Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-16
.SEGER SOON TO NAME I
MAYORALTY choice
Councilman to Support Patter-
son for Nomination, Is
One Forecast
LANE BELITTLES PENR0SE
By a Sto6 Co, respondent


Atlantic City, N. j., Aug. 16.-Select
Councilman Charles Seger is expected
soon to announce which of the candi-
dates for the Republican mayoralty
nomination he and his friends in the
Seventh ward will support in the
primaries.
The gossip and the differences from
Mr. Seger's comments indicate that the
one time Durham leader, who later be-
came an ally of Senator McNichol and
of Senator Penrose, will declare his
support of Judge Patterson. This view
of the situation was strengthened, in
the opinion of politicians, by Judge
Patterson's visit yesterday to Mr..
Seger.
When Mr.. Seger was told he had been
appointed a member of the campaigrf
committee of the Republican city CONS
mittee he answered with smile:
THAT cuts no figure" =
Lane Waits to See 'l
David II. Lane, nestor of the organs
ization, discussing the Scger situatiou
as seemingly debatable factor, said ha
did not know whether or not Mr.. SegeE
would support the judge against Com
gresham Moore. Mr.. Lane characters
istically pointed out that he did nof
care to talk about Seger's quiet delibA
erations any more than he would care
to have others 'dissect his own quiet
cogitations. mfr. Seger," said Mrs
Lane, has a mind of his own"
Mr.. Lane pointed out, in reply I'd
a question, that Mr.. Seger's support
would represent a substantial asset.
THE Republican majority in Seger's
ward runs between 2000 and 5000
votes,' he said.
Mr.. Seger, in discussing the Phila-
delphia political situation here, said that
"reformers are always trying to get in. "
He followed this by saying that George
w. Coles, chairman of the Town Meet
ing party, had been provided for in that
he had received $4,000 year appoints
ment under Attorney General Schaffer.
yes" said Mr.. Lane later at his
hotel, "the only antitoxin for municipal
reform is office, and that's expensive.
Too few Offices
Mr.. Seger was asked if this state
ment as to reformers was to be taken
to mean that he was opposed to Con-
gresham Moore because of his inde-
pendent backing.
THAT would be unfair" he replied.
la
Moore just as I suppose some reform
ers will support Judge Patterson.
Penrose Does Own Work
Mr.. Seger's statement that Senator
Penrose had called on him to obtain his
support in the primary caused Philadel- !
phia politicians to comment on the fact
that Senator Penrose was now obliged
to carry on the field work of interview
ing ward leaders, work that the late
Senator McNichol always attended to
or behalf of Penrose.
Mr.. Lane pointed out in this connec-
ton that Register of Wills Sheehan,,
who was close friend of the late state
Senator, had declared for Judge Patter-
son. Mr.. Lane added that it was ''re-
ported that City Solicitor Connolly,
another of McNichol's friends, favored
the judge against the congressman.
Summing up this phase Of the situ-
alton, Mr.. Lane said:
''Penrose is negligible quantity,
politically, in Philadelphia now. He
has not the advantage he had when he
supported George H. Earle against
Congressman Ware for the Republican
nomination for Mayor. Then Penrose
had the majority of the ward leaders"
In short, the view was expressed that
Senator McNichors death profoundly
affected the Philadelphia strategy Of
Senator Penrose, so far as practical
politicians are concerned.