Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-21
ANDERSON OUTLINES VIEW
OF CIVIC ASSOCIATION
Says Citizens Demand Immediate
Relief From Incubus Of adj
ministrative Board.
REFERS TO BELATED PETITION
Members of Salaried Board Stated
to Bo Chief Beneficiaries of ANY
Delay in Municipal Reform
Through Failure OF Charter Bills.

Earnept protest against "a belatcd
petition being used to defeat the In
sistent demands of citizens for imme-
date relief from tho incubus of the
terday by tho Civic Association OF
Richmond in q statement OF that
organizations position In the proposed
changes in the City Charter. The
charge Is made by the association that
members of the salaried board, which
the Council proposes to abolish. would
be the beneficiaries Of any delay in
municipal reform which might result
through the failure OF the General As
sembly to approve Eichmcnds charter
bills, now pending before that body.
The amendments TO the city's charter
will come up for consideration to-day
at the regular meetings OF the House
and Senate Committees on Counties.
Cities and Towns. Despite the lobby
ing by certain city officials who have
barely missed day at the State Capt
tol since the Legislature convened. Il
was reported last night that the two
committees would favorsbly report
Richmonds bill to their respective
bodies.
AS pointed out by City Attorney II.
Il. Pollard before the Joint committees
Tuesday afternoon at the public hear
ing on the bill. the failure of the Gen
eral Assembly to grant the amend
ments recommended by the City Coun-
Gil would establish an unprecedented
action. The Legislature has ALWAYS
recognized the CITY Council as the
representative body Of Richmond and
has never failed TO gront It's request.
OUTLINES POSITION OF
CIVIC ASSOCIATION
DR.. ID. r. Anderson. executive .ecre-
tary of the Civic Association, last night
issued the following statement of that
organizations position on the charter
reform program:
Since June, 1915. the Civic Associa.
non OF Richmond. composed OF $500 OF
mo best citizens OF Richmond. includ-
ing hlmost every man who IS nctabls
Tor his leadership in the city has been
WORKING Tor charter reform. We have
seen GOOD results come from our All
Iaiton, labor, and financial cxpendi-
ture For the fret time In the history
o! Richmond. we have secured com
piete md judicial examination OF nil n,
our municipal affairs by .hc bes.
equipped and most experienced BODY
". u"iicipal experts IN this country
"c nave seen n community which N
the time OF our organization WAS in
oinereht on subjects of municipal GOV.
erhment stirred To such All extent I'M,
those who have consistently on,o..a
us from the beginning now base tb.ir
own opposition To our immediate de-
hahos on the ground that they desire
even more extreme charter reform.
80, nave seen the Council OF the
lily or Richmond in resnonre "a
great demand on the mart NJ cit;,o,
como forward with n reuuest - w.
Seherni Assembly for n large measure
OF chsTter chances. This has bcc,
r. gong on for several years aud ~,
unci. committee Itself has been ar
work for full year on Tho suh;.o,
charter amendments
ENCOURAGEMENT FROM
ADMISISTR
During all this TIME those wbo nv,
tSpoused charter changes eithe- ~.
eh'-ehs or the Council. have received
cement from the Admins
iatve board OF Richmond and have
o. g.. the Administrative Board or
KS friends set forward a plan NJ 81.
Yer change. AS matter Of 49, ~
chiet spokesman OF that board has nnr
sistehtly claimed that the goyernnon,
ot .ne CITY or Richmond is the best ON
'n; put 10 a mystery. In Noven-
Der 1917, few days after the Rurear
or Municipal Research had rennr,ad
,hat the Administrative Board shonid
DC abolished at the earliest onnor-
unity. II came to light that members
OF the board were earnestly desirous
.sS extensive reforms. so much
so that they sponsored petition which
purPorted to look to that end rha
enemy or charter reform had euddenIv.
oecome Its great advocate ami onIy
Two months before the General Assem-
oy was 10 meet Now they are asking
the General Assembly TO put aside thc
work OF Council Committee. which
mas been on the Job for year. SNOW
sored by citizens who have been IN
the JOB for nearly three years. because
AT the last minute they forsooth have
become the greatest reformers in ~
city. Having had the same lenrth ~
time other citizens and the Conn
GIL nave had. knowing that by tho
Pettloh method with It's requirements
OF charter commission and two cleo
I.oHs' SIX TO nine months would be re-
CURED to complete the process thew
began work only in November i've
nohtns oetore the General Assembly
convened and now ask the General AS.
semhiy to do nothing until 1920,
HIGH sALARIED MEN
BENEFIT BY DELAY
VINO would be benefited by this de-
lay! The very men who are asking
the delny-they would be the beneH.
Charles by the retention Of their ofIices
to the tune OF $1,000 a year piece
and an annual cost to the citizens of
over $4,000. And what do they pro-
pose TO give the citizens after asking
thcm TO wait two or three years? The
commission form Of government Will
be the great result. they say, Of their
movement But II may be we'll to no.
tice that the commission form OF gov
eminent would mean merely the re-
tention OF the Administrative Board
and giving to it the legislative powers
OF the Council. So the Administrative
Board offers the city of Richmond the
privilege of retaining their services on
the present basis and at the present
salaries for two or three years. and
the promise of retaining them with
increased powers for the Indefinite fu-
ture: What land OF promise for the
city,
Now may say that the Civic AS
ISOLATION has never opposed the So
called petition or the method OF &C.
curing municipal reform which il would
bring about by a charter commission.
AS a matter of fact. without our efforts
there would. in all probability, have
been NO charter commission law appli
cable to Richmond. though the pres.
emit law Is not in