Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-02
Nn. N11-rW0 CONrRACToRs

pie into the Capacious pockets of the two
contractors was always chaperoned by ex-
pert legal advice. Who has not WINGED at
the country wide opinion of the unerrng
keenness Of a philadelphia lawyer? once
under way, our contractor ovcrlords bought
their power on each succeeding election day
with the peoples money, paid to them on
contracts, and then with their candidates
landed In the offices they split the future
city's revenue between themselves as II 1t
were n Captain Kidd's treasure. For we'll
they knew William PENIS honest ears were
of iron and his great voice was forever ST.
lent, lost in the metal depths of the statue
atop City Hall.
In the two mayoralitv terms prior to the
advent Of the Blansenburg Administration in
1912, another $4O,OOO,OOO was paid out Of the
citys treasure chest in extortonate land
damages. Here Is where the contractor over
lords let their friends in high places, and
underngs In Councils clean up at the ex-
pense of the taxpayers. Enormous awards
Of damages in favor Of owners OF swampy
land were made along the Ware South Broad
Street Boulevard extending into League
Island Park; and equally scandalous dam
ages were made for land in the route of the
McNchol Northeast Boulevard.
Two instance will suffice in these costly
roadways to illustrate how the invisible hands
operate.
Among 332 different items in the specifca-
tions for the further improvement of League
Island Park find this joker: For addi-
tional excavation Cwithout classification or
filling, including all sheathing, snoring and
other appurtenanCes where ordered for the
sum of 62 cents per cubic yard" Innocent
enough to the lay mind. Well, that little
clause hid away i'm such gueless language
is said to have netted Edwin II. Ware 81, ,OOO,-
600 clear profit, and the end is not yet. We
said in previous article that he had a clever
lawyer.
1t worked follows: What layman would
have known that place to dump dirt in
South Philadelphia was the crying need of
private contractors? Many are willing to
pay for tho privilege as high as 3 cents
cubic yard or even more In that single word,
filling" Senator Ware cashed. lie claims
to have paid 10 cents a yard for dirt to COM
panies dredging the river, and for this same
dirt he charged the city 62 cents a cubic
yard. Proft-52 cents on each cubic yard.
He did not have to put a team out to cart
the dirt to the great hole in League Island
Park, for the dredging people delivered 1t
themselves
One cannot help wondering IL the whole
League Island Park improvement was not
n scheme devised for the explicit purpose of
handling dirt that came out of the river
upon a profitable brace-game basis.
Good engineering provides that roadway
should always follow a ridge; then the
amount of fill and excavation equalizes and
the cost Of the improvement is cheapened.
Some such idea must have been in the mind
of an under-engineer laying out the original
route OF the Northeast boulevard. But the
route was changed; it was DETECTED so as to
enter ravine from so feet to 90 feet deep,
and follow it for distance of over 1000 feet.
Did you know that the land upon either
side of the ravine and in the ravine was
owned by ]. p. AIcNichol?' was asked of a
witness in n recent inquiry that was sud
denly called off.
II only know that the plans showed he
was the owner" was the reply.
Enough It is clear to anybody that when
II came to filling the ravine Mr.. McNichol
was the only person who could bid on that
contract, and at the same time enhance the
value of his own property. The city simply
paid him to improve his own land by bring
ing it to grade with the Parkway. II the dirt
had been brought from afar the hauling
would have cost more than the contract
Senator McNichol held four aces; it was a
brace game. and the taxpayers had to lose.
The Northeast boulevard-three times the
width of Market street and seven and one
half miles long to Rhawn street, costing
$4OOOOOO-has the added advantage of being
a magnificent speedway out OF Logan Square
Before it reaches the ultimate terminus at
Torresdale 1t will have 10 cost another
$4,000 000-if the boys can get back into
office next fall.
IL is easy to see why there is a shortage
in the municipal treasury. Eighty million
of dollars shot into favored hands in ten
years naturally makes an ugly hole in the
cltys funds now needed for the conduct Of
better government.
In contrast to our way OF building high
ways let us consider the wonderful Kings
Way improvement in London, England-a
broad thoroughfare cut through one Of the
most thiclly settled parts OF the greatest
city in the world from Southampton Row TO
the Strand. II has cost S25, 900 900, but the
stupendous improvement has been so hon
estly administered and financed that the re-
sale Of the land adjoining, and rents there
from, viii return its entire cost 10 the tax
payers. London gets a great parkway; cost,
nothing. This is honesty in road building
plus intelligence.
When James P. McNiohol entered Select
Councils in 1888 the name OF his contracting
firm was ], P. AIcNichoI Brother. AS a
Councilman. McNichol led In shaping the
eity's policy for a great filtration plant At
that time his contracting hrm took the name
OF d. ]. AIeNichol his brother. who testified
In a memorable action as follows;
Q. What knowledge did you have Of the
agreement with John NJ Mack and Israel
W. Durham? A. 1 was told that Mrs. j. p
AIcNichol myself AIr Mack and Mr.. Durham
were 70 form a firm. The filtration work was
coming on and We had to have an agreement.