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EVENING LEDGER PHILADELPHIA", FRIDAY, OCTOBER, 30, 1914,
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PUBLIC LEDGER. COMPANY
CYUUS H K. CUP.TIS, Piimibint.
08. TV. Ochs, Secretary; John C Martin, Treasurer:
Chirles lr. I.udtnKton, rhlllp ,5 rolllns, John rt Wil
liams. Directors.
EDITORIAL BOARD?
Gratis II. K. CoaTia, Chairman.
$?. H. TYHALKY t:wutlio Editor
JOHN C. MARTIN General Business Manager
-
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niii.i)Ki.riiiA, fiubat, orrronnt 30, 191 .
Penrose : A Futility and Fntality
BOIES PENROSE is a menaco to "the
theory of government upon which the
future of America depends In olden times
and In other lands n ruler might be dissolute,
tyrannical, unjust and monstrously callous
toward the Interests of the people, hut he
was protected by the divine right of kings;
he was abovo the law. In a democracy sov
ereignty resides in the people themselves,
and any one who exploits them, misgoverns
them, thwarts the exercise of their will or de-prh-es
them of any of their Inalienable rights
and privileges. Is a traitor to all
Charges have been made against Penrose
no serious in nature and great in number
that they cannot possibly be the result of
mere gossip or the campaign fictions of a
rival party. Theo charges have not been
disproved: they have been almost Ignored.
When It is so openly and repeatedly alleged
that Penrose Is morally mint for high official
position the voters of Pennsylvania will he
unfair and treacherous to the nation a a
"whole if they send him back to the Senate.
This contention Is not a pose of superfine
morality. Multitudes of men who are not at
all disposed to be exacting in matters of
ordinary ethics nevertheless feel that the
presence of Penrose In the supreme legisla
tive chamber of the nation Is a menace to
American ideals and Institutions. By his ad
vocacy of special Interests, by bringing tho
liquor ring into party politic, by frustrating
humane legislation, by debauching municipal
government, by trying to precipitate a need
less war, Penrose has utterly forfeited his
right to represent the people In national
affairs.
Beyond thec points thore are other? that
the voters are considering most seriously.
We have recently had one grave scandal in
the Senate. Thoo who know something of
the nature and extent of the evidence that Is
available against Penrose are quite certain
that the Lorlmer catastrophe will be- re
peated and upon a more revolting scale. A
democratic form of government such as ours
depends entirely for Its stability and author
ity upon the confidence the people have In
the Integrity and trustworthiness of its offi
cials. We are making only a mockery of a
noble experiment when we degrade it by un
worthy representation.
Ono other consideration is weighing heavily
with the voters. Granted that Penrose does
stand for protection and that Pennsylvania
needs protection. It Is as certain ns certain
can be that Penross can be of no further
assistance in that cause for two reasons:
First, It Is more than probable that if elected
Penrose will be In the minority party for the
next six years of th Senate's life. Second,
were he elected, and should he by any
chance retain his seat, we shall never see
another Republican tariff framed upon the
old grab-bag lines. The demand for a tariff
commission is becoming so Insistent and unt
Tersal, and Is withal so Just, that it is almost
safe to prophesy that the next protective
measure will be drafted scientifically by a
board of experts without political bias.
Therefore, on moral, patriotic and economi
cal grounds it is the height of Imprudence
to elect Penrose, Every Instinct and princi
ple by which men are guided in the affairs
of daily life bids them repudiate him.
Turkey Enters the War
NO EFFORT to limit the European war
seems to have any chance of success.
The beginning of hostilities by Turkey may
bring the very gravest consequences. Un
doubtedly the Balkan States will again be
In flames. Italy Is mora likely than ever
to be drawn in on the side of the Allies,
While Grece and the fleets of the Allies take
care of what little there is of Turkey in
Europe, Japan may become, more active In
Asia. Tho entire situation looks like the
temporary breakdown of civilization, with
America only standing firm.
Nerve
THAT man Brumbaugh seems to have a
nerve going about making his own plat
form without consulting anybody," remarked
a citizen who bad become addicted to party
convention programs.
"Well," answered his acquaintance, "when
a fellow has succeeded at every Job he ever
tackled without asking any help ha has sized
himself up pretty well, and he has as much
right to say what he can do as Grant had to
plan a battle or Carnegie to build another
ettel mill. Brumbaugh seems to me to be tha
kind of man we've always wanted for Govern
nor hut never had."
