Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-10
COUNCILSTO GET
ZONE BODY" PLAN
Sewers Resolution Offers
Chance for Action at
Next Meeting
REVISERS ENCOURAGED
Three Basic Charter Points In
dorsed by Business and
Labor Bodies

Councils will ave an opportunity next
week to take up the single body plan as
oivocated by the charter revision COM
mittee. The subject of councilmanic
changes is embodied In II resolution in
troduced by Clinton A.. Sewers, of the
Twentieth Ward, before resignins from
Common Council to take his seat in the
Legislature.
The Sewers resolution includes fifty
preliminary paragraphs. outlining the
benefits to the city of the present sys-
tenn of two bodies of lawmakers. 1t
includes an attack on the citizens who
are e~ndeavoring to bring about a change
and concludes with the statement that
Selfish and political motives are back
of the move for a single Council
The resolution sets out in detail the
authors ideas and includes a petition
to the Governor and the state lawmak-
ing body to pay no favorable attention
to the present agitation for a smaller
Councils n a single body.
1t was introduced a month ago be-
fore Senator Ware declared he might
ultimately agree to n smaller body.
Sewers is a follower of David II. Lane
AS it stands the resolution needs but
a majority to approve its contents be-
fore going TO Mayor Smith for his ap-
prevail.
Three Basic Points Endorsed
Three of the basic points of the pro-
posed charter revision have been in
dorsed by the board of directors of the
Chamber of Commerce.
The three points which were recon-
mended by the municipal affairs COM
mittee are a small. single-chamber
Council, separation of the city and
county government and home rule on
matters now regulated by legislative
enactment.
Endorsements by citizens and organi-
zations of the proposed charter revision
continue to reach the headquarters In
the Liberty Building. some differ with
the committee on certain proposals, but
all favor a smaller Council.
Particularly encouraging to the COM
mittee are communications of approval
from labor organizations.
Letter From Professor Miller
The following letter was received from
Prof. Leslie W. Miller, principal of the
Pennsylvania Museum and School of In
dustrial Art:
1.-THE existing system OF copying and
repeating in the management of munici.
pal affairs the government machinery
of the nation and the StatdA-legislative
executive, judicial and all that's GER.
tainly n mistake. 1t has had a fair triaI
and has continued far too long already
and whatever is to replace it, 1t should
be abolished as completely as possible
BY just what form of government the
present one would be most profitably re
placed Is, of course, open to discussion
THE new government, whatever 1t!
form. should certainly be simple and rep
resent not district interests. but those o.
the city as a whole. Personally, l favol
a commission, but 1t is possible that {
small Council might be just as we'll i
II could be chosen in such a way a:
to make the choice of men of ability t
serve in II as free as it would be in thu
case of n commission. In either case
the number to be appointed or elected
at ny time should be very small, thu
short ballot" being. in my opinion, on,
of the very hest reforms that has eve
been proposed for our political system.