Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-01
MAYOR HITS CRITICS
ON GAS REPORT
ponIss He In Any Way lnflu-
enosd Document Submitted
by Commission
ONLY ASKED FAIRNESS

Mayor Moore declared emphatically
to6ay he in no way influenced the re-
peft Of the Municipal Gas Commission
beyond instructing it's members to be
lGir and impartial
The Mayor resented statement made
lost night at the public hearing before
Council's Committee on Transportation
sn1 Public Utilities. James sF. Len
nsn. representing the Logan Improve
sent Association, said the Mayor was
responsible for the, report
S Mr. Lemons remark was one OF the
hirh points In TIL denunciations hurled
I. aeaiupt the report which recommended
new lease between the city and the
United Gas Improvement Co. and which
hinted at a possible rise in the cost OF
oas b consumers.
Hits Critics
ssYt. has come TO be fashionable for
some people to use Council and the
= @scouncilmanic committees, as vehicles
for saying unwarranted and untrue
Z thinxs about the Mayor" Mr.. Moore
said today. The Mayor is not re-
sponsible for all the ills for. which the
people suffer and the attack upon him
I8St ulknt Whc NV oooSN 'bNh " 1880
ment OF fact.
"The gas inquiry originated with the
United Gas Improvement Co. and with
the CITY Council, which passed an ordi-
nance demanding an inquiry, which the
Mayor vetoed because 1t seemed to favor
board of inquiry favorable to the
company.
.Another ordinance was passed Civ.
Ing wider latitude to the appointment
- n,s n
proved, appointing three experts who
were supposed to be untrammeled and
( two citisenS Of good repute In the COM
munity. The Mayor instructed them
to make an impartial report, which,
under the ordinance, was submitted to
Council.
'sThe Mayor has not commented
upon that report one way or the other
nor did he influence the commission be-
yond instructing 1t to be fair and i'm
partial in its work.
When the committee met at 80
o'clock there was every prospect OF
peaceful, considerate and careful ex-
change Of views. But Mr.. Lennon.
started something when in denouncing
he report he held the Mayor respon-
sible for It..
this gas question" he said. because It
has recommended that the present lease
be abandoned. We are opposed to a
change; we are opposed to an increase
ID the price of gas. / would be de-
lighted to say this to the Mayor. but he
h not here.
report, because no committee would
dare put In that report without your
approval.
Won Tasen Takes Up Challenge
Mr.. Won Tagen took up the challenge
and valiantly flew to the Mayors de-
Tense. His action induced Mr.. Weglein,
president OF Council, to defend the
Council itself at the expense of the
Mayor, and the general melee followed.
S "No wrong impression should 60 forth
regarding the attitude of the Mayor
said Mr.. Won Tagen. THE Mayor had
and has no connection whatever with
this report, with the commission or its
Investigation. say this as the spokes-
man for the Mayor on the floor of Coun-
ell. He did not favor the idea Of an
Investigation when it was proposed and
protested against 1t when the ordi-
nance was introduced by Mr.. Develin.
] had the Mayors support In that pro.
test, but Council forced the matter. l
say this report Is child of the Council,
and II has been placed on the doorstep
a the Council where 1t belongs"
Says Mayor Had Veto Right
81 hate to accept the paternity of
child thrust upon me-" said Mr.. Veg
introduced the ordinance or resolution.
The Mayor bad the right to veto 1t if
he disapproved Of 1t. But he did not.
He selected the personnel of the COM
mission. He may not have been con-
suited, and / am sorry to say that Mr..
Sheppard and Mr.. Armstrong 1.-TWO
members Of the commission) were dis
courteous in not consulting him."
''Well," said Thomas +. Armstrong,
II am willing to admit that am the
1ather Of one. fifth Of the report and
am proud of it. The Mayor needs no
defense whatever. When he appointed
me he asked me If I was U. G. I.
stockholder. L told him I was not. Then
he Eaid, We'll, as far as we are con-
cerned we're satisfied with the present
lease Rather than saddle responsi-
bility on the Mayor. we did not con
suit him during the work on the report
No one, the Mayor nor any one else in =
fiuenced that report and could not have
infiuenced IL.
For the moment the question of pa =
tsrnity was dropped. Mr.. Lennon pro :
ceeded with general denunciaton of
the report. to be succeeded by w. &.
Z Eksey who opened his address by re
marking that the meeting WAS featured
BY large expenditure of wind. He also
denounced the report, but the burden of
his tale was a scathing denunciation OF
the United Gas improvement Co. and a
Recommendation that the city take over
the works. The company. he said. has
been blufing the city for twenty wears
and Is now attempting a new game al
bIuh. He conceded that there were a
few honest men left who could oper
ate the plants as easily as the water
works were operated.
MIR. Zcisier Arraigns Company
Edward e. Zeigler, representing the
North Philadelphia Business Mems AS
ISOLATION, was as vitriolic in his ar
rsignment of the company and the re
port as Mr.. Lennon had been. He also
paid his respects to all the newspaper
By asserting that they were subsidized
BY the United Gas Improvement Com
psX,, psnX; . -.
have ever seen or heard Of" h,
shouted. II am afraid to touch II. l,
eerries pollution. This report means
that liberty and free government ar,
Is Rt stake. warn you that the business
men Of the city will defeat il II II Il
bnt we will find who is responsible foy
q and shatter him."
The commission ignored every rec
ommendation we made" said Mr.
4 Zeigler. Eve could not get a fail
hearing before the commission. Tn,
a, u. q. j. talked about lean years. ID,
Shex uur Dosaly make then, laan year. n,