In the Real Underworld
IN ONE of his animated and delightful es.
says, Simeon Strunsky describes night as
the time of the innocent Industries, which
are carried on by the people of the true
underworld, by the "great host of market
men, grocers, butchers, milkmen, pushcart
engineers and news-venders who have been
engaged since soon after midnight on the
enormous task of preparing the city's break
fast" Tha upper world of the daylight hours is
grounded on the true underworld: "The
foundations of society run down Into the
night where the city's food, the city's ways
of communication and the city's news are
being mad ready for the full roar of the
day's Ufa."
The arm of this laborious underworld
creates ten thousand times the wealth which
It Is in the power of the Jailbird to destroy
And If you should strike a balance be
tween the good and evil that are done In the
night and the good and evil that aro done
In tho day, you would find that the night
had made the larger net contribution to the
welfnro of humanity. "Greater harm to tho
fibre of the race may be wrought during the
day by the Intrigues of unscrupulous men.
I by factory fire-traps, by sweatshops, by tho
1 manipulators of our political machines, than
I by nil the gambling houses and dives in tho
Tenderloin."
Uphold Brumbaugh
THE Issue of local option, so tar ns Doc
tor Brumbaugh's iittiUule is concerned,
is fictitious and unreal. Ho was for tem
perance when some men now espousing It
were on the milk bottle, and through a long
period of active life he has never wavered
In his advocacy of this form of public de
cency. And he has piled upon this cor
roboratory record of his purpose his definite
pronouncements that between him and rum
there hns not been, Is not now and never
can bo nny alllanco whatever. He Is against
It, against Its contributions, against Its ma
licious efforts to corrupt Penn3lvanla,
against Its Insidious debauchery of citizen
ship and Commonwealth. And Just as earn
estly ho Is for local option. No man with
more than a grain of brain In his head can
doubt that.
tt Is a time when no citizen can afford to
Ignore the Issue. Here Is a great Repub
lican who, almost by a miracle, oulmaneu
vered the politicians, fought his way Into
tho very citadels of their machine nnd
wrenched from them the party nomination.
He Is none of their making. Their platform
lie has thrust aside. He has made one of
his own and on It he has stood undaunted
and unafraid. Where the masquerading Re
publicans have rejoiced in secret and shame
less alliances, ho has stood firm on his own
feet. Ho has repudiated their cruel disre
gard of the great masses. He has flouted
their bartering promises of non-enforcement
of the law. He ha3 disassociated himself,
financially nnd otherwise, from the bucca
neers who control some other nominations.
A bitter pill he Is for them and a corre
spondingly splendid opportunity for good
Republicans.
it Is through Doctor Brumbaugh that Re
publicans will be nble to smash Pcnroselsm
nnd smash It the more effectively because
they can vindicate their party regularity by
electing a Republican Gos-ernor at tho very
moment they are overwhelming the nominal
Republican candidate for the Senate. It is
through Doctor Brumbaugh that they can
Inject honesty into tho very head of State
government. They can strengthen his arm
In his battle to reform the party from within,
where It ought to be reformed. It Is their
bounden duty to lend their succor to this
anti-gangster who has bearded tho gang
sters In their own den and Intends to drive
them out.
On the one side a gubernatorial candidate
who measures up to the high standards of
Republicanism; xm tho other a senatorial
candidate who measures up to the maximum
demands of whatever destructive elements
afflict the Commonwealth and nation.
Through the one candidate Republicans can
expose, humiliate and overwhelm tho other.
They can elect Brumbaugh and prove that
Pennsylvania Is Republican at the same
time that they defeat Penrose and prove
that Pennsylvania is done with Penroselsm.
Vital to the prestige of the party is the
election of Brumbaugh. He offers Repub
licans an easy duty. It Is through him that
they can purge their party of Penroselsm
and at the same time maintain at Harris
burs true Republican control. Pennsylvania
in this crisis must see to it that tho Brum
baugh vote exceeds by tens of thousands
that given to Penrose. It is a time to prove
by ballots what a dead weight about the
neck of the party Penrose is; it is the ripe
period to show the Invincibility of Penn
sylvania's Republicanism when honestly led
and not betrayed.
-
Nothing But Leaves
THIRTY years of sterility is the way A.
Mitchell Palmer characterizes the public
life of Penrose. Of course every one will ad
mit that Penrose has done a vast amount of
log-rolling for tho special Interests and has
spent considerable time tinkering the tariff
to make It favor the industries of some of
his constituents. Also he tried hard to dig
graves for our gallant boys Jn Mexico.
