Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-23
INDEPENDENTS AIM
TO DECREASE LOAN
More Money for Improvements
in Smaller Bill Endorsed
by Won Tagen
"PETTY POLITICS" ASSAILED

its housing problems.
This stand on the loan was announced
today by Charles II. Won Tagcn, com
mon councilman from the Forty second
ward, and recognized floor leader of the
Independents in Council.
Mr.. Won Tagcn. in an interview !os
terday, stated Pmphatically that the In.
dependents and Penrosc men in '"un
oils would combine to dcfcnt tho loan.
~ do not wish the impression 70 be
given said Mr.. Won THgcn tins aft
ernoon. that | am the independent
whip in Councils. The floor i"ad"r
of the Independents docs not giN".UrdcrN
70 other members of the party but rather
is their mouthpicce and carries out their
desires.
Favor Building New Homes
''The Independents arc not ngnInN,
those items of the loan that ar" tor
permanent improvements. W" hr" not
against any feature of the bill which
will facilitate the erection OF III" now
homes which tbr city needs.
.sHowevcr OH examination Of the loan
bill we find that there are only hN"
items which directly concern bulIdluE.
namely those for the construction ~
main sewers, the construction of brHnrh
sewers, the paving of streets. tn" grad
ing of streets and tho extension and
Improvement of water mains. These
items come 70 a total of 81 200. 600.
which is but small percentage OF th'
total called for by the bill
81 want to give tho impression dis
tinctly that | am for any item in
the loan which will help housing in
this city. Unfortunately it is an old
trick in city politics to sandwich i'll
unnecessary with necessary items in Il
bill like this and rely on popular
clamor to carry the bill through. Tho
people of the city have the impress
Son that the whole sum of the loan
Xlll-S14. 75O, ,OOO-is for permanent i'm.
proyements which will better housing
! conditions. This is not the fact.
More for Essentials
Ear from opposing these housing
items in the bill, l don't believe the
items for essentials are large enough.
while those for nonessentials are too
large, / don't believe that Il loan bill
Z with an aggregate sum as large as that
Of the present loan ought to be passed
by Councils-it ought to go to the vote
of the people.
The Independents will offer nu
! amendment to the present bill, de
signed to bring it within what they
consider a reasonable amount. If no
one else introduces this amendment |
shall introduce it myself,
Mr.. Won Tagen gave it as his opinion
that the Ware faction in city Councils
would refuse to accept the amendment
which he proposes to offer.
II don't believe they would stand for
It." he said. The purpose of the
Ware organization in backing the pres
mt bill is to hamstring the incoming
Administration. If there is one criti
rism that can be fairly made of the
present administration it is that they
1 have devoted too much attention to non
essentials. 1t is like u man with a
new high silk hat and no shirt. They
i would do much better if they paid more
attention to essentials and less to super
ficials."
The report that the Independents anC
Penrose men i'll Councils would combine
to kill the loan bill. founded on Mr.
Won Tagen's interview of yesterday
continued to bring forth protests today
from men close to the city government
John \. McGarvcy, chairman of th
executive committee of the Philadelphii
Operative Builders Association, ant
the man who first called public attcn
tion to the coalition formed to defCa
the loan bill, issued "A statement thi
afternoon in reply to Mr.. Won Tng"n'
Interview of4Sesterday. The Operativ
Builders Association wants the LOAF
bill passed because they say that unlcs
money is provided for building sewer
and water mains, only an exrccdlngl,
small fraction of the houses which tn
CITY needs can be erected.
Hits at Petty Politics"
'swhat Philadelphia needs most
said Mr.. McGarvey, lis "A first elias
surgeon to remove the malignant dis
ease which is sapping her yltaIity-th
disease of petty politics.
"The citizens of Philadelphia arc no
interested in whose political OK is bein
gored neither are they interested il
being made the political goat througl
a fight between politicians or near poll
ticians of various labels.
t.What the citizens of Phlladelphi
are Interested in, is the unprecedentc
shortage of houses, and the obtaining o
Immediate relief from that Conditio
which has produced profiteering i
spots.
''The builders are the logical person
10 afford this relief. Because of thi
fact we are trying to place before tn
people the most immediate and cffec
tive means to that end, which is tn
passage of the loan bill.
II am surprised at Mr.. Won Tagen
who admits he is playing politics wit
one set of gangsters against anOthe
set of gangsters TO satisfy some hidde
reason, at the expense of the citizen
of Philadelphia and especially those i
his own district. Take the Rock Ru
main sewer in his own district, whic
cannot be built except by the none
from this loan,
Everything But Sewer
,tWhen that sewer is completed
win permit 5000 houses TO be erecte
right in his own bailiwick. There /
everything there now except this mai
sewer. Lack of that sewer is holdin
up the erection of these 5000 houses.
Again, right in his own district peo
|. 4. u 4.