Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-04
V,are Opposes Charter
As 1t Is Constituted
Continued from rnEc One


the proposed plan of electing a sm"'
Council later"
Councilman Simon Walters, OF the
Twentieth Ward, who sponsored the
resolution adopted by Councils protest.
ing against charter revision came mere
last night to see the charter Dill lnV
duced.
Two other Counclmen. Select Councii-
man Isaac r. Hctzel. of the Eighteenth
Ward. and Common Councilman Joseph
Kelly. Of the Forty-fourth Ward, saw
the new bill introduced.
Amendment Planned
An important amendment was made to
the bill before il was brought 10 Harris
burg The men who framed the meas
ure had inserted in II clause providing
that should Councils fail to fx an an
nual tax rate OH or before the first oGty
Of each December, the old rate, Plus
an additional 30 per cent, should au-
tomatica"y become effective for the sue
ceeding year.
This clause had been stricken out. It
was originally inserted for the purpose
of putting check upon recalcitrant
| Councilmen. who. II was believed
would prefer to do their duty aud fix "a
rate rather than suffer the stigma OF
having necdlessly pcnalizcd the tax
payers.
, This penalizing clause was discussed
at length Friday last when the Dill
was presented to the charter revision
committee by the subcommittee which
drafted It. II earned strong opposition,
and the general committee was urged
TO strike II out Of the bill. 4 confer
ence OF the charter revision committee
members was held in Philadelphia.
a do accent
this advice. The members who we're
opposed to the clause pointed out that
il not only would prove an injustice
to taxpayers If enacted, but might
jeopardize the passage of the measure
Referred to Committee
Immediately after Senator WOODWARD
presented the charter bill it was re-
ferred to the Committee on Municipa
Corporations. OF which Senator EdWll
n. Ware Is chairman. Through the et'
forts of Senator Augustus i. Daix. Jr.
Of Philadelphia. who will steer the meas
.ure. an agreement was reached whereof!
the bill was reported from the commit
tee at once read the first time and ther
nlaced upon the calendar. The charter
bill and the two supplemental acts, call
ing for the elimination of the Depart
mcnt of Supplies and the appointment
Of purchasing agent and extending
civil service to county employees. ar
numbered 32l. 322 AMI 323. respectively
The charter bill and the supplemental
acts will go back to Senator Narc's com
mittee today. Hearings upon tn
charter bill are planned already, and /
IL likely that several will be held II
Philadelphia in addition to those whlcl
will be held here.
The bill presented i'm the House to
night changing the methods of registra
tlon will be supported by the Penros
camp OF the Republican organization
In fact. II Is regarded as the opening
gun of the Philadelphia mayoralty cam
paign. as it's introduction was promise,
quite some time ago by Penrose men
T who declared they would go to tn
Legislature for redress from SUCH tac
ties as were practced by the Nare-con
trolled Board OF Registration Commis
sioners and the County Commissioner
at the last election which resulted 4
defeat Of the Town Meeting party can
didates. Representative Samuel j
Perry, Penrose supporter from III
Twenty-ifth Ward. introduced tn
measure. which bears the name Of vii
liam J. Brady. II provides that ten day
after its enactment the Governor sha
appoint four registration commission
ers. not more than two of whom sha
belong to the same political party. Th
most liberal regulations of registratlo
are provided for In the measure,
1t sets forth that three registratlo
DAYS shall be set aside. but that afts
these three days the registrars will s
at City Hall and register electors withol
question who failed to qualify on an
of the three particular days. IT
registrars would be required to sit 1
CITY Hall for the accommodation I
electors who did not go to their pollin
places on any of the three particula
days for n period Of possibly two week