Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-30

A MANS JOB.
The work which lay before him was :
| mans task The city covered an area oi
10 square miles II had a population ol
more than a million and half. the equiv.
alent OF the entire combined population Of
six states Nevada, Wyoming Arizona
Idaho, Delaware and New Mcxico), and
an addition Of three nearby cities Of con.
siderable size (camden. Trenton and At
iantic city.
The needs and requirements OF a city OF
this size are tremendous. fts 1900 miles
| OF streets must be kept In n clean condi-
! tlon for daily use. New streets must be
laid out and old streets repaved. It's
systems OF water supply, garbage re-
movai, ash removal and sewage disposal
must be kept IN satisfactory running or
der. Nearly iC0O00,00 salons Of filtered
water must be furnished daily to over
520.On houses and establishments. Police
protection and Gre protection must be
given 20 the inhabitants OF this vast
city and 10 their property within It's
limits. They must be guarded against
accidents OF all sorts and kinds. New
houses must be Inspected TO see that they
are safe for occupation. Elevators and
boilers In buildings of all sorts must
periodically be tested to sec that they
may be used with safety. Fire apparatus
must bc continually kept ready for efil-
ties must he provided for all who wish TO
pass from one part OF the city to another.
II becomes apparent that Il is no easy
task to administer tho affairs OF this
hugo city OF Philadelphia. In many de-
Partmonts mistakes would prove most
costly. Inefiiciency IN the fire department
might result In large confiagrations-such
as have visited Chicago and Baltimore.
Failure to see to a proper enforcement
OF fire regulations might cause loss of
life such as occurred In the Triangle
fire of New York city, when scores of
girls were trapped and burned or suf-
focatcd to death. Failure to enforce the
laws dealing with sanitation and housing
might jeopnrdlzc the general health of
largo sections Of the community Care
lessness In the manage cement OF the ultra
tion plants might produce an epidemic of
typhoid fever
FAITH IN ONE MAN.
The people pinned their faith in one
man alone. Because OF the pocket bor-
ough method OF electing Councilmen, the
bipartisan machine retained complete
control over Councils. At will they have
been able to pass ordinances over his
veto. TO curtail and deny necessary APP
propriations TO the departments of the
city government For example, they have
denied to the Department of Public safety
tho appointment of even n single new
patrolman or policeman, although there is
an average annual increase of -. .S55 i'm the
population of the city, and the built-up
area of the city is continually being eX-
tended so as to include entire new dis
tricts and many miles Of new streets and
thousands OF new houses. Councils have
even deprived the Director of this de-
pRrtment OF an assistant director.
Even friendly critics tend to become
hypercritical of reform" administra-
ton in any community. Everything is
expected of one who avows an intention
to remedy prevalent abuse, and every
detail, in which the full measure of de-
sired suceeBs has not been wholly
achieved is magniied into a deplorable
failure of the reformers to make good
anh redeem their promises. The nature
and magnitude of the difficulties which
have been encountered are wholly lost
sight OF.
A MORAL ISSUE.
Some critics have expressed a desire
that the Mayor should act in harmony
with Councils. There is moral issue
involved in the selection of Mayor who
will work In harmony with Councils
where Councils stand for the old order
of things. and a Mayor who. single
handed and alone, will carry on the fight
for the termination of the abuses which
tAlSltu uHu6E the olu oTueI where MhyOTb
and Councils worked together without in
any way interfering with the contlnu-
ance of these abuses.
Part of the burden imposed upon
Mayor Rlankenburg was the ever in
creasing public debt of the city of Ph'la-
delphia, During the six years preceding
the first year of the present administra-
ton, larger and ever larger share Of
tho revenues annually raised by taxation
were required to pay interest and charges
incident to city .oans.
The Bureau of Municipal Research,
after a special study of the subject, re-
ported that under a continuance Of this
state Of affairs the city would be CON-
pletely bankrupt in less than is years.
when all OF the revenues OF the city
would be needed to pay interest and sink
ing fund charges on the city's public
debt
This was the financial situation which
confronted Mayor Blankenburg and led
him TO bring the question forcibly before
the community.
He called attention to all the possible
means available to increase the munich
pa'ity's revenue; the modernizing of the
methods used in making assessments OF
real estate, the establishment of a tax
on automobiles as In Chicago, where, In
1911 that city derived from such a tax
the sum OF $550000. and the fixing of a
tax on occupation similar TO that I'm
force In nearly every county OF this State
except Philadelphia. The Mayor did not
recommend the establishment of any par
ticular tax on any of these subjects, but
ever since that time he has been mis-
quoted and he has been charged with
having advocated tax on all these pos
sible lines merely because he performed
his duty and stated that such matters
were las In fact they unquestionably are)
possible subjects for taxation.
Mayor Blankenburg recommended the
reduction of the price OF gas from 81 to
80 cents per thousand ioet provided ways
and means could be nd to have the
city beay the exper lcident TO this
change In accordance h the terms OF
the lease with the | ID Gas Improye-
ment Company. Councils refused to meet
the financial situation, but passed the
Hardart ordinance which, II signed by
the Mayor. or passed over his veto. would
impose upon the city the loss In revenue
amounting 10 about Sl.70O,O00 a year, due
TO the reduction In the price OF gas
Under the terms Of the gas lease the
United Gas Improvement Company now
collects and pays over TO the city this
amount 30 long as the gas rate remains
at 81.
The Mayor vetoed the ordinance. The
Organization had complete control OF
Councils and could have at once passed
the ordinance over the Mayor's veto
However, they chose not TO do So but at
tempted 10 make political capital out OF
the incident By charging the Mayor with
failure TO keep an alleged promise 10