Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-08
Confers With Twining, Will
liam Hancock and Ed
ward A. Noppel
NEW PACT COMMENDED
Head of United Business Mems
Association Expresses Salts
faction in the Main

sent for Director Of Transit Twining with
whom he conferred Later he sent for
Colonel Sheldon Potter and William Han
cock. both of whom are the city's repre-
sentatives on the directorate of the T. X T..
Colonel Potter Was unable to come to the
Mr.. Hancock arrived after the Mayor had
left. but he went over the draft OF the
lease with the Transit Director Another
caller was Edward A. Noppel, president
OF the United Business Mems Association
when Mr.. Noppel left the Mayors Of
nee he said:
After my cursory examination ! would
say that there are n great many improve
ments In the new lease over the one of
fered by the =. II. T.. OF course, there
may be some minor points to which some
persons might object, but that Is only
natural. You can't draft any kind Of an
agreement that will please everybody
Mr.. Noppel announced that he would call
a special meeting of the transportation
committee OF his organization week from
next and take UP the new lease.
Director Twining said that Colonel Pot
ter who yesterday called on him and looked
over the lease expressed himself rs being
highly pleased with the new agreement.
Mayor Smith left for Atlantic City at :3f
o'clock this afternoon. He VIII return to the
city next Friday. Before leaving he at
tempted to get into touch with city Solicit
tor Connolly, but was unable to do so, be-
cause Mr. Connolly is out of town. The
Mayor said that he Understood Colonel
Potter was sending him letter indorsing
the lease.
In spite OF the fact that the terms Of the
lease have been thoroughly discussed and
agreed upon by city and company conterees
and that the lease ordinance will be intro
duced in Councils on Friday of next week.
the Mayor declared that he and his advisers
stand ready to welcome any constructive
criticism or TO be told of any flaws or de-
fects in the draft.
This transit lease" the Mayor said. "is
the biggest thing which will come up during
my administration. II covers a period of
nearly half century, involves millions
and millions Of dollars, and | have made
It 30 much n personal matter that my
reputation both as Mayor and as an in
dividual depends upon whether II -
honest and aboveboard. For this reason /
am determined that it shall be the best and
fairest contract possible to secure for the
citizens of Philadelphia"
MAYORS PUBLICITY PLAN
The publicity campaign the Mayor went
on to explain will have two phases.
First, representative citizens and leaders
OF business organizations will be requested
to come 10 the Mayors office and go over the
terms Of the lease with him and his ad-
visers before the draft is admitted to coun-
ellis on the 18th Of this month BY this
means he hopes to weed out any possible
big faults in time to have them corrected
In the counc!lmanlc ordinance.
Second. the lease will be dssected par
Agraph by paragraph, at a series of public
hearings to be held before Councils joint
finance and street railways committee. 1t
will then be reported back to Councils for
action only after every person interested
has had an opportunity to be heard.
"All this will take time the Mayor
continued. but we can well afford to go
little slow on a matter Of such vast Inn
portance. To save time at the ltlblic
hearings l shall suggest that only those
persons speak who have definite criticisms
TO make. To offer Endorsements of the
lease will only waste time. and the only
defense of the lease will be given by the
Transit Director In answer to the sugges-
tions and criticisms which are made.
"As "a part OF the first step have re-
ouested Colonel Sheldon Potter and Will |
liam Hancock, the two men who serve |
with me as the city's representatives on the |
board Of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit
Company, to come to my office today |
will lay the draft before them first be- |
cause OF their position of dual interest: |
Later this week / shall send for repre-
sentatives of the United Business Mems |
Association and take up all the details of |
the lease with them.
LEASE A SIMPLE DOCUMENT
"Then On Monday next will be held the
final conference of the men who drafted |
the lease. Doctor Lewis will return from |
Maine. Mr.. Drum, the consulting engineer |
for the Transit Company will return to the |
city and Director Twining and myself will |
go over with them all the defects or flaws |
which may have been discovered, and the
lease will be put into final shape.
"As soon this is done it will be pre-
sented to City Solicitor Connolly for his
nd AfNA ha
It reaches him that he can pass upon 1t
In two or three hours. Simplicity char
acterizes the entire document"
The Mayer was asked II he thought the
City Solicitor would consent to pass upon
the lease without a careful investigation
of all the legal questions involved.
'I have talked to Mr.. Connolly" he re-
piled, land / know the lease Therefore
I say he can pass upon 1t within a few
hours. II Is so simple, in fact. that n school |
child can understand It, Simplicity and |
the omission OF any ambiguous phraseology,
Mr.. Stotesbury and | agreed some weeks |
ago, must be the basis for the new pact"
Mr.. Connolly, however. when asked |
whether he could approve the lease in such |
a short time was not 30 certain as the |
Mayor and refused TO make any statement, |
except to admit that he had not seen the |
lease as yet.
TAKES RAP AT MCCARTNEY
The Mayor also took occasion to rap John |
n. McGarvey, chairman. Of the transporta- |
tion committee of the Allied Business Mems
Association of West Philadelphia. which is |
working for the Fifty-sfxth street cross |
town line. Mr.. McGarvey announced sew. |
eral days ago that unless the Mayor lent |
his support TO the project an amendment |
would be offered to the transit lease on the |
floor Of Council providing for the Immediate |
and operation of the proposed |