The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-19

postponed, to the depreciation OF property
and the injury of the city. Mr.. d. Malone, on
behalf Of the Broad street merchants has writ
ten letter in which he states their side Of the
case in a manner that entities it to respectful
consideration. He says "that the merchants
have been continually seeking locations where
they could erect warehouses and conduct their
business in security and peace, but have been
unable to find them; that the articles in which
they deal are bulky, and require large space
for storage and economical handling, and that
lots must have railroad connections on streets
sufficiently wide to admit OF the curves of sufi.
cient radius to allow long eight.wheeled cars
to enter their premises with ease. After
Broad street, there remain but Washington
street and Pennsylvania avenue answering
these conditions; and the objections TO them
are apparently insurmountable." Indeed, as
Mr.. Malone puts the matter, the necessities
of the case will keep the railroads on Broad
street forever. This will certainly not be sub
mitted to, aud the merchants might as well
make up their minds to submit to the moon
veniences of removal now as at some future
day.
rate as it seems, however; and if the msr-
chants find that no further grace will be
given them, they will probably succeed in
obtaining other accommodations, aud find
means 10 overcome the Inconvenience in
cident to the change. bill has been
introduced in the Legislature, at the
instance of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Z,
Schuylkill River Passenger Railway Company
to convert their road wholly or in part into
freight railroad, to transport freight as well
as passengers, to change such portions of their
route as may be deemed ad visable, and TO
connect with any other road provided that
the road shall be in close proximity to the
Sohuylkill river, and shall not extend to any
point east of Twenty street, and pro-
vided the change shall be made under the
direction of the Chief Engineer ana Surveyor
of the city.
The Schuylkill River Railway has never
paid expenses as passenger road, and, under
all the circumstances, the change appears to be
judicious and advantageous to the business
interests of the city. Twenty third street
to Germantown, and along the actual city
front it is contiguous to the Schuylkill, thus
atfording every advantage for the shipment of
freight. Ii the bill passes the Legislature, as
1t doubtless will, the Broad street warehouses
might advantsgeously be removed to Twenty
third street, where they would be- free from
molestation, and the effect would be to build
mn hat chi
street. The advantages of the location are
many, and the property owners would doubt
less be willing to have the width of the pave
ments reduced, so as to increase that of the
street and ford room for the tracks. While
the tracks on Broad street depreciate the value
of property, Oh Twenty third street they
would enhance it, and the merchants would
obtain what they are seeking for, permanent
abiding place, from which there is no proba-
bility that they will ever be asked to remove.
Since the passage of the Twelfth and Six
teenth Streets Passenger Railway bill, Broad
street is the only avenue which has not been
given over to the railway corporations, and
the citizens of Philadelphia should make
desperate and determined effort not only to
clear 1t Of the tracks, but to keep it clear for
ever. The charters of the railway companies
require them to keep the streets in order, but
every citizen knows how the requirements are
complied with. The streets are disgrace to
q oity of the size, wealth, and intelligence ofPhi-
ladelphia, and as there seems to be no way of
compelling the corporations to do their duty, we
should at least insist on having an avenue open
upon which vehicles can travel without danger
of shatteripg their wheels, and which, as a
! drive and promenade, will do us some credit
and be a source of pleasure. In effecting any
! great public improvement somebody must be
Inconvenience, and the Broad street mer-
chants would doubtless prefer to avoid the
expense and trouble of removal If possible
The way now appears to be open for salts
factory solution of the difficulties that have
hitherto presented themselves, and we hope
that the bill now before the Legislature will
be passed, 30 that there will be no further ex-
cuso for delay in the removal Of the tracks on
Broad street.
Move in The Right Direction.