Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-23
BUILDING SEWERS BETTER
THAN BUILDING FACTIONS
II Would Be a Fatal Mistake to Hold Up
the Items Of the Proposed Loan for
Permanent Public Improvements

| Permanent Public improvements
THE fact that certain members of Coun-
ellis are planning to combine to pre-
vent the necessary two-thirds vote for
| the loan for city improvements is regret
table. Charles H. Won Tagen, their leader,
announces that all but three or four of
them have pledged themselves to vote
against the loan at this time, and that
these three or four will fall in line.
What justification is offered fok taking
such course? Certainly not that there
is no pressing need for new main and
branch sewers and for new water mains,
for which a considerable part of the
money to be borrowed is to be used.
Two reasons are set forth by Mr.. Won
Tagen. One is that the present city ad-
ministration cannot be trusted to spend
the money properly and the other is that
if the money is appropriated now none
will be left for the use of the Mayor and
Council to be elected under the new char
ter, as Favored contractors will be en-
gagged in doing work which will absorb
all the available resources.
Public improvements should not be
held up indefinitely for fear some one
may make money dishonesty out of
them. If the voters, aroused to new
interest in efficient government by the
charter-revision discussion. shall elect
the kind of a Mayor and Council which
we all hope will be elected then it does
not make any difference who has the
contracts. The work will not be COM
pleted for many months. After the be-
ginning of the year the enforcement of
the terms of the contracts will rest with
the new administration.
The contracts for permanent improve
| ments ought to be let as soon as possible.
| Such work has been held up by the war
| and the city is suffering for lack of the
| things which it has not been able to do.
The eXigencies of the housing situation
alone are sufficient to justify the letting
of contracts for sewers and water mains
at the earliest possible moment. There
are hundreds of new houses now awaiting
the completion of the sewers in the
streets There are said to be only $500
vacant lots in severed streets at the
| present time, and the city needs 10000
| new houses. Builders will not begin
| operations unless they have some assur-
ance that the sewers will be laid when
| they are needed.
The sanitary conditions in many little
streets are disgraceful because the
| streets are not severed. Those condi-
tions cannot be changed until money is
available for laying the sewers and paw
ing the streets.
! ,lo 10
manding that Director Krusen, of the
Health Department, order the connec-
ton of these houses with the sewers
know that he cannot do so until the
money is appropriated and the sewers are
laid. This work can begin in the imme-
diate future if the loan ordinance is ap-
proved. If action is delayed the situation
next summer will be as bad as it will be
this summer.
The surest way to hamstring the next
administration is to delay public improve
ments, which have been postponed too
long already, and to pile up for it an
amount of work which it cannot very
we'll do. And the surest way to help it is
to go ahead with the work planned and
thereby increase the assessed value OF
property in al those streets in which new
sewers and water mains are laid and
create new assets to be used as the basis
for new loans for further improvements
Every house built on a vacant lot creates
new tax values and new loan values But
= this is SO evident that it does not neet
to be argued
If the minority in Councils wishes to d,
: real public service it will cOncentrat,
its opposition on those sums in the pro
; posed loan that are to be used to pa,
= current expenses which should be me
by the annual tax levy.
= The practice of borrowing on long
term bonds to meet current deficits i
e | pernicious and cannot be abandoned to
s soon. The amount which it is proposed t
!, borrow for this purpose should be ir
: cluded in the next tax levy, so that tn
deficits can be wiped out.
:, Then when the revised charter, with it
a budget system, comes into effect the cit
r can start even. And the new syster
: made effective by the new charter wi
= prevent the accumulation of deficits i
(, the future.
o Everybody agrees in theory that "
e ought to pay as we go. No serious objet
tion has been raised to the principle
the budget plan proposed in the chartt
revision.
a But the Legislature has not yet passe
Is the law. The men in Harrisburg ougI
II to be convinced that the sentiment of Il
Ie city on this natter is virtually unan
v nous. 1t ought to be made evident thl
there is no factional disagreement affea
!. ing the application of sound br
ID principles to city finance and thatA
k. i, seeking any selfish or privateY
ir taee because OF the adoption or rejt
Of the proposed plan.
'. II Is incredible that any. one serious