Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-04
FUND JUGGLING"
BUSTES COUNCILS
City Solons Make Transfers
to Clinch Johnson Art for
Municipality
SKELETON LOAN BILL
Will Later Be Filled in for Tenn
porary Borrowing of
$1,200,000

Financial juggling, TO provide funds for
exhausted items Of salary and supplies as
well as to provide 100000 TO take over the
johnson art collection, occupied the at
tention of both branches of Councils this
afternoon. The most important piece Of
legislation was the introduction Of skele-
ton temporary loan bill which, It Is under
stood, will later be filled out In the amount
of S1,200,00O.
GAFFNEY DISCUSSES ART
Chairman Joseph p. Gaffney of Councils
Finance Committee, in offering the transfer
for the johnson art collection, recited the
provisions under the noted lawyers VIII
making the time limit of acceptance Oc-
tober IA, and said;
The six months designated will expire
October "a, 1917. Councils, by ordinance
passed prior to the summer recess and
approved by the Mayor, accepted the gift,
authorized and directed the Mayor, on
or before october IA, 1917, to enter into
written contract with the executors and
trustees of the will, complying with its
provisions and appropriated the sum of
$500, 900 for the purposes in connection with
said gift.
AT the time Of the adoption of the or
dinance referred TO- II was believed that
the sum Appropriated would be sufficient
but on September 10 the City Solicitor In
formed the Mayor by letter that the John
son Estate had been appraised at S6327,-
914.S4, OF which the bequests and devise
to the city amounted TO S4,5i1,40S. As a
result of this appraisement the city will
need, in order to pay United States and
State taxes, extra Insurance premiums, es-
timated cost of freproofing. maintenance,
etc, 100000 in addition to the 100000 al
ready appropriated.
Although taken by surprise, in the un-
timely season of most unusual and alb
normal year. the Mayor and the Finance
Committee recognized the great value Of
this gift. the respect due the name and
memory Of a Philadelphia whose every
achievement added luster to the city's name,
and that civic pride demanded at any cost
that this splendid collection Of a great citi-
zen should not be surrendered to our sister
city, New York. Every city and county de-
partment was therefore asked to make its
contribution from moneys appropriated dur
ing the year. The result Is told In this
amendment to the pending transfer bill.
Opinions may differ as to whether or not
Mr.. johnson should have provided for the
payment OF these taxes out of the balance
of his estate, but there can hardly be any
difference of opinion that the State and
nation should exempt from taxation gifts of
this kind to municipalities
URGES LEGISLATION
"In an effort to meet this and like situa-
tiOnS IN the future, so Iaf as IeHnSNlNdIld
was concerned. and to save for the city
the greater part of this large expenditure,
the City Solicitor caused to be introduced
in the last Legislature, on May Z, a bill
III r. 1850 the purpose and effect Of
which was to exempt from the payment of
collateral inheritance tax this and similar
| gifts made to the city. Unfortunately that
| bill, like many others beneficial to the
| municipality, failed of passage
Indeed. It has been intlmated that Mr..
| Johnson provided In his will as he did TO
| focus public attention upon this unfair fea.
| ture i'm, our tax laws. But be that as It
| may, the fact remains that unless present
legisl Itlon is amended the city may in the
future, hnd itself unable to accept gifts
of this sort and thereby be deprived Of
| adding to and enhancing the value of its
already acquired works of art Philadel-
phla, already great world center OF in
dustral and professional life, is now en-
gagged in spending millions In the erection
and equipment of a great art gallery, where
| It is hoped to install many of the worlds