Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-08
MORE SMITH PAP"
SEEN in BOND BILL
Mayors Firm May Be In.
duced to Accept Added
City Business
NEW PAYMAsTER SYSTEM

WIN the National Surety Company bona
the tHenty-seven city paymasters who nex,
year will disburse ti3,5oO.oOO in salaries
II bn now In Councils revising the p.r.
roll system Of the city Is adopted? This
question was repeatedly asked around CITY
Hall today. but In the absence OF Mayor
Smith no authoritative answer could be had
The Thomas y Smith bonding Commas
Is agent for the National Surety in tbis
city, and since the election as Mayor OF ~.
man after whom the concern is named ne
company has done the bulk OF muuicfnaI.
bonding business, The Mayor is no longer
head of the company and has frcquentiv
referred all Inquiries as to It's pollcIes n
the men who succeeded him as managers
In an intetvew today. Charles tJovd
now president Of the Thomas Il s,ni,h
Company, said that he had not heard tbst
this business. as provided in the bill. Was
created for the benefit OF the company, us
said he only knew what had been printed
In the newspapers.
we handle that sort of business.r e said
MIR Lloyd, but We nave not decided anv,
thing about going after this particular bt.-
MIR Lloyd was asked II the busInss.
would be accepted II offered, and he replied
that no didn't know whether Il would or
not -
The bill TO have a single paymaster AN.
pointed from each department to whom,
warrants shall be drawn rather than 10
have each man present an individual var
rant was introduced by Select Counciman
Charles Segcr. leader OF the Penross.
McNichol forces. and IL looked upon nr n
political move TO have Mayor Smith treat
with the faction that has been showed 10
the background by the Ware activities This
Councilman Seger denies and his exuIana.-
IL hp fuf g.I q sb,
the request OF Controller Walton 20 relieve
that officials department of great real
OF unnecessary work. Under the present
system Controller Walton has each month
TO sign moro than $4,000 individual nav
warrants. and a great deal OF bookkeeplng
ls necessary In the department, which. IL is
said. can be done away with by paying the
departmental salaries to one man in each
department TO be appointed by the director
In charge
The bill ms framed provides for one cer-
tain clerk to have a blanket warrant drawn
In his name. he in turn to make the neces-
sary disbursements. II provides that all Of
the clerks so appointed shall he bonded the
cost OF such bonding 10 be paid by the city
Critics of the proposed legislation say that
VI Is incomplete In that II does not speolH--
cally point out the method by which the
clerk chosen 20 receive the funds shall pay
them out.
Those who would have Il Understood that
the move TO appoint departmental pay
masters has never been considered one TO
provide business for some bonding con-
cern, declare that the bill was introduced
while the Mayor was away on n hunting
trip and altogether without his knowledge
on the other hand. It is contended that
as the company with which the Mayor has
always been identified has done the bulk OF
city Hall business for the last year, the
new business will naturally drift 10 the
Thomas b. Smith Company with n corre-
spending profit In revenues TO the head OF
the municipal government and others In.
terested with him.