Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-14
VACANT CITY JOBS
NOT TO BE FILLED|
Several Hundred Places|
May Be Dropped as War
Economy
WON'T AFFECT TAX RATE|
Lack of Cooperation by Ware
Men in County Offices
Blocks Reduction

Ninety inspectorships in the Highway
Bureau, forty places in the Survey|
bureau, a number of positions in thsI
street Cleaning Bureau half the forceI
OF city repair gangs and many places inI
the Bureau of Water are unified at thsI
present time and Councils may not, ~
asked to appropriate money for them in|
1913. These figures are from a repoYeI
made by Director Datesman, of the De-
partment Of Public Works, to Mayor
Smith.
other reports upon which the Mayor|
is oasing his plan to abolish unneces-
sary positions In departments under his|
control show reduced working forces fn|
the Departments of Public Safety. Trans-
1t. Wharves Docks and Ferries and
Health and Charities. Many Of the
places untitled, and not to be filled, arel
PAID from loan funds and will not help
10 swell the general funds available for
the remainder of the year and in 1919.
surplus balances on salary items will
be reported to Councils early this fall
and the money will be taken to provide
increases for policemen and firemen.
Director Wilson, Of the Department of
Public Safety. will turn over large
balance resulting from his inability to
keep the police and fire forces up to
their usual size.
Present plans to reduce forces pro-.
vide for the abolition of no high salaried
places other than few engineers They
also leave untouched the duplication OF
heads in all departments and most
boards and bureaus. All assistant direc-
tors and other almost purely political
placeholders are to be left in their
sinecures because to disturb them would
strike at the very source Of power held
by the political bosses
Many of the higher salaried places
have admittedly fallen to the low estate
of patronage dispensers and their in
cumbents are particularly valuable in
this capacity to the powers that be.
Mayor Smith could not disturb any such
positions without the aid Of Senator
Ware. who controls working majority
of both branches of Councils. s3
In seeking to reduce municipal operat-
ing expenses during the pr -ess Of the
war the Mayor has run against a stone
wall. due to the fact that elected heads
to county offices and to courts decline to
cooperate with him. Not only have
heads of such departments as that of
Recorder Of Deeds. Receiver of Taxes.
City Solicitor and others kept their offices
filled to capacity with placeholders but
these placeholders are planning further
raids on the city treasury In the shape of
new demands this fall.
Most of the county offices are headed
by men owing their political strength
to the Wares. The same power is largely
responsible for the men now filling posi-
tions as assistant directors Of city de-
partments
Mayor Smith has been advised by cab
met members that there should not be
considered any reduction in the working
forces Of the Bureaus of Gas, Building
Inspection, Boiler Inspection or, in any
divisions whose work has not been ma
terially reduced by the wartime activ.-
ties All these forces. Director Datesman
contends, are needed in the proper con-
ouct of city work.
Because of the lack of cooperation
between city and county Offices. the saw
ing from abolishing or keeping vacant
! many city positions is not likely to
reduce the tax rate materially. Espec-
tally is this the case because the money
will have to go out In other salary items
If any real pay increase is finally
granted the policemen and firemen.