Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-16
BACK TRANSIT BILL,
APPEAL OF DEVEL|N
Councilman Calls on Business
Men and Women Voters to
Demand Passage
GIVES CITY MORE POWER

Councilman Develin called on oil
business associations and women voters
organizations today TO get back OF the
Senate bill broadening the powers OF
the City Transit Department. asserting
the bill was being held in committee by
Senator Ware.
As chairman OF the Senate municipal
affairs committee Senator Ware declared
the measure would be reported out next
Monday or Tuesday and he would vote
for 1T, although opposed to giving nddi.
tional power to Transit D1rector
Twining.
His opposition. the senatore con =.
tinucd, was based on what he said was
Director Twining's inexperience as q
transit operator. The directors skill
and experience. he added, had been with
constructive engineering.
Ware Praises Mitten
Thomas Il. Mitten, president OF the
p. X. T. Co.." the senator said, knows
more in five minutes about transit opcr:.
ating than the transit department and
Council would know in a year"
The Senate bill under discussion
would give the transit department
oversight and charge. of all transit
matters and transit facilities. steam
railroads and their electrified branches
are excluded from this proposed con-
troll.
Under the bills provisions the de-
partment would have authority to gather
information about the service and oper-
ating conditions, to make recommenda-
tions to the Mayor and Council, to in
vestigate and report on proposed ordi.
nances, to appear for the city at legal
proceedings and to file complaints and
to initiate or join in proceedings.
Under the charter the authority of
the city transit department is now con-
fined to city owned and controlled tran
sit lines. The uncompleted Frankford
elevated and the Bustleton surface line
are the only lines now under the de-
partment's Jurisdiction.
Develin Explains Need
The public should be aroused to the
need OF broadening the transit depart
ment's powers as provided in the SEN
ate bill, Councilman Develin said.
1T is bill for protecting the city
and the citizens so they will have n
champion who will look after their in =
terests whenever they conflict with those
of any transit company" he said.
Mr.. Develin said his resolution ask :
ing Councils special legislative com.
mittee to report on the progress Of the
transit bill was not designed to hamper
the committee.
The resolution was meant not to
hamper, but to aid the committee" he
continued. 1T was not piece of pea =
nut politics as one councilman said
but it was part of carefully thought
out tactics to advance the bill and help
the committee.
80 far frcm trying to put the com =
mittee in a hole, | was irving to keep
it from getting in a hole. which il
would have done had it relied upon the
usual methods.
Councilman Hall said the chairman
OF the Senate committee could not bt
held responsible for retaining the, bill
ANY tyro knows that the chairman of 1
committee has almost unlimited powe
over bill that affects his locality. Sen
atorial courtesy, in practice. gives hin
such control. Proof of that is that al
the other bills affecting this city hav
been reported out.
II am not charging Senator Var
with any wrong motives. l am simpl,
stating the fact and the inference from
that can be drawn by the people them
selves. That is the dilemma in whicl
opponents Of the bill are now nut. |
the committee succeeds in getting tn
bill out of committee It will be aeains
the opposition of the chairman. II th
bill is not reported out then the odiun
will fall upon the chairman Of the Sen
ate committee"
Senator Ware. at his summer HON,
in Amber, was told Councilman Devclir
said he was holding the bill, which has
been in the municipal affairs committe,
six weeks
That is absolutely true" the scna
tor said. There are a lot Of member,
Of think Director Twining is not n III
man to handle transportation.
The bill gives the transit departmen,
the right to reroute and otherwise pas,
on the transportation end of the u. X
T. Co. A great many members think
that while Mr.. Twining IL construc
ton engineer. he knows nothing oI
transporting people from one part o.
the city to another. think so. too.
But the bill will go out of commit
tee Monday or Tuesday. ! am going tt
clean out my desk then and all measure;
there will go out. / will vote for tn,
bill despite my opinion about Directo,
Twining's ability in the matter Of trans
portation."