Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-06
READERS VIEWPOINT
Letters to the Editor on
Current Topics
Pleads for Policemen

10 the Editor Of the Evening Public Ledger.
Sir-Philadelphin's world wide trade
and human interests are so extensive
that people living thousands of miles
away arf vitally and directly interested
IN Philadelphia city life aud government.
Hence you will not feel offended / feel
sure. at my humble but earnest sugges =
tions, for, while I legally reside in
Dakota. my manufacturing interests
nave Kept me in or near Philadelphia
Tor more than two years now.
Because Of continuous extensive and
intensive studies of the larger phases OF
transportation. started in my Junior
year at Cornell College, Iowa, twenty
two years ago, | have heard much more
of Mayor J, Hampton Moore than any
other Philadelphia politician and states :
man for his interest in proper quick de =
velopment of our national internal
waterways, canals, etc His plan for
quick, fit development of United States
inland canals and waterways and correct
port and shipbuilding development and
upkeep of Philadelphia aud Delaware
river interests should be heartily boost
ed steadily by every one as both a mill
tary and civil life necessity. The Mayor
should, and no doubt has. surely added
to his general transportation plans
strenuous instant support of large scale
elrplane port development.
The administration is to be congrat-
ulated on the police shake up or changes
which no doubt, in the main, are for the
public good. Yet love is always u
stronger motive than fear, and the police
should be given Just cause to love the
Philadelphia public because of the gen
erous wages they should be paid. Three
dollars and eighty five cents daily wages
is not a decent living wage for police.
who are both larger physically and more
intelligent than the average daily work
er, and surely assume more direct dan
ger in the regular performance Of their
duties than the average worker, and
should receive not less than Sc mini
mum daily wages in view of the high
cost of living. Henry Ford, of Detroit.
pays 81 daily minimum wage to his hum
blest workers, foorsweeps, etc. He has
announced in his paper that he is tigur-
ing on soon paying an SS minimum daily
wage for eight hours work.
Policemen should not be tempted to
graft by daily wage far below living
costs, and a lightweight, cheaper uni
form should be substituted during the
fve summer months, saving them a few
dollars. while adding to their comfort
also. Furthermore, there should be an
increase in the automobile and arplane
police service in keeping with modern
conditions, and not let New York city
lead too far ahead, but try to keep with
In hailing distance of her. l wish Mayor
Moore very great success in the new
Public Welfare Department. work, and
especially in preventive medicine un-
dertakings for the public health, which
includes pure water and pure air.
Under both public welfare and pre-
ventive medicine and police enforcement
comes noise prevention, doing away with
all unnecessary rattle and Jar of street
cars and other vehicles, especially the
unspeakable noisy, cheap motorcycles.
run by devils who cut out the muf-
filer to make noise purposely. I pre-
dict that glorifed, vastly improved,
silent motorcycle will become an i'm
portant development in transportation in
the future, but the beastly, unnecessary
noise purposely made by the present
cheap machine and rider should not be
tolerated at all.
While real profteering or unfair
profits should be discouraged, yet false
profteering charges should not be en-
couraged, and the S160. 900, 900, 900 war
bonds increase and 600 per cent increase
In currency of the worlds leading ma
tions since 1914 should be constantly
recalled as Il rather permanent price
raising force for some years to come at
least, or until these nations can pay
up noticeable proportion of their war
bonds.
Good luck to Philadelphia and its
city administration
E. CORNELIUS ANDREWS.
Philadelphia, February 8.