Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-21
PROBE OF CRIME
DELAY RESENTED
Noppel Says Councils May
Hear From Business
Men
BILL SEEM DOOMED
Defeat Of Salary Raises for
Street Cleaning Chief
Anglers Organization
BILL E DOOMED

There will be no Councilmanic probe
OF the Bureau of Police nor investiga-
tion of frequent crimes here. organiza-
,tion leaders in Councils are determined
70 prevent any open discussion Of police
methods by a probing committee.
The Mentzinger resolution asking APP
pointment Of seven members Of Com
mon Council as a probe committee.
which yesterday was referred to the
committee on police and fire. Is believed
to be buried beyond all hope of coming
70 life again. It's most vigorous oppo-
nent Is Morris e. Conn; Of the Eighth
Ward, chairman Of the committee to
which It was entrusted.
Business Mon Resent s~idetrscking
at Is my personal opinion that the
United Business Mems Association will
not stand for the s~idetracking of the
bill introduced by Councilman Ment-
) singer for an investigation Of the crime
situation" said Edward A. Noppel. pres
dent of the organization, today.
IF the bill is not reported out OF the
Police and Fire Committee by next
rhursday I think Councils will hear
from u.s." he added.
1.-THE people Of Philadelphia want to
know why they are not being protected
from footpads n burglars. n we
ought to get to the bottom OF 1t right
away. There Is no reason to delay such
An investigation. We want protection,
and we should have It."
William w. Mentzinger, Jr., Common
Councilman, from the Twenty-second
Ward. who introduced the resolution to
probe the crime outburst. In reply to the
claims Of organization leaders that he
was merely playing politics. said today
y "The resolution was drawn in the
hope that every member of Common
Council could approve of 1t, as 1t was
Intended to place responsibility, ascer
y tain the truth of stories published OF
the prevalence Of crime, and, most i'm
portant Of all, to devise methods to put
an end to the carnival of crime tina 1.
irving Philadelphia a black eye the
country over.
"Ip introducing 1t I honestly thought
that every Councilman having the city's
Interests at heart would stand back o.
1t. I asked all the members to get bach
Of the proposition SO as to clear up tn.
situation and find out just who is a
fault, IL any one. Wasn't 1t natura
for me to suppose that right-thinkinl
: men would like to get at the heart o.
. matter that is injuring the city the,
represent"
a Following the battle on the floor o.
Councils to ave crime investigated. or
lGanization floor leaders and Independent
"a $1,000 L. 49, ---A--
versy In which the Ware leaders declared
h independents were merely playing
politics and were 4resorting to unfail
methods In efforts to gain notoriety
Ccunter-charges were made that the or
lAnization was defending the Police Blu
reau, fearing that an investigation
would disclose facts that could not b,
Explained.
Doomed IL Reported
In the unlikely event of the prob
~ resolution being reported out of com
mittce sometime in the future. it will b
promptly killed by the Organization ma
jority. open warfare between faction
ID now under way and both sides CLAIM
their opponents are playing unfairly
With his condition existing Legislation
requiring more than. a majority vote !
likely to be blocked at every turn.
The action of the independents 1
killing the salary bill intended to Civ
Robert c. Hicks, chief of the Stree
ACleaning Bureau. $500 more a year.. In
censed Joseph p. Gaffney. floor leade
mr. the Ware organization and his as
ants SO greatly hat no compromis
on o.ay legislation is likely to be reache
between the two factions, even on bill
in which both sides are interested.
Must Fisht Hard
The defeat OF. the Hicks salary bi
makes II necessary for the Ware fol
B lowers to introduce a new ordinanc
have It referred to the finance COR
snittee, have tina committee pass .favol
ably upon 1t, and then have It sent bac
to Councils. Once in Councils. Gaffne