Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-18
COUNCIL DELAYS ACTION
ON CHARTER CHANGES
Orders That Paper Be Printed and
Then AdJourns for Ono
Week.
MANY BUSINESS MEN PRESENT
Mills Leads Opposition-Othcrs Ex-
press Fear That Weeks Delay
Will Make Any Action Too Late
for Ratification by Legislature.


for Ratification by Legislature.
Pending the printing OF tho proposed
amendments TO the City Charter. as
suggested by tho Committee on Char
ter Changes. the Common Council last
night postponed until next Thursday
night all consideration of the paper
after members had expressed i belief
that no intelligent action could be
taken before tho measure had been
carefully studied. Tho report will be
either printed or mimcographcd with
in five days and placed in the hands
OF members Of the Council At once.
Two days VIII be given for tho study
of tho proposed amendments. and then
members will bn requested TO vote upon
tho measure. The special meeting or
tho Council Thuraiay night was called
FOR 1880 o'clock. and with the distinct
understanding that action upon tho
committees report would be taken at
that time. Fear was expressed last
night that any adjournment would viz
tnaliy Kill" the amendments. since
the delay would make their passage
BIZ the General Assembly highly I'M
probable.
week would mako any appreciate dit-
ference In the cnal consideration d:
tho paper By tho General Assembly
was made by several members. who ro-
called that several years ago when
amendments to the city's Charter wer.
Fought tho bills were not presented 10
the Legislature until late in February.
and were passed hy that body within
iAyv affCr :.i. 1C-
MILLS LEADS FIGHT
TO DELAY ACTION
Tho printing OF the amendments was
authorized on motion OF Councilman
Morgan y. Mills, Of jefferson Ward,
who taid no did not bciicve there was
man In the city az Richmond who
could vote intcilieently upon st after
having read II only once. Tho Coun-
ell had proposed TO go forward with
tho consideration az tho committees
report. section by section. and thcr ~
vote upon the paper In it's entirety
This paper Is o. the utmost import
ancc. and vo should tc thoroughly in
formed az 10 ITS provisions" ss.d NJ
MILE, who VAS a member of tho Char
ter Change Committee, and who or
posed It's report IF believe Il should
be printed and placed in the hands Of
every member o. III. Council. and that
can be done In from three &c hvo days.
The delay would make little dit
ference, and We must know what we
arc doing before We take definite ac-
tion. Just al the tine that this PAPER
after having been adopted by the 60 IN
ell and approved by The General AS
scnbiy. comes before the voters OF
Richmond for ratification, tho members
OF this Council viii also be seeking
tho suffrage of tho people
we must be- in position 10 either
defend or attack this paper at t0at
tire. II viii he n campaign issue, and
We snust know what it's provisions arc
that "" may explain Il 10 the pcor,c"
iIADDON SEES 40
DANGER N DELAY
Councilman =. Gray iiaddcn. q. Clay
"aTd. DECLARED that The burden Of
adopting or rejecting tho rccommc nda-
tons OF the committee had been placed
upon the Council. and that before vot-
ing upon tho PAPER members should bc
Gully Informed OF its every detail
Every member OF tho Council WAS
ready. he believed. to vot" on The Nd
Board proposition. Silt
that WAS only ouo OF The minor do
tails.
Their car hc no DANCE I'm DELAYING
consideration Of tho matter Eve DAYS
or week" ~ said. Last time We
our charter tho bills were no.
sent to the General Assembly until the
latter part OF February. and they wen:
through az matter Of course. When
VIC send our hills TO that body there
will DO no delay and no opposition.
There Is no reason why we should not
delay 1t week. until VIC could have
the paper printed"
The organization OF the joint COM
mittce on Charter Changes. which was
a ppointod under resolution approved
last February, was outlined by Coun-
Gilman Fred II. Powell member Of
tho special committee, who told OF the
many delays experienced by that body
and the apparent lack OF interest in the
ma tiers before it, both on the part OF
tho public and members OF the Coun-
Gil. He did not believe the paper could
be printed quickly enough. and pointed
out the delay In obtaining comics OF
the survey report OF the New York
Bureau of Municipal Research
Later members explained to him that
the committees report could DO either
typewriter or m!incographed. and he
agreed 10 the proposed action. After
this discussion several others membera