Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-02
CITY OFFICIALS
OPPOSE CHANGE
in CLARK ACT
Men Elected Under the Third
Glass City Law Want Legis-
lature to Remain Inactive

IdtltlC W loCllidlll IlluCllNC
Officials from n number of third
class cities of the State appeared
before the House Municipal Corpor-
! ations Committee yesterday after
noon at public hearing to voice
their sentiments opposing the Wilson
bill, which would wipe out the nom
partisan features of .he Clark act.
In addition to the opinions given by
! the officials resolutions passed by
councils in the various cities. by
Chambers of Commerce organizations
! and other civic associations were
presented for the consideration of
the committee.
The representatives of the COM
! mittee wehe told by the city officials
that return to partisan elections
OF councilmen at this ime would be
dangerous because of the l. w. w
and Bolshevistic troubles in the in
dustrial centers. I'VE might as well
face the issue" Mayor Miles B. Kits.
of Erie. declared. I'VE are going to
have trouble with them and change
in the election laws will do no good,
especially not in Erie"
w. NJ Bertolet, Reading. expressed
similar view and declared that his
| city will have n Socialist mayor and
| conucil if the law is changed. two
political parties form the basis of
| national government, not three. We
have three in Reading, and in other
| industrial cities where there are that
| many strong parties there will be
trouble"
1t is understood that the commit
tee may not be called together to act
on the bill for a day or two. although
all third class cities intending to
send delegates were represented ex-
cept Altoona. Harrisburg was not
represented at the hearing.
Just as the hearing closed City
Commissioner w. II. Lynch and City
Clerk r. Ross Seaman arrived at the
Capitol. as they came to learn what
action the committee would take on
the bill.
James \. Gardner, city solicitor, of
New Castle, after stating that the
majority of third class cities opposed
any change in the election law, called
the officials before the committee to
report the attitude in he municipal
tiles. He said the question of chang
ing the election of city treasurers
from council 10 popular vote was de-
batable. Other speakers at the
hearing strongly opposed this change,
too.
Officials Join Protest
Mayor John Dugan. Connellsville:
Solicitor Walter L. Greenwood,
Coatesville and Mayor c. l. AleXand-
er, Cory, all asked the committee not
to favor any change in the present
law. Mayor kits, the next speaker.
said he believed ninety-eiSht per
cent. of the people in Erie favored
the law as il now stands
Representative Dawson, Lacka-
wanna, who introduced a similar bill
to change elections in second class
cities. then began to question Mayor
kits about the change, asking
whether he did not believe men elect
ed to office on a party ticket could
be held responsible more easily than
! those elected at large On ncnpar-
tisan ticket. Mayor Kits replied he
could not see the wisdom OF making
city official responsible to "only
one half or a little more than half
the people represented by one par
ty.'
Don't YOU think tax levying bod
les should be elected on partisan
ticket?" Dawson queried.
NO. We have better men in eoun-
Gil now than before. and thinl: It is
due to the nonpartisan law" Mayor
kits replied.
Other speakers We're asked wheth-
er they did not believe that partisan
elections of councilmen at large un-
der the Clark act should be giTen
trial, because of the partisan cleo
tions of school boards at large
we have had an opportunity to
observe the non-partisan election OF
councilmen by the entire city, but
not partisan election of commission
ers. Before under the party acts,
councilmen were elected only by
wards. In second class cities l have
seen the success of partisan elections
of school directors at large AMI l
think councilmen should be elected
the same way" Representative Daw-
son explained later in the hearing.
II believe. too, that business men
should show more interest in politics
and might do so of the commission
ers were elected by parties"
Other speakers before the commit
tee were Jas. \. Fulton, McKecspOrt;
c. L. Gibson, solicitor. Monong lhela
City; Charles +. McHugh. solicitor,
Wilkes Barre; Major Fred p. Scho m
maker. solicitor. Bradford; Repre-
sentatives Mallery, Woner. Bell and
Harer; Malcolm w. Gross. solicitor,
Allentown; Dan W. Sharp city clerk,
| l-eDdnoI.
Some of the officials in speaking
of the party feature. said they saw
no reason why partisan issues should
concern cities, brt believed that local
issues should be considered when
councilmen were elected. Let the
parties go on with their contests over
state and National issues, but keep
them out of the cities where the
people should be concerned about
municipal affairs in selecting their
! representatives in council" Solicitor
| McHugh, Wilkes-Bar said.
You certainly can't expect any
third class city official to come here
| and favor the Wilson bill" was the
terse comment of one of the commit
tee members after few Of the
| speakers had been heard. "Of course
| they favor the nonpactisan election.
! Under the present law man can
spend a few thousand dollars to get
the office in council and then as he
was elected at large and is RESPONSE
BILE to no party, can do as he pleases
| feeling that he has practically
bought his position. and need pay
attention to no one"
FIRST NUMBER OF JOURNAL