Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-06-07
The Demand for Porohes.


: The Demand for Porohes.
At present there is a decided tendency
In this city towards the addition Of small
front porches to the many houses that
at the time Of their erection were not
provided with these useful appendages.
The houses front on the building line, but
the porches are constructed with width
OF four feet only, which brings them out
20 the level of the ordinary front steps,
and therefore they do not take up any
more room on the sidewalks than the
steps do. That they are a very consider
able addition to the buildings, in the way
Of providing summer comfort to the in
mates. is a manifest fact.
There is a reason for this activity in
small front porches The Street and
Sewer Department, several yeam ago,
enacted an ordinance iorbidding the
addition Of such porches when they exc
tended four feet beyond the building line
Parties who violated this restriction
were arraigned in Municipal Court, a few
weeks ago, but we're discharged upon the
contention Of their counsel that the right
TO construct iour-ioot porches was granted
by an ordinance Of the Borough Council
century or more ago, and that in repeal
ing this ordinance the Street and Sewer
Department failed to give a weeks notice
Of the repeating ordinance as required
by the city charter. This contention was
held 10 be sound by the court, and pend
ing the re-enactment Of a prohbitory
ordinance in a regular and legal manner,
people are rushing ahead and adding
porches TO their houses wherever they
find It possible TO do so.
The small porches thus added 10 houses
built upon the building line may not be
regarded as an architectural adomment,
but It cannot be denied that they prove
great convenience. To many people
front porch is a necessary appurienance
Of dwelling. Those who have once
tasted the couveniences and delights of a
front porch in summer time will not live
in a porchless house if they can avoid IT,
Throughout the heated season the front
porch is a JOY and a comfort beyond the
power Of words TO express. and il would
prove a sad deprivation to many people
to be prohibited from adding even the
insignificant iour-ioot appendages 10
their dwellings when the limitation of the
building line viii not permit of an addi-
tion Of larger proportions.
IL viii be well for the Street and Sewer
Department, therefore. TO seriously con-
slider, now that the subject is an open
one, whether the prohibition Of small
porches extending only four-feet beyond
the building line should be- made abso-
lutte. OF course, along business thorough
fares they would prove an obstruction
and should not be tolerated But is there
any reason why they should not be per.
mitted on residence streets where the
houses have been built on the line. and
porches are not available without a
small encroachmont upon the sidewalk
Il is argued in favor OF these porche.
that as they extend only as far as the lin,
OF the steps at the front doors. they an,
no more of a sidewalk obstruction thar
are the steps. Indeed. in the light of ar
obstruction they may be held as seconc
10 the steps. For the latter freouentl,
prove an obstacle that pedestrian
stumble over on a dark night, while tn,
porch, by extending along the entin
front Of the building, does not constitut,
such an abrupt and awkward extrusiol
upon the sidewalk
The rush to get these small porches il
shape before a prohibitory law can b
enacted is proof of their popularity
The people want them They are no
much Of a porch, it is true, but they an
far better than no porch at all. The
are not hideous, even if they are no
beautiful, and they are no more Of a side
walk obstruction than are the ordinar
front steps. Let serious consideratio
be given before it is decreed that tn
little front porch shall flourish no loneer
Business conditions throughout 100
are reviewed in the annual report Of IN
New York City Chamber of Commerc,
just issued. The country's exports Z
gold and silver are said 10 have exoeede
its imports by s60O0OO0O The repol
shows an increase Of So, ,2ll ,754 in IN
business at the port of New York Ia,
year over the previous year. last year
business being described as follows: In
ports Of merchandise, S7l3. 1888 AIS; in
ports Of the previous metals. S22 .S72. .97C
exports Of domestic and foreign me-
chandise, $3.50 .6sS. .703; exports and r,
exports Of the precious metals. S77
e220S4. Total foreign commerce
the port for 1905, 74,4l7,l22.