Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-16
COUNCILS NEGLECT
MAKES CITY REPAIR
SHOP VALUELESS
Failure to Equip $l25,O0O
Building Transforms 1t
Into Storage Place for
Damaged Fire Apparatus.

A water tower, hook and ladder
truck and other pieces of fire ap
peratus. enough to cxtinguish large
confiagration, lie damaged and idle in
the new si25OCO municipal repair shop;
at 18th and Reed streets because Coun-
ellis has failed TO provide money for ma
chimes necessary to repair the Fire
Bureaus equipment.
Mayor BlankcnburE cmphatically call
ed attention Of Councils Yesterday To the
futilitv of allowing the costly repair shop
TO remain unequpped at direct loss Of
the investment and further loss to the
community in unrepaircd apparatus that
lection of the city.
He made a direct appeal to Councils
for an appropriation of Sl26,O00 to pur-
chase new machine tools and other sup
plies TO make the shop the modern and
efficient repair centre it was designed to
be.
The message was not even read at
length to Councils by the clerk, and
with customary disregard of the Mayors
requests Councils sent it to committee to
BE- pigeonholed.
Director Porter, of the Department of
Public Safety, today denounced the de-
Law as inexcusabe and one by which
Councils were deliberately jeopardi2lhS
lives and property in Philadelphia
The municipal repair machine shop cost
s125 0O0 II was built to provide for re-
pairing the citys fire and water appa-
rntus 1t Is storehouse instead, shell
tering disabled fire engines and Eather-
ing dust The building stands, complete
in every detail but she'll lacking the
equipment it was built TO house. The
new shop would save Philadelphia thou
sands of dollars each year, Director Por-
ter says,
REQUESTS IGNORED.
omcial notification that money for ma
chinery was needed has previously been
sent to John p. Connolly, chairman of
the Finance Committee of Councils. He
did not answer the letters. Today there
is every prospect the building Will re-
main a dusty storehouse.
THE only course by which the build
ing can be put to use is the apportton-
ment of a part of the 100000 set aside
from the loan for the Sinking Fund
Director Porter said today. "L Mess the
money comes from that source the build
ing will stay idle useful only as a store
house. and repairs TO fire apparatus VIII
be delayed"
Director Cooke expressed contempt
when asked what no thought of the de-
Law in euuipping the municipal machine
shop. ''I cannot understand why any
one should put up a building without
souipplng it, he said. THE delay is in
excusable."
SHOP USED FOR STORAGE.
Councils quietly appropriated 100000 for
.,rnarbIe halls for the Municipal Court
an the CITY block at 2lst and Race streets,
A. was pointed out, but released 10000
"a begin improving the city's transit
lines only under fire and converts
modern machine shop into storehouse
by falling 10 equip II.
The municipal machine shop was com
pieted July |. Work was begun on 1t
in october a year ago. 1t vas the In
tention of Director Porter 10 provide
n machine shop 10 take the place OF the
antiquated plant at 18th and Reed streets,
which was trying lamely to keep up with
the work heaped upon II.
This idea was sufficiently appealing
TO wiring an appropriation of $4,000 from
Councils and permission 10 use another
of $4,000 which had been set aside for
n new machine shop at 1928 Race street
Efforts to obtain money for equipment
have failed They have not even won
Acknowledgement. Meanwhile disabled
fire engines are Crowdins the moor or
the new machine shop, while the ohso-
lete machines in the old plant next door
struggle 10 keep up.
IDEAI. WORKSHOP.
s..u4szr. rL-aa etrrias High
II is built OF hreproof gray brick, and
engineers who have seen it declare no
shop is better planned nor built Just
across the way is Moyamensing Prison !
The machine shop towers over il, strik- |
,nr sharp contrast against the old |
brown walls and buildings with Sits
5or windows The machine shop has
many windows. Il was built 70 afford |
workmpn all the light possible VIM |
dows 10 feet wide and Is feet high are |
set along three floors, with only fe"
feet OF brick intervening between them !
Inside the machine building looks as |
though il had been finished yesterday |
and workmen were coming any moment |
10 install machinery and nttinEs. IL /
NAV look that way for year NO WORK
men will install machinery, Councils |
failed TO provide any
The ceiling is two stories high. as the |
second floor Is a gallery. Along the gal |
lerv sides are heavy II beams on which |
some day a travelling crane will run and |
carry heavy machines across the moor be-
low. The crane is missing now
The elevator shafts are empty, the |
building itself deserted save for a few |
yyorkmen busy around a disabled police |
patrol on the main floor The great sweep |
of 2oS feet on the third floor is unbroken, |
Root after foot OF level boards lead |
through wide hrs doors with steel fire /
curtains and on 10 the elevator shaft, in |
nocent even OF cables. steps on the third |
floor echo emptlly- save those Of visitors, |
there will be no feet upon IL for year,
Only the first floor shows signs Of life. |
Fire engines and patrol wagons are scat |
tered over II. waiting for machinery built |
In 1856 70 hnish heaped-uP tasks while |
they gather dust,
Councils attitude as rejected by officers |
at CITY Hall is not encouraging. Arthur /
Morrow, clerk Of the Finance Committee, |
was asked what had become Of the bill |
40 provide money for machinery. ITS |
still in committee he said shortly. Its ]
stll In committee" The impression was /
that Il would remain In committee for I
long time,
William n FELTON,, clerk Of Common /
Council seemed disposed 10 regard the /
matter toleranty. He was asked what ne
thought of the chances that Councils /
all