Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-03
SOUTH STREET NOW
SEEKING BETTER
TRADE FACILITIES
Snowy, Safe and Sanitary"
Slogan of Men Who Want
Awnings to Go and Block
Paving to Come.

South street-showy, safe and sanI-
tary."
This is the motto adopted by the South
street Business Mems Association. The
start OF the fight for better conditions
was made last week when the ordinance
OF 1915 against all awnings. protecting
over the pavement from a store mora
than eight feet, was upheld by Judge Pat.
terson.
As a result or the decision all store
keepers having the Objectionable awnings
have been notified to remove them and
unless the order is obeyed the awnings
will be removed by force. A few Of the
shopkeepers are holding out and intend
to fight to the last.
Removing the awnings. however, is only
one OF the steps contemplated for the
improvement OF the street by the Busi-
ness Mems Association. A wooden-block
paved street. a better lighting system.
and better stroet-cleanlng facilities arc
projects and they have been presented to
Councils by Select Councilman Charles
seger, of the 9TH Ward.
1t is confidently predicted by Henry M.
- +4AA Es
Levy, who has a small department store
at 20 South street, and is president OF
the South Street Business Mems Associa-
ton, that In the course OF a year the high
grade trade which used to frequent South
street VIII be eagerly returning. In dis
GUESSING the matter this morning he said:
BY personally walking the entire
length OF the street End actually counting,
! find that only % per cent. of all the