Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-05

One hookkeeper paymas,e- ....s 2.loo
One bookkeeper paymaster .. 1900
Total $3.50
Mote: Since las, year all employees
of the city receiving less than $4,000
have received an increase of 10 pc:
cent?
in that chapter OF this report on
organization OF the government IT
has hoen shown that executive lead
ership is attribute which can be
exercised by but single individual. AMI
that. therefore. it is Fundamentally i'm
poss BILE for the city to secure executive
leadership through its Administrative
Board irrespective of whether Ia:
'nemhers thereof be appointed or
elected
In discussing the Administrative
Board il is specifically not the inte2-
ton 10 cas-. any reflection on the per-
sonnet of tho board The organization
and its methods have been studied
without reference to the personal
qualification of persons. II is under-
stood that III" original Administrative
Board began it's work By dividing The
departments among its membership
each member assuming TO administer
ore particular department or group nf
departments This plan did not work
satisfactorily and was changed SO that
for some time past the members have
been acting Jointly on all business over
which the board has jurisdiction.
SoLEMNLY TRANSACT
MOST MINUTE DETAILS
The men engaged on this survey
attended various sessions OF the board
which arc held daily at 10 o'clock in
a room which has setting similar
10 that OF high court of iustice-Ihe
desks of the FIVE commissioners be-
ing arranged in semicirc!e facing the
clerk of n u.it oh ~ nj
audience benches. Here the commits
sioners sit each day for from one 10
three hours. and sometimes longer.
transactinS what Is mostly me:e
routine business. such as could be PEI:
formed as effectively and moro expc-
ditiously by single executive.
These five commissioners sit ia
formal state and listen TO their sec-,-
tary tchief clerk) read over the de-
tails of purchase acquisitions. vendors
bills. and similar routine matters.
which no efficient commercial organi-
cation in the country would think Of
bringing before a board for consider1-
ton Complaints such as should b,
handled through a central complain
office are given hearing before the
full board. Detailed minutes are kept
by the secretary. written up in much
detail each day in various large vo!-
umes and formally submitted at the
Not only is the time OF these Ave
officials thus occupied on matters when
should he handled by single cXecu-
tive but the board has provided itself
with O large automobile and chauffeur.
and the entire board. as body. motors
about the city inspecting pavements.
curbs and various physical conditions
incident to the work OF the dcpar.-
ments under the boards supervision.
An additional automobile runabout has
been acquired for the use OF the chair
man just prior to the survey.
CLERICAL WORK WELL. DONE.
BUT MAINLY uSELESS
Careful examination was made II
the character OF work performed rs
the four clerical employees IN thu
themselves in writing. it consists al
most entirely of writing up minutes
correspondence. fling. etc. the need for
which would entirely disappear If the
board were abolished. The work OF
this clerical staff was heing we'll per-
formed. and there was plenty OF It,
but the existence OF the force is noe
justified.
With respect to tho two book
keepers. who serve as paymasterS
most of the auditing work duplicates
that Of the Auditors office. The ac-
counting work. although well dono.
could either be transferred to the CEN
trail accounting office OF the city OF.
to the various departments. The paw
master function should be transferred