Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-18
DEVEllN BAlTED THE HOOK;
THE VARIETIES ROSE TO IT
The Bill Providing for Proper Protection
Of the cltys Transit interests Can
No Longer Be Smothered

NO Longer &c omotneTcu
COUNCILMAN DEvEL1N'S ingenious
\ rrodding of the legislative committee
has had the desired result.
The bill introduced in the Senate by Sen.
ator Gray on March |, extending the juris-
diction of the director Of city transit over
all transit facilities. has been lying in the
municipal affairs committee of the Senate,
Of which senator Ware is chairman.
Mr.. ncvcn offered n resolution in the
Council asking the legislative committee for
Information about the progress of the meas
urr. His purpose was to call attention TO
rhc existence of the bill and TO the inaction
of senator Ware.
His opponents rose with the cagerness Of
hungry FISH in the AbseCon inlet and swal
lowed bait hook and sinkcr.
They denounced Mr.. Dcvclin aud talked
about the lack of justification for interfering
with the actions Of the legislative committee.
and gave thc councilman from the Fourth
district mn opportunity to charge Senator
Ware with hostility to the transit bill aud
with a determination to smother it in com
mittee.
Tho whole thing lifted the issue ont Of
obscurity and directed public attention to 1t.
And now Senator Ware says that the bill
will b. reported out of committee today or
tomorrow The houors are with Council
man Develin.
The bill is an amendment to the charter.
At present the Department Of City Transit
has jurisdiction over only such transit lines
rs nrc owned by the people. It was created
N supcrintend the building of subways and
elevated lines 10 supplement the lines OPP
Grated BY the =. r. r. II is now considered
cxpcdicnt to have department of the city
government expressly commissioned 10 look
bn pph iOtr n
matters.
Those interests are divided into four
groups in the bill. The first relates to the
conditions of service by the operating COM
paniCs. The directc" is authorized to gather
information relating 10 service and operat-
ing conditions and to connilc and keep on
tlc the information which he secures and
20 make such recommendations concerning
Improvement Of facilities as seem to him
proper.
Then. upon the request Of the Mayor or
the City Council, he is 10 investigate and
report concerning proposed ordinances and
all other matters involving transit facilities.
And when the Mayor or City Council
direct he is to appear as the representative
OF the city in proceedings before any COM
mission committee. board or officer and
defend its interests.
And finally, when the Mayor or the City
Council gives him instructions, he is to file
complaints and TO initiate or join in pro
ceedings in behalf Of the city befOr" any
commission having regulatory jurisdiction
over transit service and facilities
II is impossible to raise n valid objection
against this enlargement OF the functions Of
the director Of city transit. 1t concentrates
in one department jurisdiction over the whole
transportation problem.
tln - TO hn sol nI IN fol ont 10
and without waste. something Of the kind
must be done. whether the +. K. L. wishes
il 10 be done or not
The prjncipl" on which it is based is
already recognized in the law creating the
Public Service Commission. That body can
come to Philadelphia and tell the p. X. r..
how 20 route its cars. II can fix the rate
of fare and can approve or disapprovc any
contracts with other companies made by the
+. r. T. The bill does not interfcr" with
tho state commission in any respect. IL
merely empowers the head of the Depart
ment Of city Transit to represent the city
and to defend the interests Of the people in
all transit matters.
Those who do not wish the city 10 be
represented by an expert in rapid transit,
familiar with al the problems involved,
will opposc the bill Those who think that
II is as important that the interests of the
npoplc he protected as that the interests OF
thc corporations be looked after viii favor
the bill.
Senator Ware has objected TO the measure
on the grounds tnat Director Twinng is
not Il f. man to handle transportation and
that Thomas +. Mittcn. president Of the
f. r r. Company. knows more in five
minutes about transit operation than the
Transit Department md the Council would
know in year.
But the bill is not drawn to enlarge the
powers of Mr.. Twning as an individual.
II is intended to enlarge the powers Of tho
city to look after its own interests through
the agency of whatever man may be 1T The
head Of the Department of City Transit.
Department heads come md g., but tho
proper regulation oi the street railroad com
panics remains a. "A permanent problem
rpappcaring from time 10 time in one form
or another
Mr. Mitten is an expert in street ra,lroaC
operation That is admitted wherever ho j.
know Bur Mr., Mirten is the paid agen
Of rho 7. Il. T.. l. is his business to loot
our for tho interests Of his employers, un'
he hos been doing it 70 the best Of his Nbli,
TICS for some Years. To say that lc know
more in five minutes about transit operation
rnan the Council or the Transit DcpHrtmcn
would know in Il wear is 70 formulate ar
irrcfutablp argument in favor Of incrcasiuG
tho powers Of mo Transit DepartIncnt anC
having ~ II, head a man capable to wori
a. ~urcN,,tu,,y in the lnjrrCst OF the stree,
car riders AS Mr.. Mittcn is working in N,
interest Of the shareholders for whom he l.
rrying 10 earn dividends.
The case for tn" bill is 80 strong thar j.
e difficult 70 sec how any ono loyal to tn,
interests Of the city can oppose u