Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-27
CITY STREET CLEANING is
NOT MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP


-
Il Is Public Service, Like Policing
and Fire Protection, and Should
No Longer Be Done by Contract
MAYOR MOORE'S problems are
1Nl many and serious. and that he has
the sympathy of the public spirited citi-
zcns Of Philadelphia in his efforts to
solve them in the public's interest goes
without saying.
Most of these problems are made in =
finitcly more difficult of solution by the
fact that an economic or political inter
est of great power Is involved. Take
the Delaware bridge. the Z. Il. T. fare
fight, the police in politics. the art gal
lprics and salary Standardization as il
lustrationS of pressing problems. and
add next years tax rate as the type of
poser that turks just around the corner.
Then as a Inst straw heap on that old
issue-municipal vs.. contract street
cleaning.
As Lyman Abbott once sagcly advised,
let there BE- more light and less heat
on these questions. Since last Thurs
day afternoon. when the Mayor invited-a
number Of business men, newspaper men
and civic workers to conference on the
matter of street cleaning. many facts
and factors have been brought to the
surface warranting frank discussion
Of this question out in the open now.
Only such discussion can be whole
some.
The Mayor spent much time in dis
cussing matters hardly germane to the
probcm-but concedc that aS his privi-
lege. He was within his rights also inr
adducing every conceivable argument
against municipal street cleaning and
none in its favor. 1t might be conceded
further that he was cautiously feeling
hiH way in the solution Of this question
and was justified in refusing to promise
to move heaven and earth to carry out
the mandate of the charter on street
cleaning but we cannot feel that his
noncommittal attitude on this issue will
satisfy any one except that element in
the community that fought his election
and which has opposed his program at
every turn since his inauguration.
But these are warm days and with
,bhott's calm advice as n text before us.
Il ,rro, ho cruntcd that the MAYOR hns
rvory right TO his opinions and to their
conj;d o,prossion. Yet two noints made
h.. Tho Navor-onc CHALLENGED Mt the
time, and another allowed to slip by
ought to BE- cSamincd under the hcatlcsS
light.
Tho fret vos Mr. NIooro's repeatod
roforopce to citv street cleaning as
,.,ru,icinaI ownership " Execution must
ba ,t,ken to this nhroso because "mu-
ui,.;roI ou.rcrsbin'' is univcrsallv' recog =
ni.al >. onrIy 70 city ownorshin or
nt'",a.ian of a rtil;tv or businesS which
,,Ii.Lt Nc uoodi,, bo nriysteIy conducted
Il 10 annlirobIe proncrly TO city-owncd
o''''. ,".'' '.9", ''is,i,o. on,ornriyo
g.. .,.nao. oIoo,ir, :. not utiIity II
'"' i',;,.oI 'an,.;,, ond ,Li. fact bos
i,a honr noaon,i,od n ovory citv hut
''"e ,,.aI snooL of contrac+ing
T H"' ,nI;ao "Ti', ,,ra,ao,ian Gov fro nrotoction
~ hcoIth ynryico
VI r,''." .i.i g ..o. ,loorin, q ,
,,,,.oI. srn,.i,o srnct;or vos hronght
ah,t ~. .I,a ,,ossaao of III. now rhor-
,o ,TL,, i,,,,. ,vnu nronerly regarded
,,o,.iaJ VIA. ror,oined 70 no sattIcd
NV .-,.;nn ont or tho d.t,iI. a.
""o .,:,i.','',,' r',i ,"t 'n ,o,,a;,,In
W.,, ,,,,''o foot l., ,,,ind vro fool tbo,
.,,;I " ~" ;.,. l.u ,.noot oIoanina ..rrnicinoI
'"'''ns ,i 49,! ~, o,I, anIis+ ogoinyt -
-" "'' n.''H ''I.1 faoiinas % or,nnsition
I""Sr N'.''Sp.r"" I,na1., 10 pj,f, ''pui,inni
I" Nn"t - ''i rr. ~ c;.,', ,,nf"n.'nntn ~
wv !'''HIipi ',,;oinoI ~" G nnoration of .Lo
P'''l'' WV" ,aht ,i' ,,.orn ~, 70 ho.i.oto ~,
"a" MoINS l''S"s w. 50 u,i,it,. s"o,, -, u"
assuming or inn ] itmn. W. tho c,nc,r;c iiaht
" w.. 49,. T., o,t;roly nooripgIe.. a. q
reason 'or no' '''u'' '"N'"S ''''"'0 '''u'
street ''eahihs'
IN. , 40. ono,,o,noJ -, ,,o
nus P''"t va" i'aa,,,1,.'.. ~ Wv
,','"''mE' o"' ~ 49, no.;onan I,,.i,,.
VT n""I' ,I!'u "r ;Si,..iN Ml. .a,H, ''"' '"s I
'u' HS"oIius' t"na.n ". ''o." J., "''" "
S'r'"t''''ani"s ,on'' a. ,. ~; ="
new '""li'Tt,ns "'m ,""t n"',r rp" "'' Wv
FORMER pollD"n' o"n,I ,aItoI ,ho ,;' n "a,
,,r' however c"h''",'" I o' tn t"e "S''' ,ah ,"I
mayor Sa'u, "TN "''' ,hn. -" t,a '"U"I ",'''
'Iuli,rnI StIInr SnS a -" % boro..od @ """ITp' nm% ~