Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-27
TRANSIT Bill T6BE
REPORTED TODAY
Wheels Creased for Final
Passage in Councils
Next Week
EASY GOING IN COMMON
Close Vote in Select Expected--Ap-
peal to Courts by Opponents
Predicted

The proposed transit lease. including
the score or more amendments resulting
from protests by transit experts and
civic organizations. will be reported In
Common Council this afternoon and the
wheels will be creased for its pass tge
next week Common Council with Its
two-thirds Ware control, Is expected to
pass the lease in face of any protest
that can be made on the floor by inde-
pendent members.
The orders to put through the lease
in its present shape have gone TO each
regular" member through the usual
ch tnnels. and Mayor Smiths 'hope'
that the bill will pass apparently re-ts
on sure foundation. Those maneuver-
Ing the bill in anticipation of trouble in
Select Council, where Ware influence Ia
not 50 pronounced, are busy convincing
members of that body OF its fairness
The one thing making It probable that
the fight for the measure will succeed
even here is that the lease ordinance re-
quires only ma ajority vote.
The final adoption Of the bill by Coun-
ellis and its approval by Mayor Smith
may not end the troubles OF the lease
makers, as alre tdy rumors of legal action
10 prevent it's provisions becoming eff.
fective are abroad. The lease, IL ap-
proved, will be passed in the face OF
opposition from many OF the most I'M
portant business associations of the .cit-
and despite condemnation from former
Director Of Trlnsit \. Merritt Taylor.
Joseph P. Gaffney. chairman Of Coun.
ellis Finance Committee. said today:
Tho bill, in all probability. will pass
both branches. That is the indication
at present. OF course. something uh.
foreseen may occur, but there Is hardly
a 1tNl AI.-A
Will be acted upon by Common Council
next Monday and by Select Council on
January 3. IL passed, it will be imms.
diately signed By the Mayor"
AID FOR HOG ISLAND
Mayor Smith this afternoon asked
Councils to permit the city. acting
through him. to further aid the Govern.
mcnt In the development Of tho Hog
Island shipbuilding works It Is tho de
sire of the Mayor to furnish the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation. the corporation
In charge of tho Hog Island plant, with
certain materials TO be taken from city
owned ground.
The request OF the Mayor was for
warded in the form of an ordinance.
which was drawn by Director Datesman.
of the Department of Public Works, after
taking part in conference In the May
ors Office at which were present repre-
sentatives Of the Emergency Fleet Cor
poratlon, agent Of tho United States
Shipping Board.
In explaining the ordinance, Director
Datesman pointed out that In return for
the materials which the city would turn
over to the Emergency Fleet Corpora.
tion the latter would place at the dis
posal of the city certain other materials
which are badly needed for the improve
mcnt OF streets and roadways in the
southwestern section of the city, all of
which are now very important On ac.
count OF the operation Of Industrial os-
adjustments in that section and the de-
velopment of the Hog Island plant.
The materials which the city desires
to furnish the Emergency Nfleet Cor
poration are needed by the latter as
filling. 50 that certain construction work
at Hog Island can be completed These
materials will consist principally OF
gravel and sand which are to be taken
from the large tract of land in the
vicinity of the Hog Island plant which
the city recently purchased for sewage
disposal purposes.
Tho ordinance WAS sent to the Finance
Committee and Director Datesnan re-
quested that the committee meet spec-
tally so az TO act upon the measure.
thus making 1t possible for Councils to
pass it finally on Monday next.
The County budgets passed today