Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-05
LET US GET DOWN TO
BUSINESS

WE VIOLATE no secret when We say
that a factor in the selection Of Hog
Island as the site for the largest ship
fabricating plant in the world was the
fact that it was outside the city limits
Of Philadelphia, and therefore not subject
to the harassments of local politicians
and gangsters.
The chief engineer of a huge plant now
IN process of construction within the last
few days threw up his hands in horror.
sGood heavensr he exclaimed, "but what
are we ever to do If that crowd of cut.
fhroats and highwaymen get after us?
We expect to work on a small margin
of profit anyhow, and il that bunch start
demanding graft Wen be left in pre-
dicament sure enough"
We are informed that not one but many
enterprises of the first magnitude have
been lost to Philadelphia simply because
the business men back OF them declined
to be subjected to the vicissitudes Of bad
government, with the attendant and con-
stant risk OF heavy losses.
There are sections Of the city in which
the value OF property has decreased, with
corresponding municipal losses from taxa
ton, for no other reason than that the
police protection paid for by the taxpay-
ers is no protection at all, except for law
breakers and the beneficiaries of gang
favoritism.
Government is a business proposition.
We do not mean by this that government
is simply a corporation, to be admins.
tered efficiently as is any other success
ful corporation. We refer to the effects
Of government rather than to the process
Of government. The object of organiza.
tion in society is the preservation of peace
and order, the protection OF each and
every individual, the administration of
community affairs so that legitimate bust
ness can be conducted under fair and
proper conditions. Bad government,
which always has the greed of somebody
back Of 1t, is invariably a heavy tax on
business 1t not only increases taxes,
but it decreases profits. There is not a
large business in Philadelphia today
which is not paying, both directly and
Indirectly, a heavy annual toll for the
privilege of having government by mur.
der and thugs. There is not an institu.
tion of Importance in the whole city
which is not penalized by bad municipal
administration. There is no corporation
or private business, even though it re-
ceives special favors, that is not really
victimized by prostitution of the police
power and other inferior or criminal ad.
ministration.
The humiliation OF such exhibits as
that now going on is bad enough. The
vocabulary of indignation has been ex.
Z hausted. But there is reason for serious
consideration in the mere matter Of dol,
lars and cents. We must reckon the cost
OF bad government i'm the number OF
Investments that did not come here on
account OF it, in the penalization Of ex.
listing industries. in the loss to labor
occasioned by protected vice and in its
general depressing industrial effect. AS a
result OF machine administration we get
too. OF course. dirty streets. with an in
crease in the death rate, uncollected gar
bage and dozens Of minor ills. They ar,
Incidental. Intelligent citizens mus
laugh when they hear gangsters talltinI
about transit or some other great an
vital improvements increasing the ia,
rate. Why. the gang costs every yea
two or three times as much as annus
transit deficits could ever be, and goo
administration would wipe out enoug
waste to meet all transit deficits an
assure reduction in the tax rate beside
Philadelphia with bad government ca
not compete with yigilant rivals that d
nand and get good government On
hnslness men may as weil recognize tn
fact now as later. for sooner or later tn,
nave sol 70 recognize it.