Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-23
MAYOR THROUGH
B0THERING WITH
POLITICAL FOES
Will Push Improvement
Plans, Ignoring Seger and
Trainer, He Says
FOR BUSINESS METHODS
Defends Tax Rate Increase and
Declares He Has Peo-
ple's Confidence

Mayor Smith today outlined his plans for
rushing the transit AVID general loan bills
Through Councils In order that bonds may
~ sold and appropriations made for the
many great municipal improvemel ats de-
pendent upon the legislation. Great stress
was laid by the Mayor on the fact that anti
administration members Of Councils can ex-
pect nothing from him and that, In the
future they win be ignored and their efforts
IN obatructing legislation outvoted. Speak
Ing Of the Neutrality-suspicious. increase In
the tax rate predicted to follow favorable
vote on the loans the Mayor said:
The tax rate bugaboo is not worrying
me don't care what Seger and Trainer
do or say. Such pullbaoks in Councils won't
make any headway with me or the people
by yelling tax rate increase 1 am going 20
9ivc this city business administration and
the people can depend upon 10 that aifairs
VIII be conducted along straight business
Ines Tho splitting Of the general loan is
good business and II II increases the tax
rate ak cents II also saves paying interest
for 30 years on maintenance items and old
bills that were incurred in some cases,
before took office"
THINKS PEOPLE WITH HIM
The Mayor made II apparent that he is
now certain that he has the confidence of
she voters and that he does not fear, in
The slightest degree any moves that may
be made in either branch of Councils to
delay or even defeat his constructive CAM
paign Of municipal improvements. In no
Drevious interviews has the Mayor taken the
stand he did today when he declared he
cared nothing for Seger or Trainer and
meant to ignore them.
In response to questions as to his future
course relative to legislation and possible
opposition in Councils. the Mayor said:
II have my plans for future undertake
ings and pullbacks will be ignored. Any
C0trf1cfIrnan who n buaIuaRa adj
rninistration or who attempts to go against
progressive legislation will bt held
rponsible by his constituents and by the
people Of the city generally. The old scare
about the tax rate increase seems to be
all that Is left for them to hep upon. This
will not gain them anything, as 1 mean
business and our plans have been carefully
worked out along business lines.
II am daily in consultation with men best
fitted to aid the city in its big undertake.
ings Take the transit situation I am
not trying out questions of comlssions or
councilmanic committees in the newspa-
pers / am working quietly with men who
can aid me, and when my plans are COM
piete they will be announced in due course
OF time. The plan to split the general
loan into two parts was long ago considered.
You did not hear me. talking about II. You
learned OF 1t In the finance chamber. That
Is a sample of what we are doing in our
tfHort to get the city running as a business
proposition. Joe Gaffney is a level-headed
3nan and the plan to split the loan had his
lpprovaL If he says 1t will raise the tax
rate cents, then he knows what he is
doing.
This tax rate increase talk has been
niost POPULAR with the pulbacks, and they
use IL at every opportunity. I have my
plans for raising revenue and for provid-
ing for the city's needs and deficits. but
am not talking about that matter until |
the proper time arrives. The people can |
rest assured that this will not be a wasteful |
administration, II can prevent It, We |
will have to spend lot of money for the |
improvements planned, but it will be money |
we'll and carefully spent. / believe the |
administration has the city behind 1t and |
that It is now understood by all that no |
charges win be imposed where they can be |
avoided"
DOESN'T CARE TO ARGUE
II see no reason why 1, should enter into
any controversy with Trainer OF Seger as |
to the tax rate nor do intend to do so. I |
Cont care what they say. II they will not |
help. they certainly cannot hinder u.s. Busi- |
ness is the keynote of my ideas and busi- |
ness basis for all the improvement work is
being quietly worked out by men thoroughly |
capable to handle the proposition. II the
men who are attempting to hamper the Ad-
think they will gain anything |
by 1t, let them go ahead. Anything they
start viii be finished In Councils. do not |
mean u Laho u ndIlu III trOu-
bles other than to see that any obstruction |
methods come to nothing.
Il do not mean to run away for any
lengthy vacations this summer and mean to
be right on the Job to see that the improve
ments now planned or under way are not
hampered or hindered. The tax rate ques-
tion will be settled at the right time, but
now 1t can only be raised with a view to
causing trouble. The people can rest GER
tain that no unnecessary tax will be placed
upon them and that the present tax rate
talk has been started with the sole object
Of causing agitation in Councils"
TRANSIT LOAN APPROVED.
The transit loan OF Ss7,IOO,0 900 is ap-
proved by the Finance Committee and will
be reported to Councils tomorrow. The
t47, 900 general loan, under the Gaffney
plan, will be split into two unequal parts
The frst loan, which will be for general
improvements, will be, In round figures,
t4z.4bb.000. This will be sold as a0-year
bonds the second loan will in round fig
ures be SA.970,000 Bonds for this loan
viii be sold for five years This loan
covers the maintenance items for 1918 and
deficiency bills incurred in previous years
Chairman Gaffney said that a sinking
fund OF 20 per cent. viii have 10 be pro-
vided, which means an increase of six cents
In the tax rate. These three loans total
t114, 4,525, 900, the amount voted on May 16
The change was made to prevent paying
interest charges on maintenance and de-
ncienoy items for 80 years. The suggestion
has the approval OF the Law Department
of the city and OF the Mayor.