What else? When has he stood as the de
fender of the weak, the champion of the op
pressed, the leader of the aspiring? What
great principle has he ever incorporated
into legislation? If from the early days of
Plymouth and Jamestown America had pro
duced none but the Penrose brand of office
holders, how much liberty and honor could
tho United Statea exhibit to the world?
Would America be In tha von of civilization
as she is today?
French Press Bureau's Goat
THESE are sad days for the official French
press bureau. Human ingenuity simply
must give out before tha staggering Job of
putting any novelty Into reports of Europe's
mammoth teetering match. Even the diver
sion of announcing the number of German
prisoners as " plus , including
German civilians Interned, making the mini
mum " l" a moro stopgap.
So the oensor has to fall bade on the goat.
The Indian army In France Is on the point
of starvation. The cow Is sacred to the
Hindu. The Mohammedan will not eat pork.
And the Kaiser's goat is still safe in Berlin.
What a pity the presB bureau hadn't heard
of Conshohocken and the plague of horned
beasts that the police had to round up and
auction off; then "Made In Philadelphia"
might have Invaded even the war field.
What Mr. Penrose says of "Bill" Fllnn Is
certainly true of Mr. Penrose.
The newest developments In the war will
probably make a good excuse for boosting
the price of Thanksgiving dinners.
In the case of the "Steel Trust," all Is
over but the shouting, and that will take
place no matter which side wins.
All Mars needs now Is a Httla cranberry
sauca to make his Thanksgiving repast
complete.
Oblivious to the larger aspects of civilized
life In Europe, Haiti keeps to tha even tenor
of her revolutionary was.
Mr. Penrose was so convinced that Roose
velt's denunciation and exposure of him had
accomplished nothing that he devoted prac
tically hi; entire speeoh to an effort to coun
teract the effects.
While food prices go up "on account of
the cold snap," said snap seems to be going
steadily up, too, so far as tha thermometer
Is concerned Today It threatens to land
Philadelphia In balmy wtitnir
THE HANDS OF ESAU
Remarkable Case of Philip IL Johnson, Architect, Whose Fees Amount to
Thrcc-Quartcrs of a Million Astounding Contract Under Which
He Operates Two Extremes in Public Officials.
'Tic voice is Jacob's voice, but
FOREWORD
'7n Faith and Hope the world will disagree,
Hut all mankind's concern is Chanty;
All must be false that thwart this one great end;
And all of God, that bless mankind or mend,"
I Alexander Pope,
Better government in Philadelphia is being slowly strangled, The Blankcnburg
administration of a few city offices expresses better government just as completely as an
anti-Tiimnuiny Administration docs in New York. The cold fingers of "The Organha
tion," Philadelphia's Tammany, twisting dexterously through a pliable majority in
Councils and officials under control, are pressing hard on its windpipe. Unless pried
off by the people themselves strangulation of better government must ensue. In the
modest palaces behind the myriad two-story red-brick fronts of working Philadelphia
dwetl the real beneficiaries of better government. Their support alone means better
government. The worst that can be said af people who toil is that they arc sometimes
too tired to study a public subject SOME TIMES, NOT ALWAYS.
NO. Xtt-HEALTH AND CHARITIES
THERE Is a fable of n fisherman who took
his bagpipes to the bank of n river and
pla cd upon them In the hope of making tin'
fish rise; but not one put Its nose out of
the water. Then the fisherman cast a magic
net Into tho river, nnd soon drew It forth
filled with fish. Ho now took up his bag
pipes nnd played again, and as ho played
the fish leaped up In the net.
"Ah, you dance now when I play," said
the fisherman.
"Yes," replied a veteran fish. "When you
are In another's power you must do ns ho
bids "
In Hie fisherman wc have lllustiated tho
commanding position of Philip II. Johnson,
brother-in-law of the late Isincl W. Dur
ham, nnd political architect In perpetuity
for the city of Philadelphia. His magic net
represents the nstounding contract under
which he operates; Its meshes woven for him
in Councils duilng the administration of the
late Mayor Ashbrldge on "orders" from "The
Organization " And the fish that must now
dance to the music of his pipes are we tax
payers, wo ate thev
President Judge Mayer Sulzberger, of the
Court of Common Pleas No. 2, lias held that
we must continue to dnnco Indefinitely. He
decided:
"The contract of March 30, 1903. with Philip
II. Johnson was, therefore, a valid, subsist
ing contract, and the City Solicitor was right
in refusing to diaw and approve a contract
with another architect in 1S13 for a part of
the same work."
