Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-08
ROBERT D. DRiPPS
On Women and tho City Council

THE women of Philadelphia in attending
i meetings Of City Council and familiar
izing themselves with the workings of city
government nre only performing civic
duty which too many men neglect, In the
opinion OF Robert D. Dripps. former direc-
tor Of public safety and during the war
connected with the Philadelphla Couhcil io'
National Defense.
The womcn's League for Good Govern
ment. which played definite part IN bring
ing about the smaller and single council;
manic body and which has been hclptnl
force in recent municipal politics. according
to Mr.. Dripps. now has q platform for l"2i
which is just as vital and just as important
10 the citys welfare.
"Whv are women attending the meetings
of the City Counci?' asks Mr.. Dripns. II
is easier to answer this question than to
explain why so few Of the male voters OF
Philadelphia take any interest in the eoun"
cilmanic proceedings. There seems to be
general idea that the sessions OF the CITY
Council are like lodge meetings. serving some
useful purpose no doubt to those who have
to attend but how or why no one but the
members know. II man is patriotic
enough to go to the polls and vote for some
councilmanic candidate, he Is so pleased
with himself that he lgoes home and rests
on his laures until the next election comes
around.
Even In the days when Philadelphia had
| n Common Council with so many members
| that it was almost a town meeting in itself.
! seats in the galleries were rarely ut q
premium. and still more rarely were they
| occupied by representative citizens. In
| those days, as in these, a councilman might
vote right on every question that came
| before him for months at a time without
| receiving n word of Commendation from O
single citizen.
at really seems as though II Is worth
| while now and then for councilman to
| vote on the wrong side Of question In order
TO wake up his constituents to the fact that
nc still represents them. With such lively
interest In public affairs. 1t Is small wonder
that our councilmen and other government
officials tend sometimes to degenerate into
mere automntons-if they do not become
actually crooked.
All Ought 10 Keep Eye on Council
"At all events every man and woman
in PHILADELPHIA ought to keep an eye on
the city fathers. This should not prove
either dull or uninterestng; and. incl
dentally, it is just barely possible that by
intelligent watchfulnCss real service may
be rendered both to oneself and to ones
city. Councilman are in the same run oi
shad with the rest Of us. They are neither
better nor worse than their constituents. but
| sometimes they are astonishngy RESPONSIVE
to what the people want, On the other
hand, II their constituents do not take thu
trouble to indicate what they want ther,
are always others ready to profer adyic,
and to advance persuasive reasons why Il
should be followed.
What is evcrybody's business, however
is nobody'S business, and so the women O
Philadelphia have set the rest of us .
mighty good example by organizing th
counclmanic committee of the Women
League for Good Government This com
mittee was at work long before women wer
entitled to vote in this commonwealth
was particularly efficient during the Blank
cnburg administration. The women VIII
served on IL at that time came to know
as much, IL not more. about councilnani
| procedure than many of the counCilme,
themselves. They attended every session O
Councils and they talked to the indiyidua
counCilmen between sessions There was n
limit TO the pains which they took TO Sc
cure accurate information as to the 0ues
tions under consideration. Their servic
In educating the women OF Philadelphia a
9 10 councilmanic legislation was inyaluabl,
These women had definite part /
bringing about the smaller Council whic
= has supplanted the cumbersome Commo
md Select Councils of former days Durin
the campaign which preceded the last ma
tional election this committee was nracti
cally quiescent. 1t has always limited /,
attention to municipal questions and I'm
Il maintained strictly independent sttitrd,
declining to affiliate with any political pnrt,
In It's 1921 platform II makes the folowin
!. ! requests Of the City Council:
4.