Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-09
Councils Folly and the Bond Issue

COMMON Council itself constantly lends
- weight and supplies fresh facts to support
the argument that until it is abolished Rich
mond never can have a satisfactory and
smoothly running system of municipal gov
eminent. It's affairs, it becomes increasingly
evident, never will be conducted with large
business vision so long the present form is
continued. Through the exigencies of local
political conditions, rather than for any good
ends it may serve, this governmental fifth
wheel or in this case the third wheel. has
been preserved, but if 1t were put to popu
lar vote today it is doubtful if it could save
itself. The bcameral system long has been
discredited cumbersome, a drag on any
live community. and by many progressive
cities it has been discarded. Richmond,
through apparent political necessity, has re-
tanned It, When the amendments to the
Charter were drafted and the present form
of government adopted it was deemed mex
pedient to move for the radiance OF the Coun
Gil, but to make the best of bad condition
and let the greater reform come slowly
Toward its own abandonment the Council
is laborng diligently, even if ignoranty. a
few more failures to rise to the realization
that Richmond no longer is merely country
village on the James and to be guided there
by will drive from its side the friends 1t has
left, and there will go up a popular cry for
real government in Richmond whose mem
bers are not nseparaby welded to smaller
caliber politics and grab-bag policies when
ever little money is to be expended, os-
tensibly for the general good.
The Common Council had an opportunity
to prove itself grown out of the village class
in handling the ordinance providing for
$4,000, 600 bond issue for street improvement.
Did it seize that opportunity? 1t did not.
Mr.. Roden presented a measure which would
have left the plan of Improvement i'll the
hands OF the Department OF Public Works,
where all such matters were intended TO rest
under the amended Charter. But the FL
nance Committee, just one member dissent
ing, could not rise to the OCCASION and it
demanded that each ward receive one-ffth
of the total, with one-ffth left to the dis
erection OF the Director of Public Works That
was bad enough and disappointing enough in
all conscience for 1t was direct reversion
TO the old ward-heeling system, which tax
paying citizens were led to believe had been
left behind. But ii was to be worse When
this hybrid measure went before the Council
1t remained for that body to plunge the city's
fat further into the flames by taking away
even the 100000 yearly that had been left
10 the director, and to apportion it among
the wards Thus the twice amended measure
would tie his hands, confne him to ward
lines, disrupt comprehensive and continuing
program OF street building and improvement,
tend TO wastefuness and extravaganza in the
expenditure of the funds and render futile
that department OF the government which the
people created in order to rid themselves of
the very condition which it is again proposed
10 saddle on them.
Streets now are in such an awful condition
in every part of the city that the taxpavers
may vote for anything that promises relief.
but it is a disastrous precedent that is being
established, or rather it is deporatie cling
ing TO old presidents. and it is not irpos-
sibla hat should II come to a decision al the
polls. me voters Will refuse 20 have this
councilmanic moaatrosity rammed down
their throats