Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-04
lie men under him to secure his re-

election.
| The Civic Association has made /,
plain that its officers and members do
not favor the lease or sale OF the Gas
! Works
! In the open the fight has been en-
tircly onc-s:dcd. The Civic Association
| Of Richmond. organized some years
ago to secure better government for
Richmond. has conducted a number of
meetings at which various speakers
have explained the new plan OF gov
eminent IN detail.
OPPONENTS HAVE MADE
No PUBLIC SPEECHES
meetings and have made no public APP
pearancc. TWO OF them having stated
that they were pledged to make no
speech during the campaign lest some
injudicoIs word OF theirs give aid to
the other side. The campaign from
the boards standpoint, therefore, has
been one OF handshaking and personal
soliciting. Just as four members OF
the board last winter invaded the state
Capitol and canvaSScd the General AS
sembly in vain effort to induce the
members not to submit the question
OF aoolishinS the board to Il vote of the
citizens Of Richmond. so these four are
10 be seen each evening on important
street corners speaking 10 all who
come by. The NTH member. MIR. Beck.
has taken little part in the campaign
and took no part in the effort last
winter to kill the Councils proposed
changes in the Legislature. AS an en-
sineer by profession. he held the most
lucrative position OF any OF the five
when the board was created. and has
recently considered offers to act as
city manager for other municipa litics
introducing modern methods and climi-
mating oid-style, clumsy councilmanic
government by the operation Of the
comm ssion manager plan. 4 system
which IS To so into effect il Norfolk
shortly.
Many citizens have their own reasons
for voting for or against the board
accord nCly as it has or has not made
impr' 7mcnts in the vicinity of their
property. Others complain OF lack Of
civil treatment and of failurc to give
husinesslike promptncss to the dis
patch of business or even to answer
filed with the board
CHARGE BOARD WITH
KEEPING CAMP AWAY FROM CITY
Many others have not forgotten that
1t was the attitude of the Admins
trativc Board which kept Richmond
from securing military camp. When
a board Of army officers came to Ricn-
mond and consulted Governor Stuart
as 10 the best place FOR a cantonment
to house forty to sixty thousand SOL
diers. Chairman HirSchbcrg made an
announcement as to the alleged failure
of the government 10 pay for certain
water pipes and drains put in at the
state Fair Grounds, when the State
militia camped there preparatory TO
their departure for the y eXican border
MIR. ilirschberS even went so rar a.
To say that if the board were abol-
ished at that time, he would run for
Congress on the platform OF making
the government pay the bill for tnos.
water mains The army officers made
n" comment. but silently moved on TO
Petersburg, where they laid of and
established Camp Lee. Evidently in
their view city whose officials thought
more Of the value OF rev pipes tnan
II did OF serving the nation .n war
time was not the proper environment
for camp for the training OF soldiers
as defenders of the nation
Failing in their effort 10 block ac.
ton on the charter amendments ny
canvasSing in the General Assembly
members Of tho Administrative Board
devised plan for confusing the voters
and muddyinG tho municipal waters
by getting up counter pct!t ion look