Under the contract of 1303 Johnson secured
nbso!utr monopoly of the architectural work
of the Department of Health and Charities,
He gets 5"T. on tho cost of tho buildings and
fixtures This contract alone. If It Is allowed
to stand, will directly net him over half a
million dollars, for all the work Is "sealed"
for him. His commission on State work
amounted to no less than a quarter of a
million. Tho new Philadelphia General Hob
pltnl Is estimated to cost $fi,000,000, of which
Johnson's sllco will be at least $300,000.
An architect qualified to plan a great hos
pital, therefore, ought to have tho gift of
imagination as well as technical skill. Ho
should bo intimately acquainted with tho
principles of timbering in Its rolatlon to
excavation and shoring; ho should havo
scientific knowledge of tho various soils; ho
should know chemistry so as to understand
the effect of gases and acids on tho materials
used in a building, nnd finally, he should be
an expert on plumbing, heating, ventilation,
electric and gas lighting, water supply,
drainage, glazing and decoration.
Yet no architect possessing all of these
qualities can plan for the municipal charities
of Philadelphia. All men having exceptional
accomplishments are entirely barred, fore
closed and shut out from exercising such
ability In this city.
Why? Because "Phil" Johnson, an ex
rodman In tho Bureau of Surveys (who Di
rector Morris L. Cooke, of tho Department
of Public Works, is reliably informed was
dropped for incompetency some 15 years ago),
has a strangle-hold on Philadelphia, Ho
alone can plan for us.
Here we must explain tho remarkable rlso
of this e-c-rodman. Johnson Is ono of thoso
men whom tho tide of political events sends
to the surface for a few years, and then en
gulfs on some stormy night of public awaken
ing. He la still riding high on tho waves of
Influence. After Johnson left the Bureau of
Surveys he became an Inspector on tho fa
mouB uninspected Stato Capitol at Harris
burg. Exit "Phil," tha ex-rodman; enter
"Philip H. Johneon, architect."
Word soon come down from Harrlsburg
that the State was going to erect some big
Institutions, and the architect was a clover
young Phlladelphlan a genius discovered by
"Izzy" Durhnm. "The Boys" along Broad
gtreetWest side, between Chestnut street and
Penn Square, in thpso days almost burst
out laughing when they spoko of the great
find. Even "Tim" O'Lcary, then a head
quarters detective, had to keep uproariously
mum, for Select Councilman Charles Seger
was around holding down the lid. That was
the time when Soger's nod was the last word
from tho "Invisible government."
Nobody knows exactly whera "Phil" John
son, the small place-holder, left off and whera
Philip H. Johnson, the big humanitarian
architect, began, but the time lb fixed at
around 1901. He had entered tho family of
Boss Durham. We began to hear of largo
appropriations for Institutions planned by
Johnson and located at Rltteravllle and
Spring City. One does not get much details
out of the dally legislative columns that are
supervised by the contractor overlords. But
looking Into the legislative Hand Book we
now learn:
That the Homeopathic Hospital for the In
sane at Rlttersvllle in buildings alone has
cost $1,873,270 so far; took over 10 years to
build, and while supposed to house 6000 In
mates, ends up with a capacity of less than
1000.
That tho Eastern Pennsylvania State In
stltutlon for the Feeble-Mlnded and Epllep
tic at Sprlnsr City In buildings alone has cost
$1,823,590 so far; was intended for tho recep
tlon of both sexes, hut as yet, after 10 years,
no buildings have been erected for the female
was during the Ashbridge administration
that Councils authorized the Mayor by or
dinance to employ an architect for all health
and chanties buildings that It was deemed
probable the city might need In tha future.
Councils knew whom the Mayor was going
to hire, so did the Mayor. For the word
had been paswd over from the Beta Build
ing to sit Brother-in-law Johnson In this
golden saddle and to fce that his stirrups
held.
The contract follows:
Whereas, in and r-y an Oidinance of Select
and I'wimnin I't.jn 1 - of Philadelphia, ap
piord it" Twfiti ''n-t day of March, A
It. 1993, tntltlt'l Au Ordinance Author
the hands arc the hantls ofhsatt."
