Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-21


sponsored the registration bills, may be
picked to do the talking for the Peurose
forces, but it is reported that Repre-
sentative John NJ. Flynn, of Elk., a
Democrat and the father of the House,
will engineer the parliamentary pro-
ccdure of the anti Ware forces.
Should the Ware forces charge that
the reform bills are purely Philadelphia
measures and that Flynn has no inter =
est he is expected to counter with the
charge that Scott was one of the first
| to leap in the fray which marked the
vote in the House on the Pittsburgh
extra judgship bill
Senator Penrose's Statement
| Senator Penrose in statement is
sued last night said:
MY purpose in coming to Harris
| burg is to lend my influence in support
of the Woodward charter revision bill
and other legislation having for its
object the attainment of municipal good
government. Months ago | gave my
public pledge to the citizens committee,
| formed for the purpose of framing this
| legislation, that / would do what |
could to favor its adoption, and | shall
redeem that pledge to the best Of my
ability.
The Woodward charter bill is. be :
iieve, a very meritorious measure. II
represents the thought and work of a
large number Of public spirited citizens
of all shades of opinion, men who have
given years of study to the problems
of municipal government. 1t has re-
cCived the Endorsement of the city
principal business and civic organiza :
tons, of church. labor and fraternal
bodies and undoubtedly is in accord with
overwhelming public sentiment in favor
!of lettering civic conditions.
"With the framing of this legislation
7 had not the slightest part. having been
entirely occupied by my duties in the
recent session of Congress. But it Is
entirely in line with the position l have
maintained for many years in reference
to municipal affairs in Philadelphia and
the defects in the Bullitt bill. As long
ms fifteen years ago | publicly declared
my conviction that the misuse ot
despotic powers placed in the hands oi
the Mayor by the present charter. par
ticularly the abuse of the police in poll
tics. was a public evil that should be
corrected. Time and again have reit
than one occasion have given my per
sonal influence to corrective measures In
the Legislature.
For Commission Government
Had my personal views been EN-
bodied in bill to revise the governin.
laws for Philadelphia l will state very
frankly that such measure would have
gone very much further than the Wood
ward bill or anything that has beer
prepared. I would favor an entir,
change in the municipal structure ant
| give the city the most businesslike form
of commission government that could b.
devised. If Philadelphia business af
! fairs were intrusted for period o
years to a commission of seven. nine o.
eleven high grade. efficient men. ant
/ were absolutely divorced from politics
either of the PenrOse. Ware or indie
pendent varieties. this city would hav
a tremendous impetus in business. com
mercial. industrial and civic affairs.
should be very glad indeed to leave th
selection of such a commission and of ;
mayor to head it to the good judgmen
! and splendid common sense of GovernO
! Sproul. who has shown by the appoint
ment of high grade heads of depart
ments to conduct the affairs of the com
monwealth of Pennsylvania what al
executive of efficient. practical judgmcn
, can do in the management of publi
affairs.
Constitutional lmitat atons and othe
/ objections might be raised against Sucl
plan. and. further. have no desir
to urge my personal views or preference
The Woodward bill is a splendid meas
ure which. undoubtedly, will correc
many of the defects in the present sys
ten. while leaving the Fundamental
structure unchanged. The citizens
committee and the business and civi
organizations which sponsor it hav
frankly stated that it is open to better
mcnt in the Legislature. and if amend
ments are proposed or adopted the
should be entirely in line with the spiri
of the bill to correct or better muniri
pal conditions. Shipping and gassing b
political or factional opponents shoul
not lac tolerated in such a program.
Several months ago Governo
Sproul gave to the community broad
visioned thought for a police or publi
safety commission that might embrac
all the communities in the Philadel
phia suburban and industrial district
If such were possible of enactment i
should have the support of every broad
minded citizen and legislator. In IN,
judgment, the principle of a metro
politan police commission. under ap
pointment and control of the Governo
of the commonwealth, and entirely di
vorced from the power of the Mayo
and all political interests in the city, i
absolutely sound.
FayOrs Police Commission
Therefore, l would favor, as
corollary to the Woodward charte
hill the enactment of a pOlicc commits
sion bill for Philadelphia. with tn
added feature of making it possible
embody the Governors idea of extend
ing the metropolitan police to adjoin
ing counties by the inclusion of sue
boroughs, townships. cities or countie
as may voluntarily decide to b. include
in it
"Undoubtedly the most importar
item in the whole program of munich
pal redemption is the divorce of the pc