Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-11-20
$4,000 SALARY IS
ASKED FOR PUBLIC
WORKS DIRECTOR
Finance Committee Will
Act on Recommendation
Friday Night.
THREE DEPARTMENT.
HEADS MADE KNOWN
Trafford, Utilities; Levy, Wei
fare, and Myers, Safety, Re
appointed by Mayor.
APPOINTMENTS CONFIRMED
APPOINTMENTS coNFIRs1Ep
Proposed Ordinance VIII Head
Docket Of Common Council
mt Next Session.

Recommendation that the Director
of Public Works be given a minimum
salary Of $4,000 n year was made
last night by Mayor George Ainsltc
in communication to the Common
Council, called in special session. The
communication was referred TO tho
Committee on Finance, which will
hold meeting next Tuesday night.
Tho Mayor made tho statement in
the letter that he had no man in
mind for the position. his sole In
ststance being directed toward the
establishment by tho Council "of the
size OF tho Office" In question.
Following the session OF the Com
mon Council. the Joint Council in
| called meeting unanimously con-
hrmed the Mayors reappointment OF
f. W. Trafford as Director OF Public
Utilities; l.. c. Levy as Director OF
Public Welfare and w. NJ. Myers as
| Director OF Public Safety. Each name
was called before the body separately
and was confirmed without discus
sion or dissenting vote. Tho Mayor
asked for the further Indulgence or
the Council In the appointment OF the
| go SStoI VI IuOtlC WOrhS.
Text of Mayors Letter.
| Tho letter to the Council reads:
November 10, 1890.
| The Honorable Council of the CITY
of Richmond:
Gentlemen.-Tn a communication
to your honorable body dated Son
tember Pc. 1890. requested that the
salary OF the Office of-sDirector OF
Public Works be lhxed at $T5od. TI-
judge from discussionscof that pro-
posal had both in and out OF Council.
that the proposed salary was too mod
est. that what the city needs cannot
be gotten for that sum. and that the
eSigencIes Of tho case call for a
higher salary than that formerly re-
quested So that we may bring the
| highest type of engineering skill and
administration to bear upon the so
lutlon Of. Rlchmond's present and ap-
preaching problems OF physical I'M
provenent and Development.
Il am sending with this communi-
cation an ordinance fixing the salar,
OF this office at minimum of at least
$4,000. In twenty years the popu-
lation OF Richmond has doubled. its
area has more than doubled, and the
expenditures OF tho activities which
now come under the management OF
the director OF this department have
increased to four times their former
amount. and this very growth has
increased both the number and size
OF our problems.
We are dealing not only with the
present but the future. and what we
! 10 now will affect the welfare OF the
city for years to come. / am max
| Ing this proposal wholly as an alb
stract one In which I am suggesting
| minimum salary. In other words,
/ am raising the question, how big
and how important to Richmond is
the office of Director of Public Works
] have no mans name In mind and 1
think that no name should be CON
sidered until we settle the question:
OF the size OF the office. When we
have decided that question a man OF
proportionate size will be found"
Respectfully.
GEORGE AINsLIE.
Mayor"
Ordinance Proposed by Mayor.
The ordinance proposed by the
Mayor is as follows:
To amend and re-ordain subsection
tc). of section I. OF an ordinance
which became a law December II.
1918. entitled an ordinance to fix the
compensation to be paid certain or
ficers under the city government.
Be it ordained by the Council OF
the City of Richmond:
i. That subsection (c) Of an ordi-
nance which became n law Decem-
ber II. 1918, entitled "nn ordnance to
fix the compensation to be paid Ger
tain officers OF the city government"
be amended and re-ordained to read
as follows:
(c> Head OF the Department OF
Public Works the sum Of $4,000
2. Funds necessary to carry this
ordinance into effect shall be taken
from the salary fund" OF the de.
partment.
II is understood that the ordinance
will head the docket at the meeting
of the Council Finance Committee
next Tuesday night. Chairman Fred
H. Powell. of tho Council. stated that
he would call special meeting or
that body TO consider any proposal
the committee may see advisable 10
recommend. With tho elimination
for the present of the matter per-
| tanning TO salary increases In the
three other departments previously
mentioned in ordinances. the ques-
tion oe establishing the ''eize OF Of
ace" of the Public Works director
foreshsiows determined effort by
the opponents OF the measure to
crush what they term too "liberai~
renumeration for public service.
Leaders, declined to discuss last
night the probable fate OF tho new
Il proposalf In Wow of the fact that
the orditance specifically desiEnstes
the oiiedt OF Public Director, and In
! Coal lnued on Second IREEe,J - !