Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-20
MAYoR-ELECT MooRE'S
LETTER
Railroad Problem Only One Angle Of
the Wide Emergency Powers
Granted to the Presl-
dent
Washington, Dec. 20,

10 business men generally, James b.
Bonner, who has been a bellwether of the
iron and steel trade in Washington during
the war and who will soon close up his Office
there and return to Philadelphia, is one
of those who have been looking up this
important matter with a view of ascertain
ing when and where we get OF. Most of
the war legislation giving extraordinary
powers TO the President carried the provision
that these powers should continue until
peace was declared "by proclamation of the
President" The comptroller Of the treas
ury some time ago had correspondence with
the secretary Of war with regard to 'the
termination of the present emergency"
leaving the matter more or less unsettled.
Meanwhile, it seems to be up to the Presi-
dent, who, in one of his messages to Con-
gress with regard to the very important
matter of federal control of railroads, in
dicated that he would turn the railroads
back to their owners on or before January
] next, unless certain things were done by
Congress. The President has the power to
return the railroads at any time he shall
deem such action needful and desirable,
although the act of March 81, 1918, pro-
vided for federal control for a period not
exceeding twenty one months following the
date of the proclamation by the President
of the exchange of ratifications of the treaty
VI pcdtCs hODOWlUB now WlueSDTPdu Is inc
effect Of the grant of emergency power to the
President. it may be noted that the emer-
gency provision holding up everything until
peace should be declared was carried in the
food and fuel administration laws, in the
shipping board law and with respect to the
emergency shipping fund; in the bill to
stimulate the production of agricultural
products, that to encourage the production
of ores, metals and minerals, and the law
known as the "Overman Act" to consolidate
executive bureaus and other agencies.
The latter law has, to a certain extent, been
regarded as political, since it has given the
President power, of which in some instances
he has not failed to avail himself, to con-
solidate bureaus and hold over in the per-
manent service agencies that Congress in
tended should be but temporary. The war
finance corporation act, the act creating
the capital issues committee, the trading
with the enemy act, which gave A. Mitchell
Palmer great power as alien property GUS
todian, and the naval communicating act
were all dependent upon the emergency
clause as to the Presidents peace procla-
nation. 1t is wonderful power the
President still exercises under all these war
acts and there is much restlessness with re-
gard to their continuance.
COLONEL JOHN P. WOOD, of Philadel-
~ pbia, and many others interested In the
textile industry are not at all friendly to
the proposition to keep war power in the
hands of the President while foreign nations
are closing up their war affairs and proceed
ing to capture the worlds trade. The news
from abroad that the British textile manu-
facturers have more orders for hosiery than
they can fill, coupled with information that
silk hOsa IN SD G1H ratou
per pair in the United States, is not cheering
to those who are seeking the dyestuffs in the
United States so essential to manufacturing
here in competition with foreign producers
The Senate finance committee has been
plugging away at the Longworth dyestuffs
bill, which was fought in the House on the
ground that it proposed to further bottle
up American manufactures against the use
of German vat dyes which were readily
obtainable in France and England. This is
an old story now, in which the duPonts and
other American manufacturers of dyes figure
but it is extremely important to the hosiery
and other textile manufacturers in Phila-
delphia and elsewhere who have large
orders, but who are sometimes at their wits
ends to comply with war board requirements
to obtain the necessary raw materials which
they must have to keep the wheels running
Joseph S. Rambo, Of Norristown, has been
comforting with Colonel Wood and others
in Washington about this situation.
A LTHOUGH he has made a great success
IA of it in the advertising world, nothing so
appeals to f. w. Aver as the work of the
Young Mems Christian Association For
many years Mr.. Aver has been president of
this organization in Camden and he has
done much to build it up and make it a
solid institution. For more than fifty years
Mr.. Aver has maintained his business in
Philadelphia and residence In New Jersey.
He may be counted one of the pioneers
among those old time Camdenites who
found that city good place to live in
while they engaged in business on this side
Of the river. In some instances, as with
Brother Van Solver, of the big furniture es-
tabishment, and Brother johnson, of the
Victor Talking Machine Co., the order is
reversed, Camden being the business place
and Philadelphia or its suburbs the place
of residence.
WHEN James Pollock, the inimitable
w after dinner speaker who helped make
the Five O'clock Club famous, was running
one end Of the Philadelphia bicentennial
celebration, in 1882, Secretary Charles W.
Alexander, who has been a specialist on
centennial celebrations, arranged for the
minting through Jim Kerns, then supern-
tendent of the United States Mint, of 200, .
900 William Penn medals, which were tossed
out to spectators during the great civic
parade. OF the whole number Mr.. Alexander
laid by just two of these interesting
souvenirs, which have been so we'll preserved
as to look as il they had Just come from
the press. What has become of the re-
mainder?
DoBERT LAMBERTON, the sheriff
In elect, is vigorous debater in Councils.
He is also an orator and story teller. And
the Lamberton children, 'who are the
brightest ever" figure in some of these
stories. One of the best of the sheriff s
warns is that which deals with the young
snort in the back of the crowded hall, who,
when square jawed Bob appeared upon the
platform, inquired of bystander, "what
the - is Philadelphia Jack O'Brien doing
Ah l.