Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-23
CHARTER SUBCOMMITTEE
COMPLETES ITS REPORT
Document Is Sent Sealed to Meet.
ing OF General Committee
Thursday Night.
MASY WARTIME ECONOMIES
Report Said to Recommend Cutting
or Useless Offices and Reduction
Of City's Annual Expenditures.
Petition Sponsors Checking Lists.

The drafting OF suggested changes
in the City Charter to permit the IN
PRODUCTION Of many reforms In the
existing system of the municipal gov
crnmcnt was completed yesterday by
the subcommittee OF the Council Com
mittce on Charter Changes. This re-
port will be submitted to the full COM
rnittce Thursday night at o'clock.
Chairman John Z. Rose announcing
last night that a special meeting would
be called for that night. The subcom-
mittcc sealed its recommendations. and
they viii not be made public until the
Charter Change Committee meets.
The subcommittee was appointed
several weeks ago to draft tho neccs-
sary amendments to the City Charter.
when it was found that little or no
progress was made by the full COM
mittcc. The subcommittee had for it's
consideration tho various plans intro
duced by members of the Council, and.
together with the suggestions offered
by It's own members and other Coun-
cilmcn, has worked out what II terms
a wartime" form OF government.
Many rumors were current last night
rs TO, thel nature OF the recommends
tons made by the subcommittee. but it
was reliably stated that the report was
not undulyt radical. Members OF the
committee, realizing that the nation
was at war and great economies must
be practiccd. arc said TO have recon-
mcndcd several changes which will
materially reduce the operating costs
OF the CITY.
chiefs INTEREST IN ACTION
As.TO ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
Chief interest in the committees re-
port Is over the disposition Of the
Adm illustrative Board. In certain cir
cles it was believed that the abolition
~ the board would be recommended
while others wcrc Of the opinion that
the board would only be reduced. The
subcommittee, which is composed of
Alderman Ordway Fuller End Council
mon Peters and Powell. made no state
mon, on their report. and II will not
be opened Until the meeting OF the
Charter Change Committee Thursday
night.
Since little time remains in which
TO carry out the necessary legislation
In order TO place the charter amend :
mcn,s before the General Assembly,
which convcnes January 9, It Is ex-
pectod that special meetings of the
lull committee VIII be held until the
paper is finally drafted. Special meet
ings OF both branches of the Council
viii then he called, and the city's petit
ton made ready for presentation to
tn" Legislature.
WITH tho completion of the subcom
/. mittce'a report, the. charter situation
becomes more complex. 1t has been
auth"ritativoly stated that the petition
recently circulated by many city en-
ployccs. requesting the Council TO
place the charter change movement
before the people at a special election
viii nc filed eimulta ncously with the
report OF tho Charter Change Com
mittcc
For more than n week the sponsors
81 tho petition movement arc said TO
have been busy checking the petition
and verifying the names OF voters who
signed the paper.