(
izing tho President of the Department of
Charities and Correction nnd the Director
of Public Safety to employ an architect to
draw plans and supervise tho erection
and construction of the buildings for the
'Hospital for tho Indigent,' 'Tho Phila
delphia Hospital for the Insane,' 'Tho
Philadelphia General Hospltnl for surgical
nnd other enscs,' 'The Municipal Hospltnl
for Contnglous Diseases,' and to authorize
the Mayor to enter Into n contract on behalf
of the City of Philadelphia with said ar
chitect to draw tho plans and tt,-upor-vlse
the construction of said buildings, It
Is ordained as follows;
"Section 1. Tho Select and Common Councils
of the city of Philadelphia do ordain that
the President of the Department of Chari
ties and Correction and the Director of
Public Safety are hereby authorized to em
ploy an architect to draw the plans for
and supervlso the erection and construc
tion of the buildings to bo erected and
constructed on land owned by tho city of
Philadelphia for the use of tho 'Hospital
for the Indigent,' 'The Philadelphia Hos
pital for the Insane,' 'The Philadelphia
General Hospital for surgical nnd other
cases' and 'The Municipal Hospital for
Contagious Diseases.'
"Section 2. The Mayor Is hereby authorized
and empowered to enter Into a contract or
agreement on behalf of tho city of Phila
delphia with a competent architect, cm
ployed and selected under the first sec
tion of this ordinance, to draw plans for
nnd supervise the erection and construc
tion of the buildings to bo erected and con
structed on lond owned by the city of Phil
adelphia for tho use of tho 'Hospital for
the Indigent,' 'The Philadelphia Hospital
for the Insane' and 'The Philadelphia Gen
eral Hospital for surgical and other cases'
and 'Municipal Hospital for Contagious
Diseases' until the said buildings aro com
pleted and ready for occupancy upon such
terms nnd conditions as to commissions as
Is usual In such cases."
And whereas, tho President of the Depart
ment of Charities and Correction and tho
Director of Public Safety have, under and
by lrtue of the authority contained In the
llrst section of said ordinance selected and
employed Philip H. Johnson as the archi
tect to draw the plans for and supervise
tho erection and construction of the build
ings to bo erected and constructed on land
owned by the city of Philadelphia for tho
use of the "Hospital for tho Indigent,"
"The Philadelphia Hospital for tho In
sane," "The Philadelphia General Hospital
for surgical and other cases" and "Mu
nicipal Hospital for Contagious Diseases."
Now, therefore, this agreement made and
concluded this 31st day of March, A. D.
1903, between the city of Philadelphia,
party of tho first part, by virtue of the or
dlnanco hereinabove set forth, and Philip
H. Johnson, architect, party of tho second
part, wltnesseth:
That tho said party of the first part doth
hereby covenant and agree with tho party
of tho second part to employ him as archi
tect of tho said new hospital buildings and
such other buildings to bo erected in the
future as may bo necessary for oxecutlvo
and departmental purposes thereof, and to
pay him tho compensation therefor as
hereinafter sot forth.
Tho said party of tho second part, for the
consideration hereinafter mentioned, to
perform all the customary duties of an ar
chitect required In tho construction of tho
ahove mentioned buildings for tho city of
Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,
namely, tho providing of all tho prelim
inary sketches, all necessary drawings,
specifications and papers required for
proper and satisfactory work upon the
above mentioned buildings. Also all neces
sary duplicates and copies of said specifi
cations and papers required by contractors
and employes upon said buildings In the
execution of their work.
The said party of the second part further
more agrees to supervlso the construction
of the said buildings during their erection
and until their completion, ready for occu
pancy; he or his representatives shall in
spect the work upon the said hulldlngs to
ascertain whether the contractor or those
engaged ahout the buildings aro properly
performing their duties, and that the work
is being executed In strict conformity with
the drawings and specifications, and to
enable him to decide when tho successive
Instalments or payments provided for In
tho contracts and agreements are due and
payable.
In consideration of the premises and tha
foregoing, the party of the first part cove
nants and agrees to pay the said party of
tho second part tho sum of five percentum
of the total cost of the said buildings when
completed; Including all the fixtures neces
sary to render them fit for occupation. Tho
amount to be paid in Instalments as fol
lows: One per cent. the estimated cost
of tho work involved by preliminary draw
ings when such drawings have been ap
proved by said party of tha first part
Two per cent, on the amount of each con
tract and agreement when consummated.
The balance, two per cent., to be paid at
tho time of completion of the contract and
the said hulldlngs ure ready for occupancy.
All necessary surveys, measurements, nec
essary labor and material, for inspection of
all soil, tho inspection and testing of ma
terials and such other investigations as
they deem advisable will be nmvirtort t v,
expense of the said party of tho first part
In Witness Whereof the corporato seal of
the said party of the first part, attested by
the Mayor of the said city, hath been hereto
ailixed, and the said party of tha second
part has hereunto set his hand and seal the
day and year first ubovo written.
Sealed and delivered in the presence of
A. R. II. .MORROW.
GEORGE A. WELSH,
(Signed) SAMUEL, H. ASHBRIDGE,
Mayor of Phlladelph a.
