Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-13
hONPART|SAN IDEA
! IS OUT OF CHARTER
Simply Indorse Principle, Will
\ Not Press Amendment, Re-
visionist Says
SENATE KILLS CLARK BILL
By a StuG Correspondent

Harrisburg. May 13.-Although the
{ charter revision committee has indorsed
the principle of nonpartisan elections
(. for municipal officials, it is not likely
shat any amendments will be added to
y the Woodward charter bills to provide
4 for the nonpartisan election of mayor
and countilmen in Philadelphia.
Z George W. Coles. chairman of the
town meeting committee and member
OF the charter revision committee, said
the charter revisionists would not press
the 'nonpartisan idea if they found
sf"sentiment against it."
Our committee simply iudorsed the
: nonpartisan principle said Mr.. Coles.
mo amendments to incorporate the
nonpartisan idea into the charter bills
\ have been drafted, and whether they will
be later on is yet to be determined"
A short time after Mr.. Coles ex-
pressed the position of the charter re-
vlsionists, the Senate passed. by a vote
of thirty three to twelve. the Wilson
house bill to repeal the Clark nonparti-
san law for third class cities.
8 McNiclol was Absent
Every one of the eight Philadelphia
1 senator's. with the exception of William
j. McNichol, who was absent, voted
for the repeater.
! One Of the surprises was the vote for
the repeater of Senator George Wood
ward, sponsor of the charter bills.
Two votes by DR.. Woodward caused
much speculation around the Capitol.
One was his ballot for the nonpartisan
repeater and the other was for the Leslie
bill, to take away from the Councils in
Pittsburgh any jurisdiction over the e1-
penditures of the Pittsburgh civil serv-
ice commission.
Governor Sproul declared himself
against the principle embodied in the
Leslie bill because it would create
situation in Pittsburgh over the civil
service commission similar to that ex-
isting in Philadelphia over the Munich
pal Court.
Councils in Philadelphia have no ju-
risdictioD over the expenditures of the
Municipal Court, which puts through
a mandamus every time it wants money
and Councils is compelled to find
amount needed.
In his speech in the Senate last week
Doctor Woodward was emphatic in his
disapproval Of the mapdamus evil in
Philadelphia. and in facctious refer
ence to it declared "mandamuses are
so, numerous in Philadelphia that they
are naming babies after them
The Governor in his interview last
week declared that one of his objections
to the charter bills in their present
shape was that they did not clearly
define Councils supervision over the ex-
penditurcs Of the various departments.
He specifically declared himself in favor
of giving Councils full control over all
expenditures. asserting that otherwise
q condition would be brought about like
that of the Municipal Court"
Another unexpected delay over the
charter bills, which may defer final
action on those measures in the House
until week after next, has bobbed up.
< Attorney General Schaffer has asked
for n hearing on the bills some day
next week to give lawyers for and
against the measures an opportunity to
discuss the legal phases of the bills.
! Among the authorities to be in
.vited to discuss the legal merits of the
measures are John Hampton Barnes,
John p. Connolly, city solicitor; Joseph
p. Gaffney, chairman of Councils fl
nance committee; Thomas Raeburn
White, chairman Of the legal committee
which drafted the bills; James Collins
Jones, representing the Chamber of
Commerce Colonel Sheldon Potter and
DIR. William Draper Lewis.