Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-23
NO. IX-COMMERCE.

/ | INTlb the Erie Canal was opened In 1873
~ Philadelphia was the master-city of
America in foreign commerce. Then New
York nosed n and we lost the China trade,
and gradually we shared our overseas su-
| premacy with Boston, San Francisco and New
Orleans. For the last three years Philadel-
! phia has had a man at the head of Its De-
! partment of Wharves, Docks and Ferries who
believes this grand old town can come back"
! on the water front
George w. Norris is philosopher in tenn
permanent and dynamo in energy. One
must have rare courage, indeed, to face day
in and day out the ignoble hectorng tactics
of city Councils and other public officials
controlled by men who have mired all their
civic honor in self-interest. In that Mr.. Nor
rs looks far beyond the immediate horizon;
he reflects the spirit of the entire Blanken-
burg Admnistration-the handful of con-
scientous men in City Hall who are trying
so earnestly under such difficulties to give
Philadelphia better government.
Leaving out the slaughter houses of Chi
Cago and the sweatshops of New York,
Philadelphia is concededly the greatest
manufacturing city the western hcmi-
sphere. That means we have the most goods
TO SCll-lOCOHOtlNeS, SnlpS, carpets ana rugs,
refined sugar and molasses, leather, hosiery
and knit goods furniture, saws, felt hats,
worstcds. clothing, dyed and finished tex
tiles silks, cordage and twne, soap, cigars
and cigarettes paints, etc.-a mighty list of
diversified products.
Today the entire world is buying from
America, and more than at any other
period is the golden hour to pick up the
threads of commerce and weave new place
for Philadelphia among the cities of the
world. Success is the plus of countless fresh
starts. and great prosperity in a community
is always the product of opportunity multi
piled by energy.
Other cities may well envy our special ad-
vantaGcs, natural we'll as artifCial-two
splendid waterways of about 50 miles of
frontage, capable of expanding to meet the
port requirements of one hundred times the
commerce now held down a 35-foot ship
channel soon to he completed; deep sea water
only 55 miles away; a hive of manufacturing
activity located on a fine stretch Of level
ground with no natural barriers; enjoys a
good climate, and close at hand westward are
the great coal and oil fields.
To these superior qualities must add
beautiful suburbs and rich farming country
around about; three great trunk line railroads
with two others within so miles that provide
an economic cutoff to and from the Mssis-
sippi Valley and Central West; over one and
three-puarter million industrious population
distributed in $50. 900 detached homes, As the
electric drive of a wonderful producing and
consuming territory Philadelphia outranks in
every way the major cities of the Atlantic
seaboard.
Having presented this truthful panorama
OF our internal industry, next saunter
down Market street to the stately Delaware
River-"the American Clyde'-to inspect the
meek Of the bottle" through which must flow
all our foreign commerce. Here we find the
tragedy of Philadelphia written in terms
plain enough to wrench even the sensbilities
of those citizens who are comfortably wrap
ned i'm the cotton wool of ClubdOm. A half
century Of the Hands of Esau" and 81 per
cent. of the cty's waterfront has passed into
the ownership of railroad companies and So
per cent, into that of individuals and estates
AS for the remaining per cent. it was not
worth grabbing by outsiders for it consisted
principally of narrow strips at street ends
which were practically valueless except to
the owners of adjoining piers.
In 1906 some progressive mer, not enthusi-
asts or "refOrmers" but plain business men,
nearly all good Republicans organized
movement to enable Philadelphia to improve
it's water front through the instrumentality
Of a new municipal Department of Wharves
They introduced bill in the Legislature
authorizing the creation Of such a depart
ment. and as a necessary part Of the bill
they incorporated provision giving the city
right To condemn private water front prop
erty for municipal Improvement.
II was perfectly plain that such a pro-
vision vas a necessity, because the city
roUId not ut its own expense imprOyr the
property of private citizens or corporations,
and without a power of condemnation it had
no way Of acquiring property, except at such
fancy valuations as owners might see ft To
put upon them scenting new jobs in such
a department. the organzation- controlled
Legislature put the bill through, bur with
the provision for condemnation 50 cmascu-
lated that it was practically worthless
The business men who had been behind the |
bill were sorey disappointed, but still had !
hopes that some good might be accomplished !
and urged upon the Mayor the appointment |
Of some strong and competent man as DTrec- |
tor Of the new department, The Mayor, how /
ever. was Of the old school of politics, and |
regarded appointments as personal or politi- /
cal appurtenanccs lie. therefore, selected |
as the first Director of the department per- |
sonaI friend, utterly untitled To The work |
both in temperament and i'm experience, and .
after the department had been "A joke for two /
or three years was finally obliged to call for
the Directors resignation.
one Of the first big jobs that Director Nor
ris undertook was TO get real power of con-
demnation from the last Legislature. The
bin went through the House without oppos-
tion. was favorably reported by "A Senate
committee and passed first and second read
bllf 4 fJr