Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-02-07

PAiladelphla's Many Troubles.

LXN0ABfER, PA, February Z. 1880.
Philadelphia's Many Troubles.
Philadelphia seems to be always In
trouble over its municipal matters; some
how civic things cannot be got to run
straight. There ID 90 steady and deter
mined slant sidewise to the municipal
machine ~ to suggest bad government,
and that would naturally eject the rui'
ing party from control, but for the not
able fact that the minority party does
not show signs of being much wiser than
the majority. The Democratic party OF
pennsylvania IL not proud Of the Demo
cratic party Of Philadelphia and we do
not remember the day when 1t mas
been. Its representatives are always
raising q row in state conventions
and always doing the like at homo.
They can neither be induced to hang to-
gether nor hang themselves. The IN
ducement to politics Of number OF
them seems to be in Its turbulence and
their reward to lie In their party defeat.
Men in both parties are tarred with the
same stick and run the town with
It. There IL ono municipal Office
which has been steadily decent Tor
q considerable term Of years and only
about one that Is the controllership,
whose respectability happens because
respectable men happened into 1t. 1t
shows that an office Is what the men
who hold 1t make It.. Gov. Pattison
and Colonel Dechert have embalined
the controllership as Philadelphia one
sweet official odor.
The town just now finds, In addition
TO its other troubles over its water, It's
streets, its Reading terminal and Its
belt lines, that 1t spent last year
more money than 1t received, which
agreeable information its controller
gives It. Notwithstanding Its ex-
ceptionally advantageous position In
having its water and Its gas from
which to make money, 1t levies an
enormous real estate tax and still cries
for more. Philadelphia should:lay no tax
ct all, but should have ample means to
pay its way without taxation. Its water
works should yield it a large income |;
and they do do great deal better in that
way than its gas works, which should
70 far towards discharging the city's OBJ
Mgations out Of the enormous profit that
ought to accrue from selling gas at a
dollar and half o thousand feet that
can be made for tenth of the money.
II to these sources of income o proper
sum was added from the car companies
that cover its streets, Philadelphia
should have everything it wants with
. out direct taxation, and she cannot even
get pure water. She drinks the drain
age Of the Schuylkill Valley and Is
now exciting herself over a proposition
Of the Reading railroad company to sell
I It the Schuylkill canal water, which the
Reading has no further use for, having
gone out of the Improbable canal busi-
ness. She would like to dispose of the
water but the city does not seem to lie
readily persuaded that the Schuylkill
canal water Is much better than
the Schuylkilh Chief Engineer Lud
low, before he was elected from the
) place of superintendent Of the water
supply, by that Philadelphia spirit
which refuses to permit capacity to rule
its departments, told the people where
they should 60 for pure water and where
alone they can get it I; and that is In the
highlands Of the Delaware. So every
one knows but they say 1t costs toS
much to get 1t from there. The city ha'
no money and Is up to its constitutions
limit of debt. But wherefore may 1t no
agree to pay company of public spirited
citizens three or four per cent. interes
on the cost of the viaduct that will bring
+ 1t this good water, and pay back thu
principal when 1t Is able? Surely Their
are enough people In Philadelphi,
who for three per cent. and goot
water would advance the money +
build such aqueduct and wait for !
until the city was ready to buy
works from them. II the city can ente
into lease of the Schuylkill canal will
privilege of its purchase, it can ente
into lease Of Delaware aqueduct will
like privilege and with the result tina
It will get pure instead of pollute'
water.
We have an amiable disposition to
wards the Reading railroad company
but we are not willing to go so far l.
crafty it as to prefer its dirty water +
c'ean water, even If 1t should be offere
to us as gift and to be asked t
buy 1t would make us shudder wit
indignation. Neither does our re
Z regard for the Reading corporation as
long suffering and struggling people
impress upon us the vast importance t
the city Of getting their terminal +
Market street. Arch street seems to on
country mind to be as good termina
and We do not understand the big fus
that our Philadelphia cousins are max
ing over the difference of just one block
They have even had mass meeting Q
indignation over the question and the,
talk Of hanging their councilmen II
efiigy. 1t is hot fight between tw
railroads apparently, with plenty o
money In II to make all the noise.
The Rudy Appeal.
Mo nularstanI that oS III. nn,rl n