Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-06
IT SHOULD BE EASY TO GET
WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS
The Organization and the Citizens Commit.
tee seem to Agree on the Need Of Taking
Police and Firemen Out Of Politics

NIE ASSUME that the General Assembly |
w before passing any charter amend.
ments will consider on their merits all the |
suggestions that have been made or that |
VIII be made. II such consideration is |
given to the various propositions and only |
those which are most meritorious are |
adopted the outcome will be satisfactory.
The merit OF the plan of the committee
OF citizens is that Il includes in one bill a
comprehensive charter. II is not merely
an amendment of existing law but Is a
codifcaton of such laws affecting the city
as do not need to be changed supplemented
by such reforms as will abolish some of
the evils from which the city has suffered
for years.
Its arrangements for taking the ponce
| and fremen out of politics would work
provided the people of the city desired the
fremen and policemen to be taken out of
politics.
The Organization plan. disclosed in a bill
| drafted at the direction OF the Republican
| City Campaign Committee, confines itself
to the reorganization OF the Department of
| Public Safety. 1t does not attempt to
| codify the city laws, but leaves the charter
as a body of separate and independent acts
or the Legislature.
The method Of taking the police and fire.
men out Of politics provided by the bill
drafted under the direction Of the organi.
| zaton would work II the people wanted
| it to work.
| 1t creates a Board OF Police and Fire
| Commissioners of three members, one to
be appointed by the Governor, one by the
| Board of Judges and one by majority OF
all the members Of City Councils. Senator
| Ware explains that this method of appoint.
ment would insure nonpoltical board,
| which could never be used for partisan pur.
| poses. 1t certainly would be an improve.
ment over the present system under which
the Director Of Public Safety is appointed
| by the Mayor and is a member of the fac.
tion TO which he belongs. The chances are
.that two factions would be represented on
| the board Of three commissioners, 20 that
| II any attempt were made to use the EN-.
| ployes Of the Public Safety Department for
| political purposes there would be one com.
missioner at least to protest and to expose
the plot.
But the weakness OF the Organization
| plan lies in its concentration Ia the hands
! of the commission Of all questions affecting
| the qualification, appointment and dis
| charge of the employees of the Department
OF Public Safety. The commissioners
would hold examinations for the creation
of an eligible list and supersede the Civil
Service Commission. When employees were
charged with policital activity or with
making political contributions the commits.
sioners would be the only body which could
| ka
guilty
| This is an attack upon the whole civil
service reform theory and Il step backward.
| At present the Civil Service Commission
| provides the eligible lists from which ap.
| pointments are made in every department
| of the city government. If 1t is to be de-
| prived OF its functions so far az they affect
the Department of Public Safety, then the
| arguments offered in support of the change
could be used in behalf OF depriving It of
| its functions so far as, they affect the Con.
| troller's Office, the Department of Public
| Works and every other department
The citizens plan is far better in theory
| and in practice than this. There may be
difference Of opinion regarding the wisdom
| of reducing the Civil Service Commission
| from three 10 one, as proposed by that
| plan; hut every genuine civil service re.
former will approve the proposition TO re-
| enact the law which makes the commits.
sion the creator Of eligible lists for all de.
| partments. The commission is not the ap-
| pointing power and IL has. or is supposed
| TO have, no interest in anything save in dis.
| covering the qualifications OF candidates
for appointment. One Of the greatest nd.
vances In municipal reform was made
when the examining power and the ap-
pointing power were lodged In separate
bodies.
The provisions in the Organization plan
| for the removal OF offending employees of
the Department OF Public Safety is ser
1 ously defective, for 1t does not open any
way for citizen to take the initiative In
the enforcement OF the law against politicas
activity. The sole responsibility rests with
the commission OF three The citizens plan
| provides that any taxpayer may bring an
action TO restrain the payment OF salary
to any appointed officer or employe who
has violated the law and may also. on proof
| Of the facts, obtain a writ Of mandamus
| compelling the dismissal of the offender
| 1t is important that the voters have some
recourse Of this kind against the tolerance
OF acts of lawessness by possible corrupt
and indifferent commission, The men In
control Of the policemen and firemen have
tolerated such iawlessness, II they have not
encouraged II, or there would not be agree
ment between both the committee OF citi-
zens and the Organization that some law
should be passed TO put an end to II.
The Organization bill creating a com.
mission OF public safety Is supplemented by
the Connolly bill. prohibiting police and
fremen from taking an active part In poll
ties and from making political aontribu.
tons 50 far <re s'ss ~ s''hs''-'tlaily