Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-01
.HIRSCHBERG To PUBLISH
LETTER At PROPER TIME
Administrative Board Chairman Is
IT. Answered by Bureau of NUM-
Cipni Research.
STATEMENT MADE HY SANDS
Field Director Suggests That Conn
munication, Alleged to Criticize
New York Institution. BE Made
Public for Benefit OF All.

John HirsChhcrE, chairman of the
Administrative Board. announced last
night that at the proper time he
would make public the text OF the
letter which he mentioned before the
Council Committee on Finance i'll con-
nection with the proposed city survey
by the Bureau OF Municipal Research,
from which he drew the inference that
the bureau sought principally 10 get
the money"
Herbert II. Sands. director Of the
division Of field work Of the research
bureau. has taken notice of MIR. iiirsch-
berg's utterance. and from his office
in New York has issued statement
in reply.
why did no, Mr.. llrschberg read
the letter and allow the other city
onicials and the people of Richmond
to form their own conclusions con-
corning the meaning of the letter in
stead Of undertaking TO interpret it
for Them" asks Mr.. Sands
Continuing. he says:
The Bureau of Municipal Research
suggests that Mr. Hirschbers publish
the letter.
TESTIMONY OF OTHERS
QUOTED ~ BUREAU
.In the first place. the Bureau OF
Municipal Research submits to the
citizens of Richmond that the nu-
merouS commcndatory letters from
leading officials of the city of New
York. which have already been pub
lished In the Richmond papers. con-
corning the integrity Of the bureau
and it's work themselves disprovc the
statement Of Mr. HirschberE irrcsrcc
tive Of whether il he supported by the
real contents OF the letter he refers
to or not.
with respect to the much discussed
n cd Of
the bureau is not Il profit making or
Eanization, and has ample work 10
occupy its entire staff irrespective Of
whether it is asked To assist the gov
ernmcnt of Richmond or not The
Richmond survey would not make one
penny difference in the financial status
of the bureau. Refusal of the city OIL
Cials of Richmond To request a survey
would mean only that some other city
will obtain the services OF the bureau
staff during that time which might have
been devoted to Richmond's municipal
problems. The bureau was founded
solely to promote better government in
this country. II has consistently fol-
lowed this policy for eleven years
Surely the high type OF men who CON
sent to act as It's trustees and to
shape its policy would not give so
generously OF their time. nor even lend
their names, If this were otherwise.
Never In the history Of the bureau
has il removed from report state
mcnts Of fact merely because they
were "objcctionablc.' as Mr.. Hirsch-
berg would have the people believe.
GUARD AGAINST ERRORS
ny ASKING CORRECTIONS
The obtaining of an accurate fact
basis has always been fundamental
in the bureaus policy. In asking and
obtaining answers TO questions during
a survey, in recording such answers in
the physical inspection OF conditions
and results. and in the iutcrprcta-
ton of reports, ii is only natural that
the bureaus representatives might oc-
casionaliy record some facts incor-
rectly To guard against such a con
tinRency. it is customary for the hu-
reau men, before returning To the
New York Office, TO obtain from the
local officials a verifcation OF the fact
statements Thus any differences Of
opinion which may subsequently, arise
concerning the survey report are con-
fined to matters OF conclusion and to
The recommendations.
"In short. a pcrusal OF the Qualif-
cations and record OF the members OF
the bureau staff, Is alone sufficient
REPUTATION Of The seSInihEiy studied ef-
fort on tho part Of Nh. ilirschherE to
an accurate statement of facts,
After he had read Mr.. Sands's state
Inent. Mr.. HirschberG offered no com
,nent other than 10 say that he would.
at the proper time make public III"
letter which he told the Finance Com
mittee was written by a New York
City official 10 Richmond city official,
and which he NOW has under lock and
key in his desk