Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-17
BLANK PETITION FORMS
PUSHED UNDER DOORS
City Officials Not Allowed To Know
Source OF Petitions They
Arc Circulating.
DRIVE is ORDERED
Number OF Signatures on First Ef-
fort Not aS Great ~ Was Mt First
Claimed-Reiievcd All Reform Is
Indefinitely Delayed.

Numerous blank forms. ready for tho
signatures OF voters. made thcir APP
p]caraucc around the City Hall tate
Yesterday afternoon. anl were being
distributed among city EMPLOYEES.
These will be placed in circulation TINS
afternoon and to-morrow and by Mon
day morning severa! thousand add
tional names are expected 20 be ad1ed
to the petition requesting IN" Cty
Council 70 call n special election 10
determine. whether or not the exist
ing form of government *hali DC
changed.
The second drive of the rcactionarH
clement. which is composed OF the
.'ins.' and has the strong snrn"r' or
four members OF tho Administrative
Board. was started with the Same Sc
crecy that has been observed during
tho entire campaign. The blank pc
titions were distributed TO CITY ON
ployees. but no one knew where ihcE
originated. In several instances the
blank petitions were placed uEd"r the
doors of various Offices. and we're iound
last night.
Two, facts are apparently demon
strated hv this second drive. The first
is. that the petitions viii bc fled with
the Council. which had been doub'ed
in certain quarters after :hc spotlight
of publicity had been turned on me
City Halls method Of fighting tho re-
form movement initiated by the civic
Association. In political circles foi
the past two days there has been
doubt that the promoters OF the cum
paisn would brave the public mIiG
nation which followed the pub'trHtion
of ctails of the movement. and direct
the presentation Of the petition.
SIGNATURES O AS NUMEROUS
AS AT FIRST REPORTER
The second fact dem onstrated ny ;he
renewal of activity is that the nc
tition is not as voluminous as had been
reported. Supporters Of the movement
declared Tuesday night that fully 1000
names had already been obtained, ana
that the required number Of signatures
would he secured within a Tow DAYS.
In the Democratic primary last Au-
gust the three candidates for Cover
nor polied a total OF slight less IMAM
$500. Voters exercising their right OF
suffrage in the general election Novcm-
her 6 must have been qualified 10 vote
in the primary. In the face of these
figures. the qualified vote of Richmond
is less than believed in certain quar-
tcrs. and the petition requiring the
signatures of % per cent of the voters
will be more easily obtained.
The second drive would moi nave becn
started by the promoters of the rcac-
tionary movement had sufficient names
TO force an election already been OBJ
tanned. There is little doubt in polit-
ical circles. however, that the required
number OF signatures will be secured.
II WAS freely admitted by many people
last night that practically all reform
activity in municipal affairs has been
delayed for two years.
1t is almost impossible at this late
hour. IL was pointed out, for the Coun-
ell Committee on Charter Changes to
work out any definite recommendations
tor presentation to the Council in time
tor consideration by the General AS
scmhly. which meets i'll January. Not
a Jingle concrete suggestion has been
made 10 the committee as yet, and
should any ono of the recommendations
made by the New York Bureau Of Mn-
nicipal Research be considered. the
committee would probably hold several
meetings before reaching a decision.
The committee has before il "A reso-
luton providing for the abolition Of the
administrative Board. and this suGgcs-
ton would he warmly contested. On
the other hand no suggestion has been
made Tor any plan for the taking over
al The duties Of tho board. and some
solution Of this problem would have
TO lie worked out.