Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-05

was that dealing with the executive pow.
crs OF the Mayor. In this respect the MI.
provides that the City Solicitor shall he
appointed by the Mayor
II do not favor that proposition said
the Senator. because It takes from the
electors of the municipality the right to
select the law officer and puts that added
power in the hands of the Mayor Why
should the Mayor have more power in
this respect than the people and why
should the check imposed upon the exec
utive by the election ot the Solicitor
be removed? In this connection I might
also ask why should the City Treasurer
appoint "A tax collector who annually
haNdips $50. .0O0.O 600 of the peoples
money? BY these innovations the
electors would lose all control over these
officials, In my opinion the electors are
capable Of selecting their tax receiver"
Council of Forty eight Favored
Reorganization Of City Councils was
the next subject proposed 10 Senator
Ware. without hesitation he said
There may he some cause for re.
duCtiOn in the number Of Councilmen
but I see no justification in the PROPOSE
ton of electinC but twenty-oue mem
bers. | can illustrate my thought on
this question by recalling municipal his
tory. when an attempt was made some
years ago 30 steal the gas works all that
would have been necessary then FOR the
men then Interested in that proposa l.
the Council consisted Of but twenty
one members, would be for them to Sc
cure fourteen votes, which number would
constitute the necessary two-thirds of
the chamber. Now. ! do not think any
one will say that those interested in
getting the gas works would have had
difficulty in getting two-thirds ma
jority OF such small number.
ut might be possible. with some re-
duction in the membership. to construct
"A Council which would he fairly repre-
sentative of the people, but care must
be taken TO see to ii that each loca lity
is fairly represented. The proposal con-
tained in this cha arter bill does not give
the people fair representation. There
ought to be representation from each
ward. so that the electors in each ward
may make known their needs to their
representatives. If they need public i'm
provements. from an alley gas light on
up, they should have the fullest oppor-
tunity 10 go to their representative at
night and talk it over with him"
Opposes Current Loans
The Senator disposed OF the propo sed
new budget system contained IN the
charter bill very briefly.
II am absolutely in favor of SEN
sible fiscal policy" he said II am in
favor OF any kind of budget system that
will insist upon the pay-as-you-go sys-
tenn 7 am in favor OF a fiscal policy
which provides that current revenues
must take care of current expenditures
and which will make it unnecessary to
. float loans for current expenses. Mr.
Caffney. chairman of the Finance Com.
mittee of Councils. has been insistent
in this idea, as was his predecessor, Mr.
Connolly.
IF they want to make a political ma
chine out of the street-cleaning system
they are on the right track, \ said the
Senator. when the question: OF con.
tracts was brought up. The fact about
the street-ceaning business is that mos
large cities. including New York, are
doing their own street cleaning. and they
do it very largely for the purpose Of
controlling voters to keep, officials il
office. Philadelphia is now making re
pairs to macadam roads at a cost o.
upward of 81 per yard, while formerl,
the McNichol Paving Company ant
other companies did this.
"As for the extension of time limits
on contracts. | do not think that a bad
idea Such a rule would be better for
the contractor and better for the city,
The Senator said he could find no OBJ
lection to the proposal that the Depart
ment of Supplies should be abolished
He said purchasing agent would full
fill the same duties and the change
would be change in name only.