Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-03

without submitting the question to the
electors. In this connection the bill
says:
within such limitations in amount as
is now or may hereafter be established
by the constitution. the Council may
authorize new debt to be incurred CT an
increase of Indebtedness without the con-
sent of the electors of the city at a
public election: but the Council may.
in its discretion. submit TO the electors
for their consent at public election the
proposal contained in any ordinance
authorizing new debt to be incurred or
an increase of Indebtedness, and any
such new debt or increase of indebted
ness to which the electors shall have
given their consent shall be excluded
in computing the amount of the indebt-
edness of the city incurred without the
consent of the electors thereof.
ANY ordinance authorizing new debt
TO be incurred or an increase of indebted
ness, except for temporary loans. with
out the consent of the electors, shall,
prior to its final passage. be published
daily for two weeks in two newspapers
having a bona flde circulation in such
city of at least 10000 copies per issue"
Assessments Prohibited
The bill provides for a radical change
In the Civil Service Commission, for 1t
authorizes the appointment of but one
member, this member to be elected by
two-thirds of all the members elected to
Councils. In this section of the act is
included legislation designed to remove
all officeholders, including the police and
firemen, from politics and to prohibit
the payment and collection of political
assessments. Discussing the section, the
report says that the failure to observe
the civil service regulations has been
due largely to the fact that the COM
mssioners are apponteeS of the Mayor,
and are therefore unable to resist pres
sure from him or the executive depart
ments.
The bill continues:
"'rhc difficulty with regard to existing
laws intended 10 prevent political ac-
tivity Of officeholders, including police
and flremen, has been much the same, l.
e.. there has been no adequate method
of enforcing them. The penalty has been
dismissal from office. but as'such penalty
could only be inflicted by the superior
officer of the offending employe, and AS
an employc Would not engage rf political
activity unless he did 1t with the APP
proNal of his superior, the penalty was
never enforced, for obviously the SUI
perior would not remove the employe for
having carried out his orders The re-
suit has been that the law has sub
stantially been imperative. 1t is now
proposed to place the enforcement Of
these laws in the hands of interested cit
liens to make the penalty not only dis
missal from office, but ineigibility for
appointment to any office within period
of two years, and also to make VIOLA
tion of the act a misdemeanor punish
able by fine and Imprisonment The In
crease in the penalties, 1t Is believed,
will be salutary in effect; but, most inn
portant of all, is the provision that in
terested citizens need not depend upon
the superior officers of the offenders to
inflict the penalty, but may do so act
ing directly by appeal to the courts.
Both the civil service law and the
law relating to the political activity of
ofiiceholders have been materially
strengthened in various particulars other
than those mentioned.
';The assessment of onlceholders for
political contributions has also been IA
source of great abuse in the past, and is
one of the most serious evils to be met
in municipal government. Not only is it
unfair to the employees, who are often in