The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-27
IS WINNING
 THEM OVER Philadelphia COuncilmen Join the Mayor. MR. WEAVER OPTIMISTIC Tremendous Pressure Exertcd
 by Voters. One Convert Says He Had ts ceaas Across or Be Run Out of Ills
 ward--Legni wrangiinE
 VIII Begin Monday.

PhiladeIphia, May 2e-"The situation Is growing brighter every minute, said Mayor Weaver late this afternoon when asked what progress he was making in his effort to defeat the exs tension of the lease of the city gas works. He would not give figures, nor go into other details. but contente6 himself with saying be had received assurances from many counciimen who had voted for the lease last week that they would support him in his veto.
 Leaders of the Republican organfzn- ton, which is advocating the lease continue to remain silent. There are however, signs that some of the Coun- cilmen are breaking away under the tremendous pressure of their coastitu- ents and will probably go along with the Mayor.
 The aIl-absorbing point of interest Is whether the Mayor will succeed in get ting enough to defeat the bill when iE shall come up next Thursday for pas sage over his veto. The organization still stands on it's statement that ir will pass the ordtnance in spite of his disapproval. The record up to this evening shows that the Mayor has ten select Councilmen and twenty members of Common Council with him. In Se- feet Council there are forty-two mem- bers. To pass the ordinance over the Mayors veto the organization needs twenty-six votes and the Mayor seven teen to sustain him. The membership of the Common Council Is eighty-four. Here the organization needs ffty-one votes and the Mayor thirty-four-
 The first important move of the new admin nistration---a move that was of vital importance to organization men who hold city contracts-was taken to- day when the new director of public works. Acker, annulled the advertise- 'ment for bids for street cleaning for 1906. The contract will aggrcgata about 1000, 900. The contract for this year is held by the Ware Brothers. one of whom Is State Senator and the oth- CT Recorder of Deeds. This action waa taken by Aeker in a letter to Samuel Sutcliffe, chief of the bureau of street cleaning. Mir Sutcliffe was instructed to recall nil specification biAnl< foFsua of proposals. etc.
 The Time Extended.
 The new bids were to have been opened on June 1. While Mayor Weav- CT and Director Acker refused to dis cuss this action 1t was learned from an authoritative source that new spec ificatIons would be drawn up which will provide for a liberal extension of time for the submission of bids.
 All the principal figures in the strug-
 
 doors most of the day. The Mayor had numerous conferences with his attof- neys and lieutenants on matters per- taining to the legal battle that will have it's real start next Monday. In the offices of United States Senator Penrose, where organization neadquar- ters have been temporarily established. many conferences were held during the day and evening.
 The struggle to hold or win council men is growing hotter and many of the city fathers" have expressed the wish that they had never been elected to the legislative body. They declare that they owe all their success in life to the organization and that 1t would be an extreme act of disloyalty to go back on their leaders in time of trou- ble.
 Then, on the other hand, the pres- sure brought to bear by neighbors and other constituents and even. business associates to abandon the organiza- ton and uphold the mayor Is so great that they don't know what they shall do. Some of the councilmen are pur- sued even into the privacy of their homes and delegations are calling on them at all hours of the day and night.
 The first man to be won over today came to the mayors office with dele- gation of constituents. He was Charles E. Conne1, of the common council. He was with the mayor about ten min utes. When he left the office he was asked if he was going to vote against the lease and with considerable show of feeling he said; My God, what else Is there for me to do? If do not vote against the lease will be run out ot my ward. I cannot help myself. Even my own family is pleading with me to join the mayor. and I had to yield.