Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-25
Charter Bill Boosters
Rap City's System,


contractor, is able TO be at both ends of
every bargain that the city makes, with
the result that the public work Is not
properly done and is paid for at an
eNorbltant price"
Outstanding features OF Mr.. Win
stons address follow:
"A minority of Philadelphia's voters
can and does, under the present char
ter, control all the affairs Of the city
government, and also this same minori-
| ty can and does control the election of
representatives to the Legislature.
IT is sometimes said that the news
! papers and certain reformers are re-
! sponsible for the reproach that has been
cast upon the government of Philadel-
phia. 1t would be much truer to say that
| the newspapers have voiced the prevail
ing sentiment of their constituents. It
IS unreasonable to suppose that newspa-
pers would, through series of years,
continue to make representations re-
garding our city government which are
not concurred in by the readers Of these
papers. IT is also unreasonable to sup
! pose that busy men and citizens general
~ OF every class would continually meet
10 demand changes in their city govern
ment If they were satisfied with what
they We're getting.
Puts Responsibility On Ieri,Iature
| Philadelphia TO operate under a charter
OF government by which less than one
third or its voters can and does control
its legislative body just so long the
Legislature itself must accept the re-
sponsibiity for the dissatisfaction which
the citizens of Philadelphia are we'll
known to feel regarding their govern
ment"
"Tw2nty-fve of the smaller wards.
M, ptt,i,
100000. or less than one-third of the
population of the city. can elect ma
jori,Y of the Select Councilmen.
The Common Council is so made up
by representatives from these unequal
wards that less than 100000. or less
than one-third of the population of the
city. can control the Common Council.
Far be 1t from me to intimate that
citizens in the small downtown streets
are not entitled TO an equal voice in
the government with citizens who live
in what are known as the residential dis
triCts but l do say that their votes
should not be fifteen times as powerful
as the votes Of those who live in the
large residential districts and who pay
most Of the taxes.
Want Councilman for Each 10000 Voters
What We propose is TO make use OF
the eight senatorial districts as council
manic districts and to choose one rep
resentative in these districts for each
| 10000 assessed voters.
our bill proposes TO prohibit the
members OF Council from holding other
salaried positions under the city gov
eminent. At present twenty eight Of the
Councilmen do hold salapied positions
under the county government. which is
a
der the city government.
We propose to pay the Counclmen a
salary so that they need not neces-
sarily be rich men who can afford to
give their time to the city for nothing.
The Legisla ture Of Pennsylvania is
responsible. and has been responsible for
many years, for compelling Phiiadelphia
to, submit TO the government Of an un-
representative Council Of the most mon
strous size and cumbersome character
Of any city in the world.
Not fractional Fight
} 1T has been charged that this is a
mere factional dispute between rival
! political leaders; that one faction de-
| sires to have little or no change be
cause it has the power under the present
regime, and that another faction wants
a change so that II can gain power
new charter is far broader than that -
Under the new charter which We are
asking for. it will not be possible for
any faction 10 gain an advantage eX-
| cept by securing a majority vote of the
citizens, and If any faction loses power
by not having a majority vote, that fac
| ton ought to lose power.
There can be no factional or party
advantage under our charter that is not
thoroughly in accord with representa-
tive government and based upon ma jor-
, ity rule.
Hints at Contractor Rule
Commenting on the political party
machinery set up in Philadelphia on a
ward basis, and in limiting at the power
welded by political contractors, Mr.
Winston declared:
The city committee of the Republican
party, which is of course the dominant
| party in Philadelphia, controlling all it's
affairs, is made up of one representative
from each of these unequal wards These
wards are so unequal that a vote in
several of the smaller wards is equal
TO fifteen votes in a larger one. They
vary in number of registered voters from
about 700 to 10000. That means that
700 voters in one ward have the same
representation IN the city committee
and in the city Council and in determin-
ing all the political affairs Of the city
that 10000 voters have in one Of the
residential wards.
In order to still further emphasize
the outrageous injustice of compelling
the city to carry on its government under
this system, let me further rrankls
speak OF the character of the popula ito
in these small wards. 1t is we'll know
that as a city grows, the population
moves out of the downtown district!
and the ma jority Of the people left ther,
are those who live in the back alleys
Now, far be it from me 10 intimate thai
!, these citizens in the small downtown
streets are not entitled to an equa
9 voice in the government with citlzeni
3 who live in what are known as tn,
g residential districts, but l do say tha
! their votes should not be fifteen times al
: powerful as the votes of those who liv,
in the large residential districts and wht
= pay most of the taxes.
There is no use Disgusting the furthe
! consideration that the voters in thes
: back streets of the downtown wards ar
4 of the class which can be easily con
trolled by the ward leaders, by tn
! officeholders and the policemen, with tn
I natural result that II Is possible for som
. powerful city leader to get absolute con
' troll Of these small downtown wards an
/ by doing so. he is able, by the vote
Of less than one-third OF the entire city
to absolutely dominate the whole al
fairs OF the city
Both Sides of Bargain