Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-26
NO p. r. n. ANSWER
TO ACCUSATION


cooperation of all supporters OF tne
Taylor plan in demanding that Councils
pass favorable legislation next Thursday.
COMMITTEES STATEMENT.
The statement issued by the Executive
, Committee follows;
''The immediate efforts of the Com
| nittee must be concentrated on defeating
the ordinance reported out by the Finance
| COMMITTEES in illegal form, purporting to
call a special election to authorize an In
crease in the city's Indebtedness to the
| extent of ss,O00O00 for certain specific
| rapid transit lines, the routes of which
specified therein are incomplete and ut
terly impracticable.
I'VE call the attention of the citizens
to the fact that an election held under the
terms of this ordinance would result In
any Increase In the citys indebtedness
which might be authorized being tied up
in n manner which would make Its use
for any practical purpose utterly impos-
sble.
"1n addition to defeating the foregoing
ordinance we shall devote our energies
to securing the passage of AN ordinance
or ordinances prepared in the customary
| and legal form calling n special election
| to authorize an increase in the citys In
debtedness In the amount of S6.00O,OO0 for
the purpose of beginning of work on the
transit development, without specifying
B
| conditions.
! "The routes, If finally fixed and de-
! termined at the election, could not be
| varied by subsequent action of City
I Councils. Furthermore the routes of the
! recommended lines cannot be finally fixed
and determined without the approval of
! the Public Service Commission.
Amy change In the routes ordered
| later by the Public Service Commission,
! should they be fixed by the terms of the
ordinance calling the special election,
would render the use of the increase In
the citys Indebtedness impossible for the
construction of the high-speed lines.
Let the issue be clean cut.
THE ordinance reported nut by the
Finance Committee must be defeated,
IAN ordinance, or ordinances, prepared
in the customary and legal form, calling
the special election must be passed with
out delay.
I'VE shall recommend that the Commit
tee of 1906 shall call upon all the people
and organizations in Pr PIIadelphia who de-
sire to back up the sat public demand
for adequate rapid transit facilities and
free transfers to attend the next meeting
of City Councils which will be on next
| Thursday, March 4, at p. M, and mean
while to get in touch with their Council
men and to urge upon them the impor
tance of their cooperation"
Director Porter and Cyrus D. Foss, Jr.,
secretary to Mayor Blankenburs, were
in executive conference Immediately be-
fore the committee met this morning.
Neither would discuss what took place
merely saying that they were preparing
| for the fight.
P. r. r. SILENT.
Silence again today greeted the second
charge that the officials of the Philadel-
pha Rapid Transit Company, including
Edward T. Stotesbury, chairman of the
Board of Directors. who was named per-
sonally, are the men scheming the de-
feat of the Taylor rapid transit plans.
Thomas E. Mitten, president of the COM
pany is out of the city, and Mr.. Stotes-
bury, financier and actual head of the
P. r. II. management, Is in Florida None
of the other officials of the company
was willing to reply to the charge of
Director Taylor and Director Norris that /
they are the men higher up" respon- |
sible for the transit Joker reported by f!
Councils Finance Committee a week ago. /
For the first time during the entire .
transit fight q. r. Stotesbury was named /
personally yesterday Director Taylor, I
speaking before gathering of 200 mem- /
bers of the Morning Newspaper Car
riers' Association, directly and un-
equvocally charged that Mr.. Stotesbury
and his associates have failed to live up /
to the agreement made last May between
the Department OF City Transit and the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company
The transit company then pledged itself
to help obtain the cooperation of the
Union Traction directors.
Immediately after the meeting, Director
Taylor remarked; '-his is the first time
that l have openly mentioned any Names
but think the time now is ripe TO do So
The first charge against the Phadel- .
phia Rapid Transit officials was made
lNKv af tI1.a tr,.-
in the Academy of Music Wednesday
night. IntimatinH that Councilmen are
only straw men, In the transit fight. Di-
rector Norris challenged the Philadelphia
Rapid Transit officials to v!ldicate them
selves in the eyes of Philadelphia by
denying responsibility for the ordinance
introduced by the Finance Committee.
Silence from the company officials which
yesterday greeted this challenge was
repeated today when Stotesbury's name
came into the dispute.
With Mr.. Stotesbury, Senator McNichOl
and Senator Ware in Florida, Mr.. Mittcn
out of town, and John p. Connolly chair
man of Councils Finance Committee, in
Boston, no indication has been given OF
the attitude of those opposed TO the Tay-
lor plan. 1t was rumored in City Hall to-
day that the Finance Committee is wav-
erng In the face of public indignation and
that preparations will be made TO amend
the pending ordinance so that it will be
fully legal and in accord with the opinion
of John G. johnson.
ORGANIZATION ACTIVE.
The Republican Organization leaders,
however. are using every underground |
method to stir up opposition to Director !
Taylor Walter NJ Stevenson, McNichol
leader in the 32d Ward. has issued orders
TO the committeeman of that ward (two I
In each dvision) that they must stir up
opposition TO the Taylor plan on every
possible occasion. Stevenson is interested .
In the Wynnefeld Building Fund with
Philip Fl. Johnson, brother-in-law OF the ]
late Israel II, Durham. {
pOIIcE pEpTy no CpITTCISu