(Seal) PHILIP H. JOHNSON.
Approved us to form.
JOHN L KINSEY,
City Solicitor.
Here Is the way the remarkable municipal
contract has worked out for Johnson;
ALREADY EXPENDED.
Home for the Indigent Males at
Holmesburg , $635,000
Home for the Feeble Minded at By
berry 410,000
Hospital for Contagious Diseases at
2d and Luzerne streets 2,000,000
$3,015,000
TQ BE EXPENDED.
Extras allowed by Councils' Finance
Committee since Judge Sulzberger
upheld the Johnson contract $277,000
Home for the Indigent Females at
Brown Farm, Torresdalo 650,000
Philadelphia General Hospital at
Blockley , 6,000,000
$8,827,000
Somehow the Johnson Jobs Invariably need
a lot of patching after the buildings are up.
He built a bath-house for the Department of
Recreation that was without proper water
connection. In fact, the $277,000 Councils has
suddenly found for Director nichard H.
Harte, of the Department of Health and
Charities, Is all for patchwork, odds nnd
ends that should havo been provided for In
tho original contracts.
The Home for Indigent Males nt Holmes
burg gels $100,000 of It to supply a perma
nent power plant, for tho Institution has been
running with a temporary plant, tho boilers
used being borrowed from tho Bureau of
Water. The Hospital for Contnglous Dis
eases takes $12,000 of It for steam lines, and
tho Home for the Feeble Minded nt Bybcrry
gets tho remaining $16S,000; $120,000 for a
pbwer plant with steam and electric ducts,
and $45,000 for a sewage disposal plant, and
the necessary mains to Insure drainage.
Director Hnrte, who Is a close friend of
his predecessor, Director Noff, has apparent
ly been given tho Impression that tho slx
cyllndered Councllmanlc rush of the $277,000
to tho Department of Health and Charities
was a personal compliment to him. Coun
cilman Seger, Johnson's closest friend, says
so. But It was not until nfter the validity of
the Johnson contract had been established
that the money was provided by Councils.
And ono must not overlook the fact that
Johnson will get about $16,000 commission on
the $277,000.
It will be noted that the Johnson contract
Includes "The Philadelphia Hospital for tho.
Insane." At the Instigation of tho city au
thorities a bill wns Introduced in tho Legisla
ture providing for tho establishment of an
additional hospital for tho Insane near Phila
delphia. It was "killed" In legislative com
mittee. Tho principle of State care of tho
Insane -wns Insisted upon. Of course, If tho
State does not respond tho city will havo to
build and lo! hero Is another contract for
Johnson.
Roughly grouping tho loose ends of the
various contracts, Johnson has had nearly
$4,000,000 worth of work to supervise for tho
State, nnd is well along In tho planning and
bossing of nearly $10,000,000 worth for tho
city. This makes the three-quarters of n
million direct returns for Johnson, figuring
It out at 5 for most of It, and 6 for some
of It.
Pretty good for an ex-rodman! Hlo 100
foot schooner yncht Margaret Is considered
one of" tho smartest crafts flying tho colors
of the Now York Yacht Club. Councllmen
call him "Phll." Ho was recently out In Cin
cinnati looking over a hospltnl there. He hns
the savolr-falro of tho trained hospital, ex
pert, and he can tnlk plans oh, how ho can
talk plans.
The system of subsidizing charitable In
stitutions had been so long In force in Penn
sylvania that opportunity for exploiting the
erection of public Institutions was rlpo about
the time Johnson appeared upon the horizon.
Nearly $3,000,000 of Stato funds Is divided
annually among 160 private hospitals, of
which about 0 nro located In Philadelphia.
This Is only politics business politics, and
a sidelight showing how really good people
can be manipulated. Pennsylvania spends
annually $5,600,000 maintaining 25 State char
itable Institutions and nearly another million
assisting eight semi-State Institutions. Tho
cutting of an extra $3,000,000 hospital subsidy
melon annually docs seem a hardship, espe
cially when both State and city havo to be
provided with public Institutions anyhow.
In the Department of Health and Charities
Is a man whose treatment by Councils, fol
lowing his efforts to servo tho public good,
offers a marked contrast to the Councllmanlo
attitude toward Johnson, tha political archi
tect. Assistant Director Alexander M. Wil
son's first-"mlstako" was to halt the exploit
ing by food-stuff contractors of the aged,
infirm and the sick housed In the Blockley
Almshouse. Tho grafting was systematic,
nnd had been going on for years.
