Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-27
Mayor Holds Whip
in Present Fight
Continued from Page One

Continued from Page One
are number of technirians who hold
positions year in and year out without
regard to change Of administration
They are experts. For that reason they
are n permanency. This still further
reduces the minimum OF jobs for city
place hunters.
I'neasiness and Perturbation
There are uneasiness and pcrturba-
tion among the leaders of the new com.
bination. due to uncertainty aS to what
the Mayor will do next.
They counted confidently that he
would. rather than prccipitatc an open
outbreak. permit the Municipal Court
appropriation to go through. They hg-
ured that he would content himself with
an expression Of condemnation and let
it go at that.
The Mayor kept the purpose and eX.,
tent of his veto secret until the last
moment. While his action was not Il
stunning surprise, the amount of his
Slashing cut was astonishing to the
combination.
The public reaction against the five
alleged reform councilmpn is greater
than their friends are willing to admit.
No one of them has offered an adequate
reason for the betrayal of his trust by
Yoting against the Mayors veto of the
S32S.0OO in the Municipal Court
budget.
Particularly has the condemnation of
their vote by the women been wide
spread and severe. 1t is beginning to
bite and scar.
The woman voter presents new
problem to these misbranded politicians.
They don't know what she'll do next.
They would like to ignore her but can
not. They don't understand her atti-
| tudp.
The visit of a delegation of prominent
women leaders to the Mayors office the
day after the burlesquc budget per
formanCe in Council to offer him their
support was II surprise to most Of the
Brown cahal. II was storm signal.
The hope of the five runaway re-
formers is that the people will soon
! forget; particularly the women. The
Mayor, however. will see that they do
not. 1t will be many long and dreary
month before Conncilmcn Burch and
Cans in particular succeed in escaping
| the lash.
Burch would be swept off the politi
cal board by women alone. il he came
up for election within the next few
weeks.
Sentimental Side to Women
There is sentimental side to most
women that admircs fighter. The
greater the odds against him the greater
their admiration for the fighter.
The six independent c0uncilmen who
stood like n solid wall to sustain the
Mayor and check the shameless extrava
gancr of the Municipal Court, stand
higher today than ever in public esti
nation.
The question of Judge Browns power
OF mandamus is to be tested. 1t is tn,
contention of some very prominent ot
torneys. who have discussed the snb.
lr"t. that the new charter If not uc.
tually prohibiting it, at least leaves tn,
mandamuS question open to scri0u,
doubt.
The city charter expressly provide.
that:
No warrant shall be drawn, issued.
or approved by any officer of said
city for any expenditure by such de-
partment, officer, board, committee,
OF other agency. unless IN appropria
ti0n has previously been made in
accordance" with the provisions of this
act; and no warrant shall be- drawn
against any item in said apprOpria
tiOn in excess of said item and any
contract made or warrant issued in
violation Of this article shall be abso
lutely void.
ANY appropriation in violation Of
this article or in excess of the csti
mated receipts as set forth in snid
ordinanc" and any contract based
thereon shall be void
The Municipal Court is n city court
II Is minor court. 1t is asserted tha
this law applies TO the mandamus powo
of Judge Brown.
Anyhow. suit will be entered to tcs
his power in this respect.
IT tn" suit is successful il will sto
one leak in the city treasury.
Rumor Block in Legislation
\ rumor has been brought TO III
Mayor thnt from now on cffcctiy
measures will be taken in Council wifi
the aid Of liurch. Cans. Buchholtz an
tn" others to block any legislation TIM
tn" Mayor desires that the rombino
tion is in position. and has suficirn
votes TO lit the wcazand of any nroiec
fathrrcd by Mayor Moore.
II is scarcely brlicvahlr. The Iood
Crs OF the new combine are not fools
p To fight every project Of muniripol nd
vnnc"mcnt simply because the Mnyo
Q indorScd it would bring down the wrat
of the pc0pl" in n whirlwind Thr
l have gOn" about as far as il is safo Z
go at present.