The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-08
THE CITY COMMISSIONS.


We give below the opinions of three of the
principal morning papers with regard to the
proposed legislative scheme TO place the city
government in the hands of irresponsible COM
missions.
The Ledger says
'On the sth OF February last the citizens of PHI
ladelpha were advised by this journal that several
proposed acts OF Assembly were in course OF pre-
fmportant departments OF our City Government to
commissioners named in the body OF said bills.
Every taxpayer-and every man and woman who
paws rent is ataxpayer-as well the owners of pro-
perty, should read this printed bill One OF the bills
public have choice or agency in selecting,
power which is practically unlimited as to its extent
and the money that may be expended and the pub.
lie debt that may be incurred In the opening of new
streets and highways, In the paving, repairing, and
the building of bridges, the creation OF new oflces
etc. In expressing what Is deemed to
these see commissons @ be Comments @ here made
will be confined mainly to the first OF these bills,
Public works in the city OF Philadelphia" This bill
gives the six gentlemen named in the first section
highways, and bridges OF the city, as to their paving
repavinR construction, repair, choice OF materials
for paving the sreet and tne p Ol all maSe
limit, cleansing OF the streets, the taking OF land
Vaca"t Geei lots, the ordering and construction
Of sewers, and sundry other powers. ,n such cn
Department, administered by a competent engineer
with skilled assistants would be proper, aud to
th great advantage 81 ne c s RTsr bsp 20 0nsSS
ami expensive works shall or shall not be UNDER
taken were lodged in the hands OF the people of this
CITY, and their chosen Representatives In City
Councils. But there is nowhere In the bill any
cheey or limit to what the commissioners may do,
above purposes the commissioners are empowered
(stcton 81 to demand anrnally Of Councils any
Which, Which Councils Shall levy a tax to
raise No limitation here but the wdof the commits
fbe IN
The commissioners are further empowered (section
81 determine the material for paving the streets
hereafter and for all streets they order to be paved
with wood or granite blocks or macadamized stone,
or anything else than cobble-st they are en-
years, and there is not word OF limitation to the
threatening millions Of these bonds which the Com
mssioners OF Public Works may add to our enor
NOUS city debt They further empowered to
open up any new streets now laid out on the city
splan,' hundreds OF miles of which paper streets
are now nothing but farm land cow lots, high hills,
and deep ravines; but upon the opening up Of these
Of the commissioners all they have to do is to take
possession OF the land wherever it lies, order t to
bonds also without limit obligating the city to pay
the damages. They are still further empowered
limit as to numbers and pay salaries WITHOUT limit as
to amounts, and make whatever contracts they may
were not sufficient, they are finally authorized in
the same section to do any and everything else
necessary to carry out these already unbounded
"Jhe bill abounds in other Objectionable features.
supervision and control OF the auditing and account
ing officers OF the city, and commands the City Con-
troer to countersgn and the City Treasurer to pay
every warrant sent to them by the commissioners,
on their mere certificate that work has been done,
'or-mark this little word-'or' that the amount was
tcontracted for Even the mere formal checks upon
their power to eXpend unlimited sums OF money are
thus taken away by the 1 ah1 mt a noS nag
whatever the commissioners may deem necessary
.Now' without regard to the particular gentlemen
named In these bills it must be said that such un-
bridled powers over the public moneys, over taxa
ton and increase of the city debt are too vast, aud
threatening, and dangerous to DE intrusted to any
hafdozen citizens selected either by them selves or
q,eople for fUe gears even II the men named in the
bill we;e nfallibe as the Roman Pontn and as pure
as Aristides the Just That the members OF the
Legislature from the interior, who would Justly re-
sent such an outrage upon the rights OF their own
Immediate constituents, will attempt to shacke OPP
press and destroy the rights OF the people OF this
city by passing such oll we can nardiv oeheye. y
the wrong cannot be done.
GAS a final point and ohe that should OF itself be
conclusive against all these Commission, bills at
tention should be directed to the fact that while
they provide for the election OF these commissioners
sir, they deprive the people OF any choice in thu
matter for the five intervening years. NOW II TN
people can be trusted to choose the commissioner
In 1876, why can they not be trusted in 1871"
The Inquirer says
s'To these three bills we invite the very closes
confederation OF our citizens, for there is not
Philadelphia's welfare who is not now, or who vii
not be wronged, in person and estate, IL either Q
them become law. Schemes more nlo1IstTous an IN
insoIence and grasp of their wrog haze been
afoat than these. They are directly the suggestlo
or William M Tweed, OF New York. who has plu1
dered that city OF millions yearly by exactly sue
machinery as that proposed IN these three % Dnlt
and their real object is first to take from the elector
OF Philadelphia their right to elect their ow
officers, and second, to organize three separat
boards whose sole business Will be 10 plunder Tn
tax ayers without a hope or chance OF redress
. But IL these commissioners wer
every one above reproaeh, 1t would be shameless
and dangerous preceaent 10 give . 1ne cb sas has
bills propose to invest them. Their authority,
these measures become laws Will be absolutely VIII
out limit, and they can, by1yirtue OF them 90 an an
and the Mayor are now authorized TO do wtnor
the slightest let or hndrance. The Board
Public Works, composed OF nve men,, eac
with salary OF $1,000 per annum can, under tl
bill creating the commission. repave any stree
lane alley, and turnpike in or leading from Phi
delphia with whatever material they may selec
qohout notice for public conpet'4lor lglt1oe aaoeftt
ing for bids without being compelled to accept
Iotoest or best bidder. No matter what schemes
Improvement may suggest themselves TO the Boal
OF Public Works, they may carry them OUT ln Che
own way at their own price, and the City Councl
must create loans and the Receiver OF Taxes mu
raise taxes 10 pay for what they DO, and the Cl'
Treasurer must cash whatever warrants the Doa
NAV see ut to draw, matter what such Warran
may be for or upon how fimsy pretext they nj
at shouId be borne in mind that these commissio
ers to be clothed with powers t9at now ne elLn IN
, Councils Five men, for instance, are made In enc
the masters of Councils, and all the present sa
Ruards OF the veto OF the mayor and the two,thlI
vote OF Councils are swept away, and Councils
depriVed OF ali control over the city except tnat
ievypR taxes TO satisfy the demands likely TO accI
from this triple-headed system OF punder.
HPhladelphia has quietly submitted heretofore
0oraQ