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BILL (H. R. No. 718) has been in into the legislature, the purpose is thoroughly to revise Philadelphia's tion laws. Because of the fact that removes the present registration comm from office, it has been attacked as a measure. It will, however, be unfor this prevents its enactment, for the bill some far-reaching and much needed re our city's registration laws.

An Extension of Grace

Perhaps the most important of the p of the bill and the only one that space mit us to discuss here is that contained tion 9. This section provides that the registration commissioners shall sit dail Hall after the regular registration days to and including the second Saturday the November election for the purpose sonally registering citizens, "who on ac illness, absence from the city, business sonal reasons did not find it convenien pear at their polling places" and registe regular registration days.

The practical effect of this section is the citizen, who for any reason has register on the regular days, another c get his name on the voters' list. This is in the law that is very much worth wh

Catching the Crest of the Wave

At present, unless a citizen is ill or absent from the city on all three registration days, he must register on one of those days and cannot register later, and the registration days come so far ahead of the election-always more than a month and in municipal election years nearly two months that popular interest in the election seldom arises until registration is over.

It happens that many thousands of good citizens, engrossed in their daily duties, do not realize that election time is coming on until weeks after the registration days are past, and then when they do become interested they find their suffrage rights foreclosed-they are not registered.

Making Duty Easier

The way to help this situation is not merely to chide our fellow citizens for failing to do their duty, but to make the doing of it easier and more convenient. This the new registration bill will do.

The Short Ballot Bulletin for February says of Philadelphia:

"A volunteer charter revision committee of leading citizens is planning some charter changes. Philadelphia still has a two-house municipal legislature there are only a dozen other such

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fumble-foot devices left in America and they are small places in New England. . Phila

delphia also has that quaint device, ineligibility for re-election, which any Pennsylvanian will solemnly tell you, gives independence of spirit to officeholders.

"But the new plan is all good as far as it goes.

"It proposes a single small council of large powers, and a budget system. Plank 8 of the platform reads: 'Fewer elective officers, eliminating those whose duties are chiefly administrative or clerical.'

"Constitutional barriers prevent any sweeping Short Ballot changes in the county and judicial offices, but the City Solicitor and Receiver of Taxes are slated for abolition as elective offices. The city government would then consist of a Mayor, Controller, Treasurer and a new small council elected singly from the eight senatorial districts a score of officers in place of 200 in the whole municipality for the citizens and the press to keep tabs upon.

"The strength of the reform movement rests largely on the fact that Penrose has graciously deigned to smile upon it. Its weakness is the fact that the Vares frown upon it. Philadelphia awaits the results of the conflict of its autocrats. .

The Forty-sixth conference of social work will be held in Atlantic City, June 1-8. An interesting and important program is planned.

Five years ago the local demand for standardization of public employments was like a voice crying in the wilderness; today we hear many voices from many quarters-but now let us have some action.

Which Way the Wind is Blowing

Again we hear talk of standardizing salaries and grades in the public service. In Washington, D. C., a special commission has been appointed to investigate the salaries of federal government employes and to recommend a plan of standardization. In Harrisburg a bill has been introduced creating a state salary board "to fix, grade and equalize the salaries and compensation of employes of the executive branch of the state government." It is reported, also, that our state legislature will be asked to provide a salary-fixing board for Philadelphia.

Equal Pay for Equal Work

Regrettable as it is that the present city administration should have neglected its opportunity to inaugurate a standardization program in Philadelphia, it is not at all strange that the subject should be revived at this time. Our public payrolls are so full of inequalities and so much in need of overhauling that action of some sort is imperative. The obvious need is for a standardization of work and pay so that employes doing equal work will receive equal pay.

The New Charter and Standardization

In this connection it should be remembered that the new charter bill now before the legislature provides specifically for standardization of salaries and grades throughout the city and county services. The administrative body charged with this duty is the civil service commission. It is not authorized to fix new rates of compensation, but as the employment agency of the city government it is required to classify and grade