Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-28
DAVID J. SMYTH
On the Legal Business Of Great City

TNIlE legal business Of "A great city is sur
4 tiricnt to keep n City Solicitor and n
large staff Of assistants busy all the time.
as there is very large number of cases
annually in which the city figures either as
a prosecutor or rs u defendant. says David
J. Smyth. City Solicitor of Philadelphia
"Tho city Charter" said Mr.. Smvth.
"rr"vi''rs thar the City Solicitor shall he
the legal adviser and act as attorney and
counsel for the city, for all branches "t the
City Government and for all departments
and officers Of the city.
Now an Appointiva Office
"It was the city Charter also that made
the Office Of Cty Solicitor an aprontive one.
HofOrc the Charter became operative. III"
CITY Solicitor WAS elected: but now the
nrt provides that hc shall h" appointed by
the Mayor with the ndvrc and consent OF
III" city Council.
THE City Solicitors office handles
multitude "i cases Of varied character. One
of the busiest branches is th" roal room.
where Il staff Of Assistant City Solicitors
handles all III" details Of the litigation aris.
in. from the dulv authorized acts Of eminent
domain by ,h" City Of Philadelphia.
II ndcr the act "f eminent domain the
city has the right To take for public rlr.
poses private property within it. limits,
on the payment Of fair compensation /" tn"
"Wurrs thereof. When private property il
thus taken for public purposes by the clly.
IL" most important thing is I" arrive at II
fair price 10 be paid TO the Owner. For
tli> purpose evidence i presented both by
IN" owners and the city before the Board Of
| View for the purp"s" "f determining the
value Of the property.
AS soon as the conformation proceed.
!n-S lave been begun. an official plan Is pre-.
pared by the city surveyors and engineers.
This plan j. presented when the board Of
I g al
IL tu value is then begun. Usually experts
testify for the owllers and they are then
eros -cxanined by the City SOLICITOR Office.
Appeals May Be Taken
"Af,cr tho testimony for the owners has
been presented, til" cas-" for the city is 'n"n
ur"~rltcl also by experts and, after cun>id-
Grafton. the Board Of Wow gives its Ie"i.
SION This dcrision. however. is not n"c'H-
sarily final as the right Of appeal from the
| d"ri~.on is provided for by law.
"WA"r" the City Solicitors ofir" con.
sdcrs til" award excessive appeals ar"
taken to the Court Of Common Pleas, and
such appeals are followed up by this office.
| It is sometimes nee Ssnry to go further
| and TO appeal the cases to the Superior
Court and even to th" Supreme Court. In
all this appeal work the city is represented
by the office "i the city Solicitor.
! "Annthor important branch Of work of
| tho u.icn is the drawing Of tho city con.
| tracts. Practically every piece of work done
| for tho city n"CcsFitatrS the drawing of "A
| contract and all Of these documents are pre-
| pared in the department Of bonds and con-
| tracts Of the City Solicitors Office. 1t is
| unnecessary to say that these documents
| must be drawn with the greatest care, as the
amounts involved frequently run into the
millions OF dollars.
| Contracts in Duplicate
| "rhc physical work Of copying these
| contracts alone IL very heavy. as il is
necessary to make two copies Of each
| nriyinnl contract. They are always ACCOM-
named by bonds guaranteeing the salts.
| factory completion of the work within u
| sncrifled period or with other restrictions
| and all OF these bonds and all proposal
| bonds are prepared in this department OF
| the City Solicitors office.
| '"Ihe handling Of real estate IN which
the city is II party, either az purchaser or
AZ seller, occupies the attention of still
another department of the Office. When the
civ either buys or sells real estate, all
| mutters Of convcyancing are handled in the
ronycynncing bureau Of the City Solicitors
ntice. This includes the preparation and
the recording Of deeds in fee simple for all
land required, the striking of of taxes md
! wuter rents and all other various details
| Incidental to real estate settlements.
.,The leases for the different departments
of the City Government are also prepared in
| ,his Office, as well as all agreements IN
| indemnify the city against loss by the rrDson
| of the yacatins Of streets.
Makes Money for City
"It will probably come as "A surprisc IN
many persons TO know that the Office Of
the City solicitor makes a financial return
| 10 the city Of no insignificant amount enah
! year. The cashiers branch receives from,