Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-29
AIRING OUR FACTIONAl ROWS
AT HARRISBURG A SCANDAL
But the Legislature Can Stop It by Civ.
ing Philadelphia a Home Rule
Charter at Once


charter revision circulate among the
members of the Legislature they are
likely to discover a state of sentiment
which should force them to rcdouble
their efforts.
Inc business Of the Legislature has
been hindered for years by the factional
quarrels from this city carried to the
state capital. The representatives of the
smaller communities are more restive
this year than ever before They are
threatening to ignore all Philadelphia
legislation which obstructs the business
of the session. for they have grown weary
Of standing by while this citys political
rows are aired there in public. 1t is not
an edifying spectacle.
II Philadelphia is to have greater con-
troll over its own affairs it begins to look
as if the city should have to get it this
year or not at all. and as if we should
have to depend upon the initiative of the
upstate members of the Legislature.
These men can end the present conditions
at once if they choose They can take
the bit in their teeth and pass the char
ter-revlsOn bills drafted by the citizens
committee and thus tell Us to manage our
own affairs hereafter under the grant of
power which they have given to us.
But the bills deserve the serious con-
sIderation of the Legislature on their in
herent merits. We want home rule here,
not to relieve Harrisburg of the con-
slderaton Of our local problems, but to
relieve US of the necessity of asking Har-
rlsburg for permission to do what seems
best to us about cleaning our streets or
paving them, or about the collection of
garbage or about score of other things.
The bills in question permit us to go
about as far in the direction of home rule
as Is possible under the constit tion in
its present form. In order to complete
the work of freeing the legislators of the
state at large from the necessity of con-
slderlng the special local problems of
this city and the other large cities, pro-
vision should be made for a constitutional
convention to be held at the earliest con-
venient date in order that that document
may be mOdernized in a dozen different
ways, but particularly in order that it
may confer upon the cities that freedom
which is necessary if they are to manage
! their own affairs in their own way.
The constitution should be a grant of
power to the Legislature and not a body
of bylaws, and the city charters should
| likewise be grant of power to the cities.
| subject only to the limitations necessary
| to enable the Legislature to step in with
| remedies when local abuses have become
| so grave as to menace the rest of the
state.
With the Legislature in its present
mood, now seems to be the time to take
the first step toward municipal home
rule. We assume that the members of
the citizens committee are not wholly
| ignorant of the state of mind in Harris
burg, and we assume also that they are
not so inexperienced politically that they
are unable to take advantage of that
state of mind and use it for the bcnef
cent ends to reach which they are bend
ing all their efforts.
The Legislature need not fear the con-
sequences of its approval of these bills
They have been drafted by public-spirited
men seeking solely the general good
There is no Joker in any of them. Blu,
there are "jokers' in those bills which
have been offered as substitutes.
The proposal to create metropolitan
police department with a commissions,
appointed by the Governor involves Z
continuance of the very thing against
which the legislators are now Indignantly
protesting, for it means the transfer OF
police control from this city to Harris
burg and the continual protest of one
political faction against the police activ
ties of another faction, with constan
appeals to the Legislature for relief.
If Philadelphia is not fit to control it,
own police force, it is not fit to govern
itself. This is automatic. Every mem
Der of the Legislature must admit it
whatever he may think it expedient t
say under the direction of the men VIII,
are seeking political advantage from tn,
proposed change.
The members need to make ONLY tn,
most casual inquiry to discover that il
almost every city in the country in whicl
the police have been controlled by al
official appointed by the Governor tn
plan has failed to give satisfaction.
has been abandoned in several cities an
other cities are urging the return to loca
control.
Baltimore, where the system has bee
in force for more than fifty years, is dis
satisfied with its workings because i
places its local police force under tn
direction of politicians who use it to re
ward their friends and punish thei
enemies. The conditions in that city ar
described in an article in another part 0
this newspaper today.
| Ihe peop,e pf baltimore pay the take