Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-29
WORK OF CLIQUE SEEN IN
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Continued from Pare One
n. Johnson president Of the Baldwin Loco
motive Works. according to one Of the vice
presidents
The only result OF the resolution then
was rruitless attempt TO delay the vote
on the transit loan bill until some outside
expert had been called 10 this city to make
a survey OF the situations As such n pro-
gram would have sidetracked the whole
transit plan and meant months OF delay,
the move failed
The attempt to have Mr.. Parsons called
In at the time. II is charged by supporters
OF the Taylor transit plan. is simply an
other move for delay. The first evidences
OF opposition TO the selection OF an outside
expert developed last night at a meeting Of
the United Business Mems Association in
the Hotel Bingham.
WILL CONTINUE FIGHT
william Hancock, president Of the asso-
citation and one OF the cty's representatives
on the Philadelphia Rapid Transit board,
threatened to resign from the board IL the
business men passed a resolution introduced
by Arch r. schock deploring the plan TO
seek outside aid.
Supported by Municipal Court Judge
Raymond MacNelle and several others. Mr..
Hancock finally forced the defeat Of the
resolution by n vote of 81 to 30 An open
would not be allowed to stand and that
another meeting would be called In which
all the outlying associations would be pres
ent with their full representation to register
their position.
Mayor Smith admitted today Mr. Parsons
had not been definitely engaged
81 have never seen Mr. Parsons, nor have
I ever written TO him." said the Mayor,
'and whether or not he is to come is not
definitely decided. He is coming over next
win be done then, OF course, cannot say
now"
HANCOCK CoNTRADICTED
Mr.. Hancock, during the debate at the
business mems meeting last night, fatty
denied that there was any such thing as a
tentative agreement between the company
and the city. This agreement, he said,
consisted of train conversation between 4,
former Transit Director A. Merritt Taylor
and Ellis Ames Ballard. chief counsel for
the company.
Supporters of Mr.. Taylor, for Mr.. Han
cocks benefit, pointed out that on March
20. 1911, the Transit Company submitted
In printed form the conditions under which
II would operate the new lines On April
Mr.. Taylor submitted also in printed form
his reply and the counter-proposals. For
the following month and half a series
of conferences were held between Mr.. Tay-
lor, T.. T. Stotesbury, chairman Of the board
OF directors of the Transit Company Thom-
as f. Mitten, president of the company;
Ellis Ames Ballard and others, and on
May 81 a program was worked out harmon
izing the wishes of both parties. II is this
later program presented in pamphlet form
which Is known as the tentative agreement
COLONEL Po1'TER-S STAND
Colonel Sheldon Potter, in discussing the
transit situation, today. denied that either
he or Mr.. Hancock. as representatives on
the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Board had
any concern in the framing of a lease.
The question of employing transit ex-
perts," he said. from this or any other city
for the purpose of drawing up lease or
agreement to have the Rapid Transit Com
pany take over lines built by the city at an
approximate cost OF $65, 5,000, 900 is one that
in no way affects Mr.. Hancock or myself
as representatives Of the city on the board
of directors of the Rapid Transit Company.
The newspapers and the public generally
do not seem to understand the situation
in so far as we are concerned. We are mere
ly representing the city as members of the
Transit Board, not experts on leasing.
Nothing relative to a lease or an agreement
has been brought before US as members
Of the Transit Board. and until the city
itself, through Mayor Smith, has some
proposition to make to the Rapid Transit
Company we will not figure.
ANY calling In Of outside experts to
frame possible terms OF leasing must be
done by the Mayor, and i under stand that
such is his intention. Mr.. Hancock and 1
can have no part in any actual framing of
lease, as we are merely on the transit
board to take care of the cty's interests
when the question of leases or any other
subject affecting the city's interests is
brought before us.
The public made the demand for the
new lines not the Rapid Transit Company
The Rapid Transit Company may in the end