Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-07

Allied Governments against Germany
have been read all over the United
States; who has reported the national
political nominating conventions with an
insight which no masculine political re.
porter has equaed; who has eXerted ma
tional influence on our military prepared
ness and who has described for millions
of Americans the work undertaken at
our army training camps-Mrs Rinehart,
ih her office in a tall building in down
town Pittsburgh. seated behind a desk
that was heaped with more documents
than that of the Secretary of War, shot
out vigorous comment on her native city
to me while she dictated to her secretary
between sentences.
Il have talked to all three OF the cam
didates for the mayoralty" ! said to her.
as it true, from the viewpoint of an I'M.
preiudiced observer. that there is any
thing wrong with Pittsburgh"
Need of Fighting Ideaist
Pittsburgh is today suffering from the
accumulated gross neglect of past admin
istrations, from an inefficient present one
and very real apathy as to civic condl-
tions among the mass of the people"
said Mrs. Rinehart decsvely. Taxes
are extremely high. housing conditions
poor and the condition of the streets
disgrace.
THE only way to have a Greater Pitts
burgh is to secure for the Pittsburgh of
today business administration instead
of purely political one. II we could
secure for this city an administration
which would take care of the city rather
than of the administrations friends,
there would be some hope of n Greater
Pittsburgh. There Is no hope of IL now"
NO hope? Does none OF the candidates
meet the need?"
Pittsburgh today needs Mayor as
fearless as the Mayor of New York. a
practical ideslst and fighter" Mrs.
Rinehart said, thoushtfuly. 'I do not
know where we shall find such man.
Former Mayor MaGee has had certain
ideals and has clung to them. He has
shown a desire to keep faith with the
community, also. lie is certainly the
best of the candidates. But no one of
them seems to combine all the qualities
that Pittsburgh requires now TO prevent
that inevitable slipping back which must
come with inefficient city management"
How might Pittsburgh go forward?"
Nearly all of Pttsburgh's evils are
political" she answered. we want a
clean city. morally and physically. We
are not getting it now.
City Doesn't Have to Be Ugly
"For some time there has been an
agitation to make Pittsburgh one of the
largest cities in the country by taking
in the surrounding boroughs. These bor-
oughs will only be willing to come into
the city when the city offers them some
thing better than it offers now. On their
lower rate of taxation most of these
boroughs have good streets and efficient
fire and police protection.
Masses of money are coming into the
Pittsburgh district just now. The city
revenues are very large and should be
properly used for the abatement Of the
smoke nuisance, for cleaning up, for
paving and for improving the water
front. II has always been said that Pitts.
burgh is an ugly city, 1t is not neces-
ssrily an ugly city. It's location is both
beautiful and impressive. 1t Is ugly be-
cause 1t is dirty and unkempt. 1t is
neither more smoky nor more crowded
than London. But London, with all its
cloud OF smoke, is exquisitey neat,
II was born In Pittsburgh. have
lived TO see its Industrial growth and
its political failure The grssn-shaded
streets Of my girlhood IN old AlIsabsny
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