Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-16
Brumbaugh Asked to Null
lify Measure Designed to
Weaken Housing Reform,
Should 1t Become Law.
Demand Public Hearing.
Director Norris Ready to Ex-
pose Trickery by Which Or
ganization Workers Would
Knife Proposed Department
of Housing and Sanitation.

Advocates OF housing reforms in this
city will not permit the emssculated
version Of the housing bill, reported ia
vorably by the House Committee on
Health and Sanitation. to be Jammed
through the Senate committee.
Director George W. Norris, of the De-
partment of Wharves, Docks and Fer
ries, and president of the Philadelphia
Housing Commission. said today that the
instant the "toothloss" bill reaches the
Senate he Is going to send a committee
OF representative citizens to Harrisburg
and demand of Governor Brumbaugh
that public hearing be held in order
that people may know just what trick
cry was employed by the politicians in
railroading the measure through the
House committee. This will be done be-
fore the bill reaches the Senate
Governor Brumbaugh was urged today
by kilograms and letters to veto the
"toothless" housing code, which has the
support of Republican Organization lead
ers, and which, by a unanimous vote, was
reported out by the House Committee on
Health and Sanitation, should the bill
become law. The bill provides for the
repeal Of the present housing code passed
by the last Legislature.
Housing experts who recently exposed
the bad and unsanitary conditions in the
congested sections of Philadelphia. and
Bernard j. Newman, secretary of the
Philadelphia Housing Commission, are in
Harrisburg today. They have in hand
statistics and information relating to
existing conditions In the downtown
wards which they intend to place before
Governor Brumbaugh.
The bill favored by the Organization
leaders does not provide for the enforce
ment of the housing laws. 1t calls for
the establishment of four different bu-
reaus, among which is n Bureau of
Sanitation. The head of the Bureau of
Sanitation, should the bill be passed. will
have the power to appoint staff OF
women and men inspectors. The bill also
gives the head of the proposed bureau
the power to frame his own rules relat-
ing to the inspection of insanitary dwell
ings.
The House Committee on Health and
Sanitation, which reported favorably the
"toothless" housing code inaugurated by
Councils Legislative Committee, is COM
posed of Representative Evans, of Phila-
delphia. who is chairman. and Theodore
Campbell, Gransbach, Roney Hackett,
Lauer, Dunn, Drinkhouse and McNichol,
Letters protesting against the reporting
out of the measure were sent to all these.
The public hearing before the legisla-
tive Committee on Health and Sanitation
on the bill repeating the new Division
of Housing and Sanitation, which, If 1t
had been enforced by Councils OF this
city. would have given relief to occu-
pants of unsanitary houses, was post
poned today in Harrisburg. The post
ponement was made at the request of
Director Ziegler, of the Department OF
Health and Charities. 1t was reported
that either he or n representative of his
office may go to Harrisburg shortly to
voice their sentiments against the
repeater