The successful bidders named prices so low
that no competitor who might have lived up
to tho terms of tho specifications could afford
to bid. Men on the Inside failed to Inspect.
They passed 'the food-stuffs, Shoulders were
delivered for hams, and instead of "prime
steers dressing not less than 600 pounds," tho
Inside men were accepting tough, thin, old
cows, with tho exception of enough good beef
for tho officers' table where a complaint
would have been audible. Mr. Wilson stopped
all this, and among the heads that fell In the
basket were some faithful ward servitors of
Jim McNIchol and tho Vares.
Assistant Director Wilson's second "over
sight" was to discharge Dr. Charles A. Groff,
assistant chief medical Inspector at $2400 a
year, for absence without leave. Doctor
Groff at the time was holidaying In Florida
with Senator McNIchol. Mr. Wilson's third
"blunder" was the dropping of Messrs. Mc
Cruddon, Reed and Buchholz, three old di
vision heads, when he organized a new hous
ing division as required by law, of which we
have read.
Whereupon Councils began Its famous as
sault upon all the assistant directors of the
Blankcnburg administration, Andrew S.
Murphy wns forced out of the Department of
Public Safety by Councils abolishing the po
sition of Assistant Dlroctor. Mr. Murphy,
however, Is the present efficient Assistant Di
rector under Philadelphia's able head of tha
Department of Supplies, Herman Loeb. As
for Wilson, Councils deliberately attached to
his position certain restrictions as to qualifi
cations and as to residence aimed specifically
to make the position impossible for him to
hold.
The appropriation for salary of the Assls.
tant Director, Department of Health and
Charities for 1913, and all years previously
had read: "Assistant Director, $1000." Rut
this year when reported by the Finance Com
mittee of Councils it was found to read: "As
sistant Director and Superintendent of By
berry Farms, who shall be a graduate of
medicine, $4000."
Mr. Wilson Is not a physician. He Is a high
type of social worker. When word was
brought to him of the Councllmanlo pistol
pointed at his official heart, he Jestingly re
marked that he was studying medicine, and
would be able to qualify for the Job even with
the restrictions added. Now notice the change
In the wording of the restrictions as amended
on the floor of Councils tha day the annual
appropriation was passed: "Assistant Direc
tor and Superintendent of Byberry Farms,
who shall be a graduate In medicine, licensed
by the State Medical Board, and practitioner
for five years. $1000."
For once Councils failed. Select Council
man Eduard Buchholz, bitter over the drop
ping of his son as a charities division head,
and Common Councilman John P. Connelly,
angered over the dropping of McCrudden, a
family connection, as a charities division
head, were forced to retreat. It turned out
that the position of Assistant Director In the
Department of Health and Charities was a
statutory one, and could not be conditioned.
Mr. Wilson Is still In office, although the cam
paign agalnut him Is still on. He Is punished
for daring to Introduce fitnets Into the public
service. They present the extremes In the
study of government, do Wilson and Johnson
We cannot help but wonder which type will
eventually win?
SCRAPPLE
1
Life in the Suburbs
Work, nlffht hours.
Meals, ono hour.
Furnace fighting, five hours.
mceping, nvo 11 ours. 1
Riding to nnd from work In trolleys, AtV
After that you have nothlns to do but '
".' " v umou duuiu men learn
sleep In tho trolley cars, and thus are ,
abled to stay up all night and study" n"
Swinburne on the Present CrU
I am weary of war and tho walling thu"
slumber; ""u 'uunw
And of papers that print tho prodleiom
pictures of prisoners pale In lncrtdiw.
number. "
The howl of the howitzer, hurtling and hegii
strong, disturbs me at langttoroni
noonBhlne, roM
And I long for the laay and lingering m
monts I measured In metrical musiui
moonshine. "usicu
The Old Way
..-., w.., ... .., .UE. i.uiiuviitu Kindly. 1
"when you mako promises of drastlo reform J
... w..l,a B1.CBU1 always Hiur you,.
words and speak rapidly, or some of thi -voters
will hear and remember." i
Insiuo Stuff
Made In Philadelphia The Evemum 5
LEDOBn. j
Pweclous Polret i
Paul Polret, the fashionable couturier el I
Paris, haB beem advanced from tho ranks ta
tho grado of sergeant, not for valor but for
designing a now military coat War di..
patch.
Exquisite Paul Polret,
What are tho modes today?
Isn't Invisible gray 1
Exquisite, Paul Polret? ,
Hark to tho howitzers' lay
Keeping tho Gormans away: ,
"Exquisite Paul Polret,
What aro the modes today?"
