Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-17
MAYOR VETOES
BILLS AS UNFAIR
OR BADLY DRAWN
Measures Include One Plac-
ing 3 City Squares and
Parkway Under Care of
Fairmount Park Commits
sion.

Among seven measures vetoed by
Councils today was an ordinance de-
signed to place Washington, Rittenhouse
and Logan Squares and the Parkway In
the care OF the Fairmount Park Com
mission.
In signifying his disapproval Of this
measure, the Mayor said, while there
might be some advantage in such action,
at the same time It was not q fair pol
icy to select from the large number OF
city squares only four and place them
under the care OF the Park Commission
for improvement and at the same time
neglect the others.
Five of the remaining acts vetoed by
the Mayor provided One, for the open
ing of goth street, from Dickinson
street to Moore: two, for paying city en-
ployes during vacations and for over
time work; fourth was a section OF an
ordinance providing an appropriation 10
the Bureau OF Highways for street
sprinkling, and another was part OF
transfer ordinance providing an appro-
priation of s2500 to pay clenks OF Coun-
ellis for promoting the Interests Of Phil
adelphia." ...
VETO OF PARK BILL.
In connection with his dlsapproval OF
the ordinance designed to place certain
grounds under the care of the Park Com
mission, Mayor Blankenburg, In this con-
nection, wrote to Councils saying:
THE ordinance has apparently been
somewhat hastily drawn. 1t includes
Washington Rittenhouse and Logan
squares, but omlts Franklin square. the
remaining one of the four principal
squares near the centre of the city.
'If these squares and the Parkway
it,ri ~ tot n
Fairmount Park Commission, their police
protection would doubtless be put In the
hands of Park guards, and not of city
policemen. This would be a most con-
fusing, expensive and inefficient arrange
ment and could hardly fall to lead to
doubt and trouble as to the respective
authority of the two.
"The transfer of the custody OF these
grounds would place the appointment of
their superintendents, gardeners. laboF-
ers. etc. in the hands of the Fairmount
Park Commission instead of the city au-
thorities This would remove them from
the protection of the civil service laws.
Their appointment thereafter would be
made not with reference to merit, deter
mined competitiyely after civil service
tests. but solely at the discretion of the
amounting officers. This would be a dis
tinct backward step. Our efforts should
be not to restrict the operation or the
merit system In an indirect manner such
as this, but to extend its scope and make
1t applicable to an increasing NUMBER ot
departments"
The Mayor vetoed the ordinance pro-
vding for the opening of 3oth street
between Dickinson and Moore be-
cause he said that section or the thor-
oughfare had not been dedicated TO the
city and its opening would cost the pub
lie at least $1,000 Because the street had
tn1 to ha
Blankenburg thought 1t should not be
opened at public expense.
OF the two acts dealing with the pay
ment of city employees, one was an Or
dinance authorizing directors of various
departments to pay regular per diem en-
| ployes for one weeks vacation, for legal
| holidays and for disability or sickness
| contracted while in the employ of the
| city
This ordinance" said the Mayor in a
| letter aside from it's mandatory nature,
| contains nothing which Is not fully pro-
| vided for by the resolution of councils,
| approved July Is. 1918.
! while | am entirely In accord with
the principle of the elght-hour working
| day, this ordinance appears to me to be
very loosely drawn. In the first case, by
its broad application, all workmen and
mechanics, those on per diem list as
we'll as those upon an annual salary
/ basis would be entitled to extra payment
| for all overtime work. Again, 1t has not
| been prepared with consideration of the
actual working conditions now existing in
| the departments. In n number of the
| bureaus the service Is continuous In
| shifts 1t would manifestly be no greater
| hardship for those in the night shift to
work overtime than for those in the day
shift, but under this ordinance the first
might receive double pay for all overtime.
| whereas the second would receive but
| time and half time. Also, under this ordi-
nance the work necessarily required of
| some on Saturdays would call for the
payment of two days wages for eight
! hours work"
The Mayor vetoed a section of an ordl-
| nance in appropriations to the Bureau
] OF Highways tor street spTinkling be-
| cause OF an error which would have du-
plicated a payment OF sl3S2 to James Ir-
! win. a contractor for work already paid
| for In the third highway district.
CAUsTIC CRITICISM.
| Caustic criticism was directed against
the section OF transfer ordinance pro-
| vldinE money TO be paid to clerks of
! Councils for promoting the interests of
! Philadelphia"
This section had the support of Common
| Councilman Morris f. Conn, n Republi-
| can leader in the Eighth Ward. The
I 1ldNOI Sdltl the sFtllDH certainty dlu not
! carry sufficient information as TO what
/ methods would be employed by clerks of
| Councils in promoting the interests of
Philadelphia. 1t was defeated by a vote
| OF A. 20 %.
| He said:
The appropriation of money to the
clerks Of Councils for promoting the in
terests of the City of Philadelphia is
| proposition so out of keeping with the
| plainest business principles that 1t must
strike even the casual observer as de-
serving of criticism II Is certainly not
the place Of the clerks of your honor
able bodies to have conferred upon them
administrative functions. even under the
| supervision of the Committee on Finance
There also Is 80 little in this appro-
prlation 10 indicate It's real purpose thar
II Is difficult 10 consider or discuss n
satisfactorily, Unofficial information boU,-
ever, has reached me that its purpose wa.
to provide for the purchase of moving
picture machine and the employment M
a mechanician 10 operate H. tha ma
chine to remain the property Of the civ
and TO be lent from time TO time 10 vari-
Gus business mems organizations ana
others for use in conventions in otha-
cities IN displaying films advertising Phil
adelphia. M
IT this Is useful way 10 advertise nh,