Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-26

nv the Vare- Nc McNichol-Penrose- e-contrclIed
Councils is back Of the bill to condemn
land for the Municipal Court at 2lst
md Raca streets. The bill was passed
Tuesday over the Mayors veto on the
surface the Municipal Court plan meant
the purchase OF small corner lot AT
a1st and Race streets.
But the real scheme IS the acquls!t'o"
of an entire city block and the construe-
tion of buildings which would cost EN''''''
Real estate agents say the speSulu"Ne
possibilities are enormous This explains
the frantic mastering OF a vote U'e
enough TO override the Mayors veto ol
the preliminary oill.
The scheme will cost Philadelphia
nearly s2Oco.ooo unless it IL blocked. Inc
price of the land needed VIII eNee'o
s1.OoO.OOO and the buildings VIII ru" '''
price up another SSo'Ve''
The opening wedge was tho bill to con-
ssmn land at 2lst and Race streets
now the property of the Masdaleh homo
1t seemed innocent enough, as inc cost
~ tbe property would not exceed $780,
900. For buildings on this site S4Uo'Vvv ol
Tho loan bill money had been appropri-
ated. Mayor BlankenburS ana many
others opposed even this expenditure d.
eXtravaEant.
HUGE SCOPE OF THE GRAB
To all appearances the Municipal court
plans were 10 be confined to the pur-
chase of the MaEdalen Home property
and the construction OF buildings cost
ing no more than S4oO,o0o.
But the Municipal Court Offices at |itE
Hall gave out an architects Skete" S"o"
ing the proposed buildings.
This was the key to the gran seCrsl,
1t showed that the MaEaaen Ltu'sg
property was less than a touFlh Oh ~
iand the court proposed 10 use. Ana tne
buildings to be put up could not be nuNt
for less than sSOO,oOO F., 49,,
The land to be condemned ior the
Municipal Court is not o'E ehouSn Iy,ii,.oG ~
accommodate even ono Of the proposed
buildings. Yet thus far there mas hot
been even a whisper that more !ah1
would be needed. ,,!.i,
only three boundaries OF the MLnlS'pt'
Court site were given IN the architects
~kefrb man The name Of the street on
tbe four,h side was nysterously miss
1ug. This was important because II Ie't
the size Of the GraO open 10 conjecture
Some who saw the map SAID tnat tNe
tract shown must De !h's"H,4 - 10 t-'
only To Winter street Others believed
A. went all the way TO Vine street thus
extending the grab more than 100 ieet
In any case the property on the map
extends 10 feet and possibly 80 Ieet
further north than the promoters ever
said IL would,
ORIGINAL MAP DEFACED.
But a close look at the map explained
x,bv the name Of the northern BOUNDARY
line failed To appear,
1t had been blocked out by sticking
a piece of paper over the name on tn
original sketch and photoSraphns 1t De-
fore sendins the picture TO newspaper
offices
Instead Of the missing name there was
a strip Of dead white three inches long.
which entirely concealed the name Of the
street
The Magdalsn Home site is relatively
SO small that only part Of the "Ad-
rninistration Building" would ft in ii.
The Courts Building" is al least 80
feet from the northeast esrner Of the
Magdalen property the Hospital
Group" is far oil TO the east, and more
than 100 feet west is shown the DE
tsntion Group.
odicers OF the A1lpcipa! Court grew
Teticent when asked 10 talk about the
map,
Fred c. Simon, executive clerk 10 the
,urt, was said to know the name Of
fe northern boundary. He refused
lint-blank 10 tell what il was He
.efused 10 say who drew the map.
'"The public is not Interested % Simon
declared. 1T Is not news. No one cares
about that The public knows very well