Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-23

aHaIrS. SAID ne Thought thnt would /
b" tho only redress. More home rule .
for Philadelphia So that Council might !
supervise city expenditures without |.
State dictation is favore, by both men.
Following conference with Assist /
ant City Solicitor Lowcngruad in the |
absence Of Mr.. Smyth. Mr.. Gaffncy
said:
Wants Term DETERMINED
II have had q talk with Mr.. Lowen-
grund, of the City Solicitors Office.
relative to the opinion of the City So
h"itor TO the Controller upon the Ques-
ton Of the city's borrowing capacity.
Gaffnry said.
There should be started immcdi-
ately an action to determine whether
or not the entire cost of the Delaware
River bridge and the sewage disposal
plants are chargeable against the pres
ent borrowing capacity of the city.
There will. however, be no real relief
or satisfactory determination of what
is or is not Indebtedness until that
term has been defined in an amendment
to the Constitution of PENNSYLVANIA.
The borrowing capacity Of the city
should only be charged with amounts
To which the city has committed itself,
either by action of the people passing
upon an electoral loan or by Council.
in passing a councilmanic loan. II in
the test case the Supreme Court should
determine that the total cost of the
sewage disposal plant is presently
chargeable against the city's borrowing
capacity. then an effort should be made
70 repeal the act Of 1905 and pass
less drastic one which would insure a
greater degree of home rule for the City
Y ~ ,,.,t ., H.
erection of n sewage disposal plant"
Councilman Hall said This opinion
is thunderbolt. Everybody will agree
with Mr.. Smyth that he is right so far
as charging off appropriations for the
delaware River Bridge is concerned.
The matter has 10 be judicially set
tied: its one Of those things that you
cannot decide in a minute. imagine
Il taxpayers suit will have to be brought
to determine what is TO be charged
against The City's borrowing capacity.
Then We will have TO 60 in III. Legis-
AZURE for relief. but that means very,
very Iong delay ~
Hall Hits Health Body
NJ. Hall incidentally criticized the
State department Of Health. which
some time ego got the city to commit
Itself TO build sewage disposal plants.
IF the State board hrs the right
10 commit us 10 these projects" he
said. that power should be taken
away by the Legislature. What is the
use of having twenty agencies telling
Philadelphia what It should do when
only on" hody-(ity touncil-should
decide this.
Referring directly to th" Smyth opiN-
ion. Mr.. Hall said: If his decision
reduces or borrowing capacity to
Sl4 4,~0.0 900 now il will be increased
to S35, ,OO0, 900 after the first Of III.
year. wh"n We will have n large increase
in the assessed value Of real estate"
At the present time the borrowing
capacity is Sj3 900, 900. Under the
Smyth opinion 500. 900 900 is for sew
age disposal plants, 81. ZOO 900 for the
Delaware River Bridge and 81. 600. 900
Tor mHndalnu~es n the result of land
condemnations, totallng $50, o,oW.OOn.
Other members Of Council said that
even the increased borrowing capacity
after the first ~ the year will not en-
able the city to {" ahead Immediately
with III contemplated improvements.
II j. estimated by City Controller
liadley that he ritY's gross borrowing
capacity on january p, 1923, result
'''S mum 'hN'S w I'a'NN anu I'iS'I4dI
property will b" 500 ,OUO,OU.
Those conversaut with prorcdure
wonder how the I.egislaturn can hc,p as
II would first be necessary g. pass n
constitutional amendment IT, iucroa,e
the borrowing capacity This would
, have I" be passed by tho neyt I"g.--
Iaturn submitted at III" next Nuvemher
"'rrtion and then ratified hy the I."gi>.
. lUtnr" Of 1925
Following are the improvements M-
roady started and which probably will
+ be affected Tho Ere" L.brar, com.
,cntion Hall; improvement Of pe,aw9re
River: soldiers and sailors memorial .
Arr Museum: Delaware River Bridge ,
sewage DISPOSAL pIunr. Soutb philoJnI .
nhIa grad" crossings city transit
Work nn, been started ON rho .hrorv
and ,r, uirIseurl ,rl tan. ,.,r. - ,.
,.u'ooc dts,usoI rIor,
lang mas "rrh ""h" on uiSn- 'lr'4
'r"nslr hh's ""'h, ii'r4 IN I"I', Ne
S"H,"rs ana >G!I"F~ mem"rt" aud
S"Hth ihl,adcipha grad" rr"-sn.g'.
Now ii looks as though all ot 'hrse
will be delayed.
Councilman Wcglc.n yaid