The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-06-14
Squad of Police Required to Preserve Order in PhiIadeI-
 phia Council Chamber
BIG FIGHT IS CAUSED BY
 STREET CAR FRANCHISES
Mayor Weaver Causes the Arrest of Select Councilman on Charge of Being Interested in City
 Contracts.

Philadelphia, June 1S-Amid the cry of "Thieves' and Crooks and under the protection of a squad of police, the com mittee on street railways of the city council today referred to the city solicitor for his opinion as to their legality four Lills repeating ordinances granting street car companies the right to use 110 miles of street to lay tracks without the city receiving any compensation for the fran chises.
 The meeting was in all respects as sen sational as that held by the committee on finance some weeks ago when the gas lease was under consideration. The ''repealers" were introduced at the in- stance of Mayor Weaver, and the action of the committee today is the first at tack the mayor has received since the instance of the reforms which began with the gas lease. A sensation in the polit- ical situation today was the arrest of Frank Caven, select councilman from the Thirty-fourth ward, on the charge of violating his councilmanic oath by being interested in city contracts. He was held in $l0,0OO bail for a further hearing He denies the charge.
 Fight Promises to Be Warm.
 The fight over the street car franchises promises to be a warm one before it is finally ended It is contest between the mayor and citizens living in the terri tory through which the proposed new lines are to run, on the one hand, and the Philadelphia Rapid Transit company,
  the other.
 Recently four street car companies, sub- sidiary concerns of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit company, which corporation con trols practically all the street car lines in the city, caused to be passed by city councils ordinances giving them the right to lay tracks on no miles of street with out the city receiving anything for it Mayor Weaver vetoed them. The same day the franchise was passed by the council the four bills were passed over the mayors veto but no further action was taken because of the gas lease fight Two weeks later, when councils adopted a resolution withdrawing the gas lease bill, four ordinances were introduced re- pealing the street railway ordinances, and today was set for a hearing on the meas ures.
 All Are Allowed to Speak.
 The committee room was crowded with lawyers, representing both sides and other citizens. A motion was made that the repealers be favorably reported to coun- cils but the chairman asked that all those who desired to speak on the meas ures be heard before the committee took action and this was agreed to. Select Councilman Thomas J. Ryan, the only democratic member of counci suggested that the bills be sent to the city soclci- tor for his opinion as to their legality. He made the point that the ordinances had been passed and that the street car companies had thus been vested with the right to use the streets wanted and that councils could not now take those rights from them.
 His suggestion was received with a storm of hisses
 This made MT. Bryan very angry, and turning to the chairman, he said:
 MT. Ryan Gets Very Angry.
 'I am ashamed of you to allow any member of councils to be insulted in this way for one do not mean to sit here and listen to 1t. If we cannot be pro- tected from this mob I shall move that we adjourn at once without considering these bills any further"
 Turning to the crowd he shook his fist and said:
 T am here serving the city to the
  think is right. For you sneerers and hissers I have no fear whatever. I want to say that if you want to do something good for your city you can't do it by doing wrong. I want you gentleman to play fair. You applaud me one day and then hiss me the next. If you have come here to browbeat me l can browbeat and I can even vote against you
 MT. Ryan was pacifed by members of the committees and sat down.
 Called Thieves and Crooks.
 Other mebers of the committee who spoke against the repealers were called '''thieves and crooks and so disorderly did the proceedings become that squad of police were hurried summoned from the central station on the sixth floor of the city hall to the committee room on the fourth floor. Thereafter better order was maintained. Among those who spoke in favor of the repealers was the Rev. Dr. G. A. Bickle, prominent Methodist minister, who headed a delegation of clergymen.
 After both sides had been heard the committee, by a vote of 15 to Il, referred the bills to the city solicitor for an opin- ion on them by noon Thursday. Coun- cils meet that day at D. m.
 Director of Public Safety Aker today temporarily suspended work on the Tor resdale boulevard which Is expected to cost several million uoiidrs pelore IL IS completed Work was stopped on the operation because it is alleged that the contractors are not living up to the speci- fcations In the matter of material fur nished in the building of the boulevard. The McNichols also have the contract for this work
 Frank M. Ritter, a former director of public safety, was appointed secretary of the civil service board today. He sue ceeded Rolla Dance, friend of Senator McNichol. who was removed from the civil service board some time ago.