Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-08

.They say the Mayors goin' away on
,rother trip" shouted one OF Mr.. Smiths
subordinates to a colleague passing down
corridor on the second floor of City
Hal
ovbv he Just got back from one came
the reply.
"yes he likes that" said the first
sneaker "He hopes to he called back from
iris one. lie likes TO ride great distances
with the thought that he's rushin home
because Philadelphia needs him.
"Can YOU beat 1t !" calculated the other
Marty, and went on to do his bit at $1,000
year and one vacation.
The Mayor gets $4,000 and spends
great part of his time preparing TO 20
away. going away staying away. prepar-
ing TO return and returning.
Some Of the boys around the Hall like
20 refer to him as the absent Mayor
UNLESS WAR LOOMS
ue has lust announced that today he
leaves for Florida that is. "if the national
crisis does not become too serious. so as
10 make his presence necessary in Phila-
delphia." a.
Although he made effort to prevent his
actual destination and time OF his de-
psrture from becoming public this time''
the Mayor. it was learned left the North
Philadelphia station at 1l:23 this morn
ing
one Of the City Hall gentry was trying
10 be funny 1t was an anti-Vare man.
"Yes" he said. "the Mayors got to the
pont now where he thinks he's an i'm
portant person in considering the interna"
tonal relations. Such little things as
finances are side issue. IF the national
crisis does not become too serious! Gosh
No wonder he's just waking up to the way
he's muddling the|fnances. Who wouldn't
be behind the times IL he Travelled so
much?'
Some Of the foregoing quota tions may be
Get down to factional prejudice but 1t is
A fact: Mr.. Smith has done a bit of
journeying in the thirteen months he has
been Mayor.
There was that first notable trip to Au-
susta, Ga, and Aiken. S. c., for almost two
weeks away back in last March. That was
some two months after Mr.. Smith took
office, and what with transit worries and
ALT was then that the Mayor Thought of
scuttling the Taylor plan-he felt he needed
it. He took some excellent company
Freeland Kendrick. Jimmy Hazlett. Ed Ware
and other jolly fe!lows---and went down
South. where he golfed. rode horseback, had
visit from Ralph Bingham and was other
wise royalty entertained. He came back
much refreshed"
WEEK END STUFF
That held him for while. There were
frequent short trips--just weekend stuff
that didn't count--but the Mayor stayed
pretty close to home until along about the
middle of July. when he motored up through
Pennsylvania TO New York State, where one
OF his sons was In military training camp.
This was not a vacation In the strict sense
of the word; It was simply a visit" to a
member of the family and. incidentally. the
Mayor compared notes with a predecessor
In office by calling on Rudolph Blankenburg
IN the Poconos But It. took almost two
weeks, all the same. o.
Then the Mayor came back and an
nounced that his office took so much time
that he would have to forgo the pleasure
Of a sunamer vacation. He did forgo it,
too, but only for about n minute. The
, nasty vice mess came to a head soon after
because Director Wilson pulled off that
wholesale raid in the Tenderloin, and the
Mayor got out of range. He only went as
far as Atlantic City. and when the pur-
suit Of questions got too hot in the hotel
he took a house in Pacific avenue down in
Chelsea
Strictly speaking, this Atlantic City ven
ture was not a vacation There were only
few weeks spent at the hotel and the
Mayor was always In touch with his office
and only n few months spent at the cottage
In Chelsea and every week the Mayor came
TO his offlce-sometimes several days at
time.
So II one takes the matter of vacation
strictly by high standard. strictly by stay
Mayor really had no summer vacation, and
then II Is unfair TO mention Atlantic City
at all. IT Is all n question of standard.
SLUMP IN VACATIONS
By mld-September. though, the Mayor
was securely back In Philadelphia again
and vacations weren't spoken of for quite
some time There were, IT Is true, the oc-
casional one or two day trips away-maybe
only as far as the clubhouse or Reading oil
0t thar oh, y,Nln h,,t M.
cember was there a real trip. Then SUI
perintendent Robinson, Mr.. Kendrick
Friend Ware and some of the boys suggested
DIT OF shooting upstate The Mayor
Wrought 1t would do him good-and, bang
smother two weeks.
Two more months passed Fatigue-th,
laws OF nature are inexorable-again as
serted itself and the Sunny South came
70 mind They chose Camden. far down ir
south Carolina. While they were dowr
.here golfng. riding building themselves
up Philadelphia needed the Mayor" ant
ne ne came hastening back to serve the city
ney say that Paul Revere to the rescue
must must look to his laurels from now on. The
mayor has had taste Of what it mean,
hasten to the rescue and promises to b'
Unsuitable.
ihen there is golf Many a fine day ha
u ieit early to knock that little piece o
sutla . percha from hole TO hole. Only th
10 ss oay, when President Wilson went ou
70 nave nine holes of play while digestin,
herman note, did an ardent admirer o
I'm ~" say that Mr.. Wilson must have go
tn ne ioea or thinking out major problem
from the Mayor.
,o. ana getting sick Some of the lads VIII
ioaf a good BIT around the Mayors receptio,
oom gay tho Mayor is the greatest chal
or getting sick they ever saw It's either
eoid or sore eyes or what not One OF then
vailed him big baby.
KArsa aal.-
oh, about five minutes to 11F
Ahd now long does he take for lunch !?
on' not 50 long. Sometimes he only goe
Sver 70 the station for q sandwich. Some
umes ne goes to restaurant ana stay
nksr Not infroQuently he takes prett,
lonx b>cAuse ho roe, 10 10 Norfh Hroe;