Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-12
EXPOSURE NAY RESULT ~
PETITIONS BEING WITiIDRtWN

In some circles IL was predicted tina:
the exposure given to the effort to
secure signatures to Il petition for
which no ono has hccn willing 10 stand
sponsor. would result in tho petitions
being withdrawn. and some other line
OF attack adopted by those who have
for months opposed the efforts Of the
civic Association 10 have 4 scicntiiic
survey OF TIC CITY made and VIII" have
since made vigorous attempts 20 be
litt!c the Burcau OF Municipal re.
3carcl: and the value OF it's recent
report on conditions i'll Richmond
Petitions were circulated Saturday
by Charles l.. shepherd. city Paynas-
ter for departments under the Admin
is'rativc Board; Thomas w Mitchell.
assistant plumbing inspector, under the
control OF the Health Department:
Wyndham Wright. stenographcr in the
Office of Chy Engineer Boiling: Thco-
philuS W. ('The"! FolkeS, custodian OF
tho Grays' Armory and "a wcll-known
Jefferson Ward political worker, and n
number Of other city employees. Tho
greatest activity in the movcmcn, has
been displayed by employees in the
Health Department, tho city EnEi-
ncer's Office and other departments un-
der the supervision of the .Administra-
tive BOARD.
SAYS HE DOES Not KNOW
SOURCE Or MOVEMENT
Mr.. Shepherd said last night that he
did not know the source of tho move
mcnt. He had been requested by
friend to obtain signatures TO the
paper. which he himself had signed, but
beyond this fact he anew nothing of
the matter. There were Il number OF
petitions circulated in the City Han
saturday. he said. and that was the
first time he had known of the move
ncnt. lie declared ii seemed TO be a
general movement. and he understood
that similar papers were being pre-
sented to voters in all sections of tho
city.
As he declined absolutely to discuss
the matter. no Information could be
obtained from Mr.. Mitchell. lie would
neither deny nor confirm the report
that he had circulated one of the
papcrs. He made the same reply to
every query: II can give YOU no in
formation" and became slightly indiG-
nant during the course of the inter
view. It Is known, however, that Mr..
Mitchell did circulate petition. and
that he obtained a number of sigma
turcs to his PAPER
SIGNED UNDER IMPRESSION
TT WAS FOR CIVIC ASSOCIATION
Mr.. Wright also canvassed a number
Of voters Saturday. Some signed his
petition, while others did not. One
voter rcpented his action when he dis
covered that the movement: was not
censored by the Civic Association OF
Richmond. 1t was in the bcl;es that
:. S-as in accordance with the policy OF
~.at association that he had affixed his
signature. Mr.. Wright said last night
that he did not know the source of the
movement.
The paper had been given him by
a friend in the City Hall with the re-
quest that he obtain tho names of as
many voters as possible. lie was in
full accord with the movement. and
signed the petition himself, later OBJ
tanning Il number OF signatures. He
said that a number Of other employees
IN the City Engineers Office had been
given similar petitions. but he declined
20 say who had passed around" the
forms
An officer Of the Health Department
asked several employees Of Broad
Street storc to sign the petition Satur-
Continued ON Second Page.)