The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-24
TO RAISE REVENUE
FOR EIGHT-AOUR PLAN
Problem of Need for Half Million not.
lars for Addition to
City's Pay Roll.
NAY SELL ELECTRICITY
Little Chance of Increa sing Price ~
Gas, But Possibility of Raising Cost
OF Aqua Pura--Automobiie Taxes.

Councilman Roden and Aldermen
Christian and Paul will get busy this
week in looking into the question of
i TIE establishment Of an eight hour
, system for city employees. This com.
mlttee waa named at the last neetinr
/ OF the committee on ordinances. and
was Instructed tn report back At the
next regular meeting of the full corn
mittee.
The ordinance was introduced in
common council by Councilman Car.
ter c. Jones, who asked the commit.
tee 10 report it hack favora bly 40 tia,
the finance committee could get to
work on It without delay. The orat-
nance committee. however, felt tina.
it was too serious 4 matter To hA
passed UP favorably without fnvestiea-
ton so the three members Of aha
| committee mentioned were named IN
| do the deIvirg
city Auditor Crenshaw. in an ors.
I hand opinion, states that the ins,ttu.
! tIon ~ such system in Richmond
VIII mean an additional expenditure
( OF at least 100000 a year. The aver.
age city employe now works nine hours
/ a day he city auditor Illustrates
/ the great Increase in referring To tha
! pay roll Of the street cleaning de-
: partmept, which for the wear was
! $4,000. and which would be in
/ creased about $4,000 by the eight
/ hour system
| Half Million Increase.
! a recent resolution adopted by civ
I council and approved by the rnavor
I gives all employees receiving $1,000
! and less an increase of ten Der cent
! In salary for the remainder Of the
fiscal year. IN order to carry out tho
/ requirements of this resolution ths
sum of S7705t.2i was appropriated.
This amount. If continued Will mean
! Tor a fun wear. more than s3nn, 900
additional money for the pay ron
/ Then. according to the city auditor.
another 100000 would have to ba
t added. If the eight-hour system Is
/ adopted, making half a million doll
/ lars Increase in the city pay roll
/ Where this money is to come from
I ia perfectly plain. as suggested by the
auditor. It must come from taxation.
/ But" says the auditor. Richmond
/ is not heavily taxed by any means.
! when it is compared 10 other cities.
Take the prosperous city Of lynch
! burg took occasion TO take a glance
| over the tax lists there the other day.
and found that the merchants tax on
| purchases is about 90 per cent great
er than in Richmond. And the tax on
| automobiles is graded. according to
the capacity of the car. Every owner
Of ans automobile. however, must pay
! a tax. whether the car is used for COM
| mercial purposes or not. We have no
such tax here vet. although Council
man Peters has an ordinance before
council fixing a fat tax of IS for each
car"
| Auditor Crenshaw will make a re-
port to council on his trip to the con-
vention Of the League Of Virginia Mu-
/ inequalities He will very likely en-
I body some suggestions as to taxation.
! Against Increase of Gas Rates.
/ The suggestion that revenue be rais-
/ ed through an increase in the price
! OF gas Is not looked upon with favor
+ by councilmen. The fight for years
! for lower gas was too hot and too
fierce for a revival especially when the
/ fight would he TO increase the price.
III revenue is 10 be raised" said
/ a councilman yesterday. at must be
through some other means than that
/ of raising the price OF gas. We might
place the electric plant on CONNER
4 cial basis thereby increasing the citv's
income. or we might revise the water
tax. making II payable monthly and
al small Increase. Water Is subject
to waste more than gas or any other
/ commodity. and there IS danger of a.
shortage OF water supply, under pre-
/ vailing conditions. II we are to give
every non resident such connections as
he may desire"
These thoughts Of this councilman
NAV reach a concrete form before the
snext appropriation ordinance is adopt,
ed and he injected into the general
!. discussion,