Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-28
NEWS OF THE LEGISLATURE
WARE MEMBERS
ENTER PROTEST
Take Position Against Charter
Bills, but Penrose Says
City Wants Them

The Ware legislators have added
to the history of the Philadelphia
charter bills, protest" addressed
to Governor Sproul, in which they
object to certain features. which the
the Governor in his recent statement
seems to favor. Senator Boies Pen
rose says that the sentiment OF
Philadelphia is for the bills never
theless and Notwithstanding. He also
says they will pass the Senate this
week. ..
The latest developments in the
controversy, which is expected to
be speeded up another notch to-
morrow at the hearing arranged by
Senator Ware, do not indicate that
the bills will be out of the Legisla-
ture very soon and, consequently,
rural legislators were to-day express
ing the hope that they would not be
permitted to tangle up all the rest
of the legislation. The real test on
the bills will come in the House,
where the Ware men will stage a
fight. How far they will go is a
matter of congesture here. 1t is cer-
tain that sentiment in the House is
against any more hearings or delays
of the measure.
Six principal objections to charter
revision for Philadelphia are con-
tanned in the protest" 1t is in
pamphlet form and copies of it have
been sent to each member of the
Legislature. Five Senators and
thirty-one Representatives signed it.
The signers are Senators Ware. Salus,
Patton, Martin and Gray, Represen-
tatives Edwin r. Cox, James A.
Walker, Leopold c. Glass. Thaddeus
S. Krause. Benjamin M. Colder,
James A. Bennett, James Franklin,
William J. Hamilton, Charles c. c..
Baldi, Jr., Nicholas Di Lemmo, John
Mehring, William J. Crawford, Alex
ander Colville, John H. Drinkhouse,
H. Dilsheimer, Sr., James A. Dunn,
Clinton A. Sewers, Byron A. Milner,
Max Aron, Samuel ]. Ephraim,
julius ]. Lewis, Philip H. Crockett,
Richard Curry, Philip Sterling,
Arthur r. B. Fox. Edward w. Wells,
Edwin Scott, Matthew Patterson,
William F. Rorke, John r. K. Scott
and Patrick Conner.
Senator Penrose let it be known
that he would not object to an
amendment to the charter revision
bills which would allow contracts
for street cleaning and other work
w NC ny pToNlu0u
three-fourths of the single chamber
council and the mayor approve. The
Senator also said that he did not
take any stock in the statement that
ninety-five per cent of the voters of
Philadelphia are opposed to char
ter revision, as alleged in the Ware
protest"
The six points raised against the
bill by the Ware men are:
That the proposed charter will
give the mayor dangerous and ex-
cessive power.
That it would swamp the city with
litigation and that legislative COM
mission ought to study the question
so as TO adapt a Philadelphia char
ter to the new State constitution.
That the smaller council proposed
by the Woodward bill is unrepresen-
tative and undemocratic.
That the Woodward bill would in
no way take the police out of poll
tics. g.
That the annual cost of street
cleaning by contract in Philadelphia
is approximately 100000 900. as
against the annual cost of approxi-
mately the same mileage in New
York under municipal control of
$500. 900
That the single civil service COM
missioner proposed by the Wood
ward bill would be an autocrat.
The Governor in his staten ent
declared in favor of four cardinal
points, including the small council
and a new fiscal system as we'll as
more "home rule"
When Senator Penrose got here
last night he was asked:
Have you seen the statement
issued by the Ware members of the
Legislature protesting against the
charter revision bills?"
"Oh, yes, I've seen it, but l have
not had time to read it through" 4"
he replied. ..r
What do you think of it?"
The leading civic, religious, busi-
ness and other organizations of
Philadelphia are for the bills and
that all the newspapers are support
ing them. The sentiment of Phila-
delphia is unquestionably for the
bills"
Have you any engagement to see
Governor Sproul this week."
II have no appointment, but
shall probably see him. l do not
know that he has reached Harris
burg yet. I have just come in from
New York with Lieutenant Governor
Beidleman and Senator Frank
Smith. l expect to be in Harrisburg
couple of days"
The charter bills will likely pass
this week, won't they?"
Yes, / think they will. I'm here
to help what | can. That's all I can
say tonight. I'm recording an ap-
pearance here on behalf of the bills.
and expect to see a number of
people during the week"
The Philadelphia Press says: "The
complete Ware strength at Harris
burg was represented in the signers
of the protest" Indeed, the COM
munication served to reveal that this
strength is one less in the Senate
than had generally been expected.
for the name of Senator William J.
McNichol is conspicuously lacking
from the document. McNicho OILS
status has been a matter of some
doubt. He has been confidently
claimed by the revisionists. but
would never allow himself to be put
on record on the question. Yester-
days publication seems to establish
beyond possible doubt that McNich-
oil, son of the late Senator James P.
McNichol. the Penrose leader, in
1
h More Than Ever