Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-17

Councils Finance Committee OF action
on the transit ordinances at the regular
meeting OF Councils tomor-
/FoR HE\ row win be a popular DEM
kuFyVyFaA anstration i'm the Council
VAAfiiiElhB Chambers which is planned
-, ~ to surpass that of last
Thursday when the State
Senate Committee on Munic-
ipal Affairs met to consider transit loan
legislation.
De1eEations from the same business or
ganizatons which were present last
Thursday, and all loyal advocates of the
Taylor transit program arc preparing TO
hil the galleries OF both chambers and
show that tho force OF popular opinion
demands that Councils expedite the
transit loan election.
The Subcommittee on Finance is schcd-
uled to meet at noon tomorrow to perfect
the details OF the two ordinances to be
introduced. The Finance Committee will
meet Immediately afterward to make
formal Endorsement of the ordinances
Although the subcommittee has met twice
within the last week. the amount to be
included in the loan ordinance to be in
troduced has not been definitely agreed
upcn.
It Ia generally understood at City Hall
that Chairman Connolly. of the Finance
Committee and Chairman Seger of the
subcommittee. are firm in their demand
that only s6,000.0oo the amount requested
by Director Taylor. be included in the
loan ordinance in order that other money
available from the personal property as
sessment may be used for other municipal
improvements.
Peter Z. Costello and other Councilmen
from the outlying sections OF the city are
urging that SS.Oo00Oo. $40, 100000, or even
$l2000,0Oo. be given to transit In order
that work may be begun on the north
~ OF of fIa n
elevated system at the same time as the
work Is begun on the Broad street
subway.
The McNichol lieutenants on the
Finance Committee oppose this on the
basis that scarcely sufficient money would
then be left for other needed municipal
improvements which they have brought
10 the front during the transit agitation.
The advocates of the TAYLOR plan. while
anxious TO see the elevated and subway
lines pushed to an carly completion. fear
tnat large appropriation out of the
taxation based on the personal property
assessment might endanger the passage
OF the pending amendment TO the State
Constitution increasing the borrowing ca
paeify from Z to 10 per cent. for transit
and port development
The sGo.0o00Do available through the pas
saSe of the pending amendment. the Tay-
lor supporters fear, would be diverted to
other ends than transit and port through
tne fufther amendment OF the pending
amendment should the loan be made
greater than s6,0OO,OOO. This was origi-
nally advocated by Senator McNichol but
when Director Taylor at the hearing last
Thursday, reduced his request TO $1,000, 900
Senator McNichol abandoned his opposi-
ton to the passage of the amendment.
Whatever the amount of the loan may
he, the Finance Committee Is pledged to
report the ordinances tomorrow. Deega-
tons from business organizations will be
on hand TO see that the pledges OF Coun-
ellis to the people are kept, The ordi-
nances will simply be introduced tomor-
row and will lie over until the next
meeting, March T. following the regular
councilmanic procedure before they are
passed.
With the required 30 days advertising
necessary for a special election the loan
can still be submitted to the voters early
In April. And an election Mt this time,
Director Taylor has pointed out. will en-
able the Department of City Transit to
begin actual construction early in July.