Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-03
MEN OF THE MAYORALTY CAMPAIGN
George Dehobe Porter Personal and Political Sketch of the
Director of Public Safety-How the Organization
Tried to Get Him, but Fooled Itself
BY HERBERT S. WEBER

fine children and the man sitting there,
broken.
Don't you know that if you get drunk
while on duty, lives might be lost at fire?"
said Porter, sitting down to work the thing
out.
whats the use of talking about It now,
Director? They've canned me. I'm done
for"
over at the firehouse they said the man
was the best ladderman they had; but he
would drink Let's give him another
chance" said the Director. Next day, when
he had called the penitent to his office, he
asked him If he would take the pledge
Sure" and a minute later he was signing
the pledge. He is still going to fires in
Manayunk
The imagination of the Director went into
the everyday life of the fremen What do
you men do with yourselves in off hcurs?"
he asked once. The answer (and il was re-
peatcd in every other firehouse in the city,
was prompt: IF we only had something to
keep us busy while we're waiting for a fret"
How about fixing up the house-painting,
tinkerlng?" But no, the labor organizations
had had that forbidden But something
could be done, one of those little things that
rarely get into history books The Director
suggested that the men use their iuIe hours
going about among the factories and other
buildings in their districts, inspecting the
exits and the means of escape in the event of
fire, in familiarizing themselves with condi-
t!ons with which they might some day have
to deal, and reporting anything they found
which seemed to invite disaster
Army CHARTERED on the City
He learned that the police were quartered
on the people like an invading army-pollti-
cally speaking. The Organization made each
man responsible for his division Let him
save up ever so patiently, let him dream
ever so long of little house for his family
out near the Park that made no difference.
II he could carry the alley where he lived
with the prestige of his club and revolver. n
he could swing the vote OF his neighbors.
there he must live, though amid squalor or
lose his Job.
This was changed. Now the police can live
where they want to and they are not ire
sponsible' for anybody's vote, not even for
their own. The friends OF Director Porter
say that he is proud of having effected that
change.
The Organization thought so much of such
accomplishment that II offered Mr. Porter a
seat in Congress IN the hope that his sue
cessor would change everything back to the
way II had been before" The delegation
found him genial and polite. He declined
the honor just as he had declined AIcNJicbors
offer to make him Organization leader ~
Germantown, where Porter had shown his
remarkable power OF organizing the voters.
Dangerous" Ability
This is really his most dangerous, trait.
organizing; and It explains why the nrea,,
izatlon is by no means overconhdant about
the Mayoralty campaign In spite of tbs
present absence OF Independent cohesion For
It has scored against Porters record the fact
that he was one OF the leaders who nada
political party spring up over night-an5 he
may do It again
Porter Is hard worker, He often works
i2 or is hours a day or great nh,sIoa,
strength. he Is a irst-class horsemap soIs
player OF more than average skill; good
shot eanoeist, fisherman and "hiker.s EJs 4.
given the credit OF having done more thsn
any one else to establish Boy Scout orgsn-
ization here, and he holds the ONCE of seo,,t
Commissioner
AZ 49, Director Porter can look back an a
typical American rapid rise" A hoteI ele-,-
IN Georgia, ne had the good luck 10 intsrest
Judge Martin, who had him come ~ +b,s
city, where he soon was managing Eu n
Prices real estate business, ADVANCING ~
the position OF vice president Of The Afors
gage Guarantee ard Trust Companv No..
the Robert Morris Trust COMPANY. FIa 49,
that position 70 enter The Mayors cabin.t
The newly Appointed Director utsrt.s 4,
"''n fssn g lsara his nsa business. Hs