Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-22

+ lOOnGlnueO ETOm fdRcl
chosen for the four-year term,
and that councilmen may succeed
themselves.
Imposing license tax not ex-
ceeding 500 on lawyers, physi-
clans, and other professional men,
trading stamp, warehouse and
storage, markethouse and garage
companies and owners.
Revision generally of so-called
welfare" section which governs
all ordinances pertaining to the
government of the municipality.
& Authorizing legislation relative
taxation and appropriation for
maintenance of Fairgrounds.
Substitution of 9O-day instead
of 30-day maximum prison pen
atty for violators of city ordi-
nances.
Making it bribery to influence
or try to influence any city official
or employe in addition to council
men in the performance of their
duties.
Changing of time for collection
city taxes.
Requiring three votes to pass
legislation in council.
.l Fixing tenure of city engineer
and city solicitor at Rur years.
Re-draughting of the refer
endum.
The Committee Busy
The special committee consisting ot
the mayors and city solicitors of sew
eral of Pennsylvania's important cities
met all afternoon in the council cham
ber and then returned after dinner for
a continued session. The various
changes suggested will be embodied in
resolutions for amendment or perhaps
in new bills which will be submitted
for approval to the League of Third
Class Cities in December. The
threshed-out legislation then will be
submitted to the State Assembly at its
meeting in January.
The committee included the follow
ing: James A. Gardner, city solicitor,
New Castle, chairman; ]. L. Rouse,
city solicitor, York. secretary; Mayors
William ]. Stern. Erie; John K. Royal
city; Ira w. Stratton, Reading; Super
intendents of Finance and Accounts j.
P. Stouch and r. Nelson Bennett. Al
toona and Wilkes-Ba respectively;
and City Solicitor Daniel S. Seitz, city;
ca f. McHugh, WilkeseBarre; e. p
Lenchner Pottsville; T. K. Saylor
Johnstown, f. p. Cummings, Williams
port; w. E. Newlin, McKeesport; H. P.
rASloCi' HSudllOH, "A. n. cochran, CneS-
ter; F. p. Schoonmaker, Bradford,
and City Clerk Charles A. Miller, city
Mayor Stern Starts Something
The problem of civil service was in
troduced by Mayor Stern following a
plea for an Interpretation of the Clark
acts provisions relative to the police
power and control of the patrolmen
Mayor Stern said the law expected
certain things of the mayor in main
tanning the safety of the city and that
he believed the right to say who was
to constitute the department should
not rest with four or five men. but with
the mayor alone-the executive, who
was held responsible. Mayor Stern
declared the mayor should at least
have the right to name his chief of
police and the patrolmen.
Mayor Royal, of course. was of a
similar opinion.
Chairman Gardner, however, point
ed out that the fundamental principle
of the commission government plan
was to embody the powers of govern
ment in the different departments in
four or five men and not delegate them
to one.
May Be Public Virtue in CounciImen
e Mr. McHugh, Wilkes Barre, differed
decidedly with Mr.. Stern.
So far as I'm concerned" declared
the Wilkes-Barre attorney. II don't
think Mayor Stern's suggestion should
be adopted. 1t is all based on the as
sumption that there is no public virtue
in the councilman and that 1t all rests
In the mayor"
While the committee didn't take at
all favorably to Mayor Stern's sugges-