Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-19
CHARTER PETITION
FILED BY HOBSON
Paper, Containing 4,242 sigma
lures, Requests Election on
New Form Of Government.
BLAME COUNCIL FOR DELAY
Many Citizens Now Support
Charter Commission as Best
Way to Secure Results.

Petitions containing the signatures
OF 4,212 citizens. said to lie more ;har
% per cent of the qualified voters OF
Richmond, requesting. the Cit" Coun
Gil 20 call a special election to deer
mine whether the city's charter shall
be changed. were fled with Clcrl: wal
ter Christian. of the Hu%tinGs Court,
late yesterday afternoon by Graham
y. Ilobson. member of the Admins
'ra,ivc BOARD. This action had hcer
anticipated IN political circles fo- sew
oral Gays, and did not cone AS sur
prise.
Under the provisions OF ;hc Acts OF
the 1918 General Assembly, these pc
tition, must he checked by Mir. Chris
tian. ani tho number OF qualified voters
certified TO by him. Tho paper viii
then he presented TO Mayor George
Ainsl.c ior presentation 20 the C.:un-
Gil In certain quarter II Is CON
tended that action on tn; petition. il
mandatory by the Council. once the
paper Is filed. and that all other cha-.
ter reform movements will be KILLED"
automatically.
HoBSoN DECLINES TO
MAKE STATEMENT
Cormi,sioncr Hob.on ,rould make no
statement last night on the petition be-
yond the fact that 1t had been rleG
with the CLERK OF the Hastings Court
Certain citizena believed IN. question
Of charter amendments should be dc
ci6ed by tho voters OF tho cit" lie said
and the petition had ac"ordingIv beer
circulated and filed. The paper vii!
be son. - he Mayor Immediately ar
ter il is checked by the clerk OF tse
court. and will probably be submitted
At the Februar" meeting of TIE Com
mon Council
IN political circles j; wac limited last
night That efforts would he made by
;llcse a. ne head OF the petition moe
meat. which VA. waged unsponsored
for sc"eral weeks during November ans,
December. 10 "pack'' the election and
select charter commission TO the
satisfaction OF those Responsible for
the inauguration OF the movement.
WANT REPRESENTATIVE
CHARTER COMMISSION
- tho special cIectfoa w,ich viii
he called By the Council. prrrit:ns
tina: ,he petition contains the sigma
,ures of % per cent of the uinliT"L
first decide whether or not The charter
shall hc changed. They VIII vote "y,s''
or no" The remainder "f III" hallo,
viii b. devoted 10 the candidates for
the charter commission. which '"ilI he
elected z; this election, and tho election
o! this commission v'il! nc weld i. the
people vN;c against charter changes
strong p-".sui, Will he Lroushy to
boar 20 bring out as candidates for
this ona!ssion several pror!!.en.
downtown business men, il Was stated
~ politics! circles LIST night. Th-, c
5 Il certain group os r,n, g .,cclrc
known. who arc unwilling 20 follow
;he lead &C either the City Hall ":as"
or OF ,tn Civic Association. but are
now determined 10 give Eichnoad The
best corTA Q: government rossibl". This
S!oup will :ght both factions and r,c.
9!cicd tho c.cr,ion OF SUFFICIENT nam
h"r or its candidates 10 prevent "rouel,
Shod' worl. n" any enc faction in
drafting the new charter. when drawn.
'h~ work Of charter commission mas
"a 5e submitted TO popular vote
MANY BELIEVE COrNClt
Is DODGING THE ISS!t.
Since the Common Cornell ordered:
I
'niti"e printed. causing delay of on
"cek. business men believed ,ha. ::
va" trying 10 cvaGc the matter p: his
iim". y, "as evident that members
were II no hurry 10 consider III. r,at-
ter. "a'd prominent brsircsS man
wfo attended the meeting l'r;1ay
night. IT" no i. was apparcn, shat
thc delay was caused Simply because
nenib' RS OF TIE Council had little IN.
ter,et''
This man pointed out ;ha. in o,f1e.
cities where a chartsc commission had
bccn elected and made its report. IL,
practically every instance III" bicar1-
crai counci! mode OF government, has
been abolished, and ii its stead hal
been created n commission form o,
government. This WAS especially true
Of the city OF Norfolk, Which, last fail
ratihed the plan, as submitted h. it,
charter commission. The propcr bills
, to ca1ry out this form OF government
arc now pending in the General As
: he'ibly and are expected TO be approved
m the next fcw days.
PETITION IS SIGNED
BI i.242 CITIZENS
The petition f1cd yesterday after
noon b. Mr.. Hohson is made IN OF
sol duplicate petitions, and contain
I the signatures of 4,2Io citizens. Oi
this rumbcr i. is expected that some
are not qualified voters. hut MIR. Hob.
son said his chcci; of the petition list
showed that the qualified vote uf the
| city OF Richmond was 14.25c. AMI tha,
he was confident the required - per
sent would be contained in TIE pc
tit'on. The potition was checked an.
counted by e. q. Blakcley, who i:
employed in the City Engineers office
The text OF the petition is as fol-
lows:
ITO the Council of the city of Rich.
mend:
we. the undersigned qualified voters
residing in the city OF Richmond, .lo
hereby request your honorable body
to provide, by ordinance. for the hold.
ing OF an election to determine. Shall
| this city take tEo necessary steps II
frame, and request that 1t be granted
] Continued on Third Pagc.)