Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-19
Mayor Ainslie Has Done Well

D ENGINEERING the salary limitations
y whercwith the Council iicdged his field
OF choice about, it may Re said ,Sat Mayor
Ainslie has done surprisingly well in the for
nation Of his official cabinet 1t is diff
hcult to see how he could have chosen better
among tho candidates whom he knew 10 be
available for selection TO the four director
ships upon which Richmond's remodeled sys
tenn OF government must depend for its sue
cess. This seems TO be the opinion of the
man in the street, and, while II may not be
expected that ali sill be satisfied, the Mayors
critics, pfaced under similar conditions, would
md II difficult task to write q better slate.
Mayor Ainslie was particularly fortunate
in being able TO for Richmond the
services of DR.. f. c. Levy. There is at least
one of the new public servants who will have
no trouble in Qualifying IS of the sorely
needed big men," despite the fact that he
has consented to serve with salary that is
far from large. The city already has much
for which to thank Dr. Levy. AS the former
chief Of its Department OF Health, he &C.
complished work which made Richmond
model after which other American cities were
giad TO pattern their health administration,
and incidentally he created for himself
national reputation as civic health worker.
He thus comes perfectly equipped for the
position TO which he has been named, aud,
possessing the public, confidence in fullest
measure, the Department of Public Welfare
under his administration should work
smoothly and efficiently from the outset.
To their respective positions the other d-
rectors bring qualifications OF practical char
acter which should ensbe them TO discharge
their duties satisfactorily. AS Director of
PUBIC Safety. under whom will be admin
istered the affairs of the Police Department,
Colonel W NJ Myers has advantage of long
military experience and is trained a leg
islator and executive. He is strict dis
eiphnarian and with him at its head the
police force should operate effectively as
ever it has done in the past OF the four
directorships that of Colonel Myers unques-
uonably is the most responsible, and to him
more than any other must the public look
Tor the hoped-for results OF the admnistra-
ton. AS Directors Of Public Works and
Public Utilities. c. E. Boiling and E. w. Praf-
ford respectively, bring long and practical
training to the departments OF which they
are made the heads and in which they now
are afforded broad opportunities TO demon
strate their executive talents
Each one of these four directors can make
himself worth far more 10 the city than the
salary the Council agrees to pay him. II
they prove themselves the big men" Rich
mond has demanded il is certain that there
Will be no hes!tancy in rewardng them &C
cording 10 their merits. for the present sched-
uie must be considered largely experimental.
II they cannot classify as big" then they
viii have 10 give way to those who can.
Thus the stage is set for the inauguration
on January l. of municipal government in
Richmond under the amended charter. The
new system, of course, Is not perfect No
one has claimed that for it, but it is the re-
suit of expert labor and careful compa alive
investigation. and is fundamentals sound
II surely will do all that its authors have
said that it will do if given a fair chance
Sut petty politics patronage. log-rolling and
all those other short-sighted. obstructive
methods which have handicapped and finally
defeated other systems OF government, must
be abandoned if this is to have an honest
trial. OF those methods, which have been so
strongly in evidence here, the Richmond pub
lie Is long aweary