected in political circles that the mat
ter will be placed in the hands OF the
Council before the Christmas holidays.
and il may be acted upon by one
branch before that time.
Strong efforts will be made 10 have
the charter amendments necessary TO
carry out the desired reform, ready for
presentation to the General Assembly
when that body convencs, in order tina
any obstacle that might arise through a
delay In Cling the city's bill will be
overcome in the beginning.