The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-26
REFORMING EVILS
WHICH NOW EXIST
Skeleton OF the Andrews Investigation
Committees Report Prepared.
TOUCHES UPON SEVEN SUBJECTS
Civil Service, Police, Electric Light
ing and Political Assessments Are
Provided for--Digest of the Volume
inous Report That Is Aboutto BE
Submitted to the Legislature.

of the report of the senatorial COM
mittee, appointed to investigate the al
fairs of Philadelphia, has been drawn
up and Will serve as the ground work
for the final report which is to be
aue rt ~ 'me ,.,S,st, T., II, s..o tbo
yoluminous testimony will contain be-
tween $500 and 5000 words. When the
report and the testimony are given to
the legislature seven separate bills will
be simultaneously presented for the
purpose of remedying the evils that
have been brough to light.
These bills relate to an improved
civil service system; to the better reg
ulation of the police: to the creation
of a state electric light commission:
the absolute prohibition of assess
ment for political purposes; the pre-
yention of corruption at primaries;
better and more rigid system of con-
tracts and to enlarged duties of mag
istrates
Senators Kennedy, Grady and Nc
Garrett the legal molders of the COM
mittee, will go over the report, which
is to be afterwards passed upon in eX-
ecutive session by the entire commit
tee Senator Quay has pledged his sup
port to each of the seven bills that
will be fathered by the committee, and
they are all reasonably sure to be
enacted into law by the present leg
islature, and, what is most essential
of ALL signed by the governor.
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CiNih 0iNi'' iOl' LEN '1O i'''
Inc report indicates that the tesu-
dionias io the ,roGiciencv of nivii service
nj, 10
President Proctor of the United States
civil service commission, and other eX-
perts who testified, are quoted to prove
the necessity of the application of what
is known as the merit system, This is
meant to entirely divorce the service
from politics and to make appointments
and promotions solely upon merit.
In this connection the committee rec
ommends the establishment of a state
civil service commission to be COM
posed of two Republicans and one
Democrat. to be appointed by the gov
ernor. These commissioners will ap-
point examining boards in Philadelphia
and elsewhere and will adopt rules to
throw greater safeguards around the
certi6cation of the eligible list. Pres
ent laws will be literally and rigidly
enforced and additional legislation
passed as suggested by the board from
time to time. one of the reforms will
be the certitication of but three names
from the eligible list. Steps will be
taken to prevent presentations at civil
service examinations. The testimony
shows that this has occurred occasion
ally under the present system.
-
POLICE fEfoRMs'
III
of space to the police. 1t points out
the defects Of the present charter so
far as it places the appointment and
control of the police in the hands or
the mayor 1t refers to the improper
activity of the police In politics ana
their interference with the right OF
citizens at both primary and general
elections. Attention is called to the
array of witnesses who complained of
police outrage3 not only at the polls,
but elsewhere. 1t is claimed that in
most cases the derelictions of the men
,ra % of w tbn Jual avtbo,.;tieI ] ~ saenrataIv m @
discipline the offenders. The police
board of inquiry is severly con-
demped by the committee, It's fail
ure to accomplish the purpose for
which il was ORGANIZED, is attributed
70 the fact that IL is made uD of i'm -
terested persons. 1t is contended
that a tribunal of this character should
he constituted of inpartial and disin-
terested officials To obviate the de-
fects in the nolice svsten, the commit
tee suggests such radical legislation as
NAV meet the demands of the situa-
tion
Perhans one Of the most innorta nt
subjects discussed is that in ralation IN
electric lighting The committee rec
ommends the creation Of q state hoard
to be composed of three commissioners,
who shall have superyision and con-
troll of sucb corporations This is some
what in the Nature of tha Law that ba c
been in force in Massachusetts, for the
last ten wears and in other states fo,, q
less period If is nrohab bIe that tba hill
now before the Legislature. which nro-
vides for a coron,ieeion to s,,,or,,;sc
gas. water and electric lieht cornora.
tions, be favored by the committee
bLEED1NG The CITY.
The testimony of experts, includine
Professor Marks and Arthur II. Len
IS cited to prove that the city of Phila-
delphia has been paying eXorbitant
prices to private corporations for its
electric lighting. 1t is shown that many
cities, including most OF the smaller
municipalities, have their own plants
and operate them at less cost to the
taxpayers than is the case in Philadel.
phia. The committee further says thai
AAOiii 'iC NSSiiIilOlly II appears lnat the