Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-26
SEE HOT REFORM
FIGHT IN HOUSE
Penrose to Demand Senate Ac-
ton Next Week on City
Measures
WARE COUNTS ON SPROUL

When Senator Pcnrosc "cturnS a.
Harrisburg Sunday. il will be with the
announced intention Of having the Sen
ate act finally on all of tho Philadelphia
reform measures. except tho police com
missioner bill before it adiourns for
Z the week.
There is no doubt that tho visit
of the United States senator to tho
Capitol last week aroused his follow
ers in the Senate and spccdcd action ON
the reform measures. Prior to his ap-
pearance on Capitol Hill an apparent
apathy prevailed among the legislators
relative to the Philadelphia bills.
The net result of the senator's visit
was to get the Daix bills to increase
the district attorneys force ont or, com
mittcp and TO force second reading on
the Woodward charter bills and the
DaiX measures to revise the rrgistra
tion laws, which arc similar 10 the reg
istration bills introduced in tho House
by Representative William i. Brady.
Senator Ware scored trirs in dc
laying third reading and final act ion "u
the charter bills by GNiug another hear
ing for next Tuesday. at which hr plans
to summon former IIHlor> "f thc city
10 tell their obirctiuus to the proposed
new charter.
When the reform measures reach th,
House the real fight will he staged.
Whether this fight will be wagcd in
the committee in an effort 10 amcud the
bills or carried to the floor Of tho House
remains to he seen.
The Ware forces are counting ~lrorg|,
on Governor Sproul to aid their cau,c
by disappearing Of them in their pres
ent shape and demanding that rhuug">
be made which will make thCm
satisfactory to all elements.
Tho Governors attitude toward the
reform measures is awaited with the
greatest interest by stat" politicians.
Should the Governor approve Of the
bills in their present shape and cast
his influence behind them. there ap.
pears to be- little doubt that thcv
would be passed by a substantial ma
-iority.
Should tho Governor a." otherwise
and insist on u harmonious agreement
between the faction@. tn" developments
would be- watrhcd with the greatest in
terest. Tho Ponro~c forces might de-.
tcrminC to carry on III" fight over ANY
protest of the Governor. and then the
battle between tho rival factions would
take a different angle altogether.
"Anythng that suits tho Governor
suits me" was the reply of SENATOR
Ware to all queries during the heat Of
the battle last week. Both in the Sen
ate aud in the House the Narc follow
crs showed by their H"tionS that they
were not only unwilling to an,agonizr
the Governor but worC willing to sub
nit to any dictates from him on the
Philadelphia measures.
The Ware forces all during tho SOS
sion have pursued thc policy Of fol
lowing the Governors program rcIi
giously. On both tn" prohibition amend
ment and the suffrage resolution they
east Il majority of their votes for the
measures which had been part of the
Governors pre- election platform.
The situation may clarity after Gov
ernor Sproul has conferred with Scna
tor PcnrOSc and Senator NHrc Both
leaders expect 10 meet him before tho
Legislature "onvcn"S Monday night.
His absence thj- week in Hot Springs
/ lent somewhat ot AZ air of uncertainty
I TO the proceedings in Harrisburg.
Two bills introduced by the pcnroSC
forces are almost certain TO meet with
: the disapproyal Of the Governor. one
is the registration ripper. Governor
Sproul declared cmphaticaly iu Hot
Springs this week that he was opposed
to ripper legisiItiOn.
The other is the police commissioner
bill. He declared in no loss cmphati,
terms that he did not want tho rrspou~i.
bility of naming a commissioner TO TAX,
charge of the Philadelphia police.
Next in importance to the action OF
the Philadelphia bills this week was rh,
passage by the House of the Ramsr,
resolution to amend the constitution 81
as to provide for woman suffrage
While the suffragists won victory il
the passage of the resolution they still
have a long fight ahead before the ballo
will be theirs.
The resolution now goes to the Scnat,
and after its paSSHg" there. which l.
considered a certainty. it must pass th
next Legislature in l92l, aud then h
submitted TO a referendum of the yotr.
in November of that year.