M. Polret, according to Mr. William
Archer, added half a-foot to woman's Btatut
by his gowns. Can ho add half an Inch to
Frenchmen's vnlor? Or subtract half a mlli
rrom German artillery shot?
Solid Foundation for a Superstructure
Many a concreto argument has been pat
forth by a bonehcad.
Triple Entente, Triple Alliance and Triple PIjt
Tho famous combination of "Tinker ta
Evcrs to Chance" has nothing on tho re.
ported battlo lino of the Allies, which, as thi
paper rotates to press, Is scheduled as "NIeu
port to Dlxmudo to Ypres."
And then thorn is the nossibln "rtorlln (
Paris to Berlin." I
Whllo Great Britain, according to th
Kaiser, was guilty of a doublo play all by
Itself.
A Child's Garden of Curses
Firit Sfritt
(Robert Louis Steveneon lielng Indifferent.)
Tho world Is too full of a number of kings;
Wo could well do without them, tho naughty
things.
Wiles of Wnr
After a session of the Woman's Own
Board of Strategy tho ordnance export gava
It out that sho couldn't understand why Ger
many should bo constructing 20-lnch gunj.
Why, there Is an American cannon at Sandy
Hook on which 31 mon can stand, and what
chanco has a 20-Inch pea-shooter against
that?
"And we consider that the whole progress
of tho war has boon an error," sho said for
publication. "Why did tho Germans hae to
attack tho Bolgiau forts? Thoy could easily
enough have gone around them. Just pride,
that's what It Is."
As tho Old-Timers Sec It
Individual drinking glasses will bo used to
quench the thirst of Harvard gridiron heroes
in the future instead of the old tin bucket.
News item.
For they used tho old bucket for swabbing
the players.
And feared that a weo little bit of a germ
Might cling to the mud that they washed off
In layers
And Into tho big, husky warriors squirm.
Alas, whnt a pass he has como to, the horo
Who gently disports In the gridiron game,
The might that he boasted of yore Is at zero
When even a germ his condition may malm.
1
Of Course
"He has chosen a real calling."
"So?"
"Yes, he's a train crier."
And Humorists
"Przemysl still holds out" any news
paper. Opportunities to the war correspondents?
Good Fellow
Germantown Lads Have Banquet to At
tract Tonight. Headline.
And Tonight, being a susceptible fellow,
was attracted and all voted that a pleasant
time was had.
Outside Stuff
Treltschke, now a name to conjure with,
is not Teutonic, neither probably is Nletscne.
New York Herald.
Neither possibly Is Nietzsche.
Woes of Winter
He Is In woeful plight Indeed.
Who has to pawn his overcoat
Because of pressing, dire need
Of cash to meet an aged note.
But words his woe may not denote
Who must go forth in wintry storm
And sell the ticket for his coat
For coal to keep his dwelling warm.
And how ho feels wa may not say
For sobs that clutter up our throat.
Who may not warm his house nor pay
Because he has no overcoat,
ITalf Brothers
Compared with the battle of the Alsne it 1
undoubtedly of small moment, but Messrs.
F. P. A., B. L. T., Don Marquis et al. may
be happy to know that Half Brothers
dry goods (not 'arfn'arf) In Tarentum, Pi-
FROM THE CUn'S NOTEBOOK
John M. Dickinson, tha special assistant
to tho Attorney, who Is conducting the Gov
ernmout's case against tha Steel Trust here,
In tho course of his argument made soma re
mark about six hundred million aollar,s;,,.
"No, no," said John G. Johnson, one of tM
attorneys present, "You are wrong. It
only four hundred and ninety millions 01
dollars." .j
Yawning, one of the reporters covering
the case reached into his vest pocket an"
drew out his total wealth It cents.
THE BABBLING FOOL
Shooting is good In Europe. Human game
Ib plentiful. If a hunter misses a man, w
may at least bring down a horse, a cathearw
rTheb sword Is mightier than the pen .Blood
counts for more than ink. This is the , day
of the pistol. If anybody makes you Jealous
or angry, shoot him. That Is what plstott
are made for. , ,i
The love of money may be the root 01
evil, but the root Is tho smallest end or w
There has been too much love In '" '
has caused more trouble than any other ww
thing. The world has been suffering from
this passion. Now that hatred reigns, busi
ness will be better and men and women
haTheemore egotism the better. The otit
never commits suicide. .,.. of
Good thoughts are as pleasing as drops
honey, but a real, rampant, loose, bad tnoug"
stirs the heart like a fire alarm. ,
The best books, paintings and deeds cow
from the worst thoughts.