Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-12
HYPHENATED GANGS"
Wares Seem Headed to Break Old Tradi-
ton Of Philadelphia organizations"

FTNGIE political Rialto is waggfng its head
l. wisely these days. That section OF II free
from the McNichol and Penrose labels is
mixing a little gloatng into the wise head
wagsing' and that portion OF it not marked
Ware in the sevedge is wondering where II
gets off. and more particularly. when
The organization wiseacres who have
portentous Interpretation for every clerk
Topped from his clerkship or every CITY Hall
laborer released from the payroll to hunt "A
JOB at war work see Significance in the
quick and deadly work Of the admlnist ration
gulllotine since the first Monday of the ucw
year.
The sharp blade is mercilcssly seycriny
placemen from their places in the various
row Offices. Singulary--or perhaps naturally
in view of the Ware better half of tho bar
gain in the so-called "ffty-ffty" ticlset--the
officeholders who are losing Jobs are the ones
who have been noted for their prime ability
to carry divisions and ring doorbells for the
McNlchol and Penrose wing OF the Organiza-
tion,
What are the wild waves murmuring on tho
political strand? Simply that the Wares are
headed directly toward throwing into the
discard one of the unwritten laws of pbila
dephia gangism, the tradition of a two-
headed or sometimes multiple headed ma
chine Divided leadership on n comn,unit,, =,
OF interest has, for three political genera
tions at least, controlled Philadelphia cnn-
n
tacles of Vareism are reaching out and prin
ping and gathering in. sometimes quietly and
sometimes by spectacular coups, all the Gle
ments of power Solidarity Of control undsr
centralized and strongly buttressed direction
Is more and more obviously becoming their
aim, according to those who read the o,nens
looming large over the political horizon,
"Smith-Nare alliance" you suggest tn oro
of them. putting the Smith before The
hyphen.
'Camoufage," Is the curt comment "rbe
wise guys find Ware big enough word 10
describe what they mean"
One of the od-tmers recalled as tho
earliest in his memory the McManes-I .esd.
leadership. OF Gas Trust fame, which
divided offices and spoils some two-score
years ago. It is still remembered in con-
nection with the s200O0.0OO "job" Of
erecting the Public Buildings Then thsra
was the celebrated Porter-Filbert- -Nar,jn
aggregation of politicians and contractors
popularity known as the Hog Combine -
Within easy recollection is the Durham
McNichol leadership. connected yet In The
public mind with the filtration system, The
McNichol-Nare combination, terminated nv
the death of Senator McNichol, leaves no
chieftain of his personality and prestige 10
succeed, and in the view of seasoned noIi-
ticians, opens the way 10 the Wares consun.
nation Of their ambition to wipe factionaIisn,
out OF the party control by controlling it ali
themselves.
Thus is another tradition going TO smash in
Penn's city. a tradition the citizens, of courses
will willingly see scrapped II the Town Meet
ing party marshals its forces to victory and
nlps the Ware aspirations for a single -head daJ
machine, with all the offices and all the con.
|. tracts theirs alone. i a