Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-04
WOULD CUT MEMBERSHIP
FROM FIVE TO THREE
President Peters to Introduce Reso-
luton Tonight Affecting Adj
miniStrative Board.
SAVE $4,000 IN SALARIES
Patron Says Board of Three Members
Would Be Just as Efficient rs One
of Five-Two Members Terms Ex-
pirc Next Year.

Further steps for the reduction of
the membership of the Administrative
Board from I'VE to three members will
be taken tonight when r. Lee Pc
ters. president Of the Common Council.
will introduce a resolution at the
meeting Of that body directing the
recently created Committee on Char
ter Changes to report for adoption by
the Council such resolution. and re-
questinE the Richmond delegation in
the General Assembly to use Its good
offices to obtain the necessary amend
ment to the City Charter.
Mr.. Peters said last night that he
had such resolution as will be Of
fcred tonight under consideration for
some time. believing that a board. COM
posed of three members. would be
equally as efficient for the city, and u
reduction of two members would re-
suit in a saving of $4,000 annually in
salaries alone. With fewer membe rs
he believes. the business of the board
would also be expedited. The State
Corporation Commission. he pointed
out. has but three members.
The resolution to be offered tonight
is as follows:
BE it ordained by the Council OF
the city of Richmond, the Board Of
Aldermen concurring:
That the committee on Charter
Changes OF the City Council be. and
is hereby. directed to report a resolu-
ton for adoption by the City Council.
that the Richmond delegation in the
General Assembly be requested to use
their good offices to obtain an amend
ment to the charter of the city OF
,.,lN,. Il ..zl.
Administrative Board of the city of
Richmond shall consist of three, in
stead of five members.
That this ordinance shall be in
force upon it's passage"
RAISES QUESTION OF HOW
BOARD Is TO DE REDUCED
Adoption by the Council of the reso-
luton would put the question OF how
the board is to be reduced squarely
up to the Committee on Charter
Changes. Two members of the board
Chairman John Hirschberg and Cap
tain Carlton McCarthy-come up for
election next year. and there is already
talk OF opposition. If the board is re-
duced. il is possible that no election
would be held. although that is a mat
ter that must be worked out by the
committee in An effort to deal fairly
with all five members of the present
board.
Councilman c. G. Jones. Of Madison
Ward has already definitely announc-
ed that he will he candidate for the
board. while several other prominent
men have been mentioned as probable
candidates. Much depends. however.
on the recomme ndations TO be made as
result of the recent investigation by
the New York Bureau Of Municipal
Research. In certain quarters it is
believed that this report will recon-
mend the abolition OF the board, in
which event Chairman Hirschberg has
stated that he may become a candi-
date for Congress from this district In
opposition to Andrew jackson Monta-
que.
Several other important matters will
he considered by the Council tonight,
among them the resolution recommend
cd by the Finance Committee. provd-
ing for an increase OF 10 per cent in
salary for the remainder of the fiscal
year for all city employees receiving
$500 or less annually. Councilman
Jones Will also probably Introduce a
resolution providing for the cstab-
lishment Of an eiGht-hour workday
for all city employees.