Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-04
LOAN BILL, RATIFIED,
WILL HASTEN WORK
FOR RAPID TRANSIT
Majority for Measure Which
Will Give City Many I'm
provements Is l37,l76,
Only 1858 Vote S
Against 1t.

The loan bill was ratihed by a ma
1ority OF 1S7,t7s Every section Of Phila-
deiphia turned In a substantial vote for
II. Those opposed numbered only 1899
The total vote In favor Of the loan was
lts.see
The ratification releases t11, 800 900 after
january L This means that improve
ments Of vital Importance can proceed
without delay. These include sewer re-
location work that will hasten opera
tionR ON the rapid transit program
which will relieve congestion and cut
down. by half hours, the length Of time
IL takes to reach the city from outlying
communities.
Besides the transit improvements there
Will be money for the removal Of grade
crossings In South Philadelphia. the re-
building OF the general hospital at
Blockley. the necessary extension of the
water supply system. the erection Of the
Municipal Art Gallery. the construction
4 OF shipping piers, the strengthening of
the city's fire and police protection, the
paving OF streets. the building of sewers
and many other objects of equal inn
portance.
There was no concerted opposition to
the loan bill Independents realized that
the city could not operate without the
money and that new plans. including a
vast improvement of the transit system.
q subject which vitality concerned them
all, must be delayed indefinitely unless
they voted to release the money.
An Organization vote against the loan
bill would have defeated 1t. There was
some fear that orders to cut the loan
might be issued, as It was vigorously
opposed in Councils and just escaped be-
ing held over until the election next No
vember. Mayor Blan<enburg's decisive
call for action, and the threat that he
would call a special meeting of Councils
to demand that the authorization OF the
loan, had a satisfactory outcome, and
the bill was passed on September H.
WARE VOTE A UNIT FOR LOAN.
Fears of opposition at the polls when
the voters were required to set their
mark of approval ON the loan were un-
founded, and the Organization vote was
put soldly behind it,
The Ware vote was practically a unit
IN favor OF the loan. and in the northeast
Peter E, Costello. candidate for Congress,
carried with him heavy vote for the
loan. Support by the Ware wards and the
northeastern section of the city is put
4 down not so much to public spirit as to
the fact that both sections will benefit
largely through the passage OF the loan.
In South Philadelphia the grade cross
ings will be removed. and the Northeast
Boulevard Is only one OF the improve
ments to be carried out in Kensington.
Throughout the city those vino voted on
otders marked their ballots for the loan.
In the Ware wards leaders even went so
far as to give explicit instructions so
that It would not be overlooked. Men
used to marking a single X on their bal
lots were likely to grow confused, lead
ers explained. That their care was re-
warded is shown by the size of the vote
for the bill.
SAMPLE BALLOTS DISTRIBUTED.
In the Ware wards voters who would
accept them. and there were many, were
given a part OF the sample ballot printed
on stir cardboard. This showed an X
opposite the straight Republican ticket
the Wares choice for Judge and frag,
ment OF the rest Of the ballot.
Through an oversight the samples were
printed without instructions as to the
loan vote. In the Ware wards the party
workers had marked Loan X' In blue
pencil at the bottom OF the sample ballot
The opposition was not confined to any
particular locality, Flagging interest In
the loan and it's incOnspiouous position
on the ballot are given as the causes fol
the comparatively light total vote on II
The loan bill, a non-partisan measure
a polled fewer votes than any OF the Re
4 publican State candidates.