1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (see ), retaining its rank as third city in the United States, had in 1920 a pop. of 1,823,779, an increase of 274,681 or 17.7% over the 1,549,098 of 1910. The pop.

of 1920 comprised whites, 1,688,313; negroes, 134,098, and Chinese, Japanese and Indians, 1,368. The increase in the white pop. since 1910 was 224,942 or 15.4%, while the corresponding increase in the negro pop. was 49,639 or 58.8%. In 1920 males were 908,067, or 49.8%, and females 915,712, or 50.2%.

Government and Finance.—The Bullitt Act, under which the city government had functioned since 1887, gave way in 1920 to the Woodward Act, which became effective with the beginning of the term of Mayor J. Hampton Moore, in Jan. 1920. The new charter differs greatly from its predecessor. Under it a dual council is succeeded by a single body composed of one member for each 20,000 assessed voters in each state senatorial district, the membership in 1920 being twenty-one. The councilmen serve for four years, and receive a salary of $5,000. In the executive department, the department of supplies is superseded by a purchasing agent, and the department of health and public charities is separated into two with a director for each, the title &ldquo;Public Charities&rdquo; giving way to &ldquo;Public Welfare.&rdquo; Further provisions enable the city to do its own street cleaning and garbage and ash removal, and place the great majority of city employees under civil service rules. By this provision not only small office-holders but the police and fire departments are removed from the possibilities of political activity.


 * (Author:Albert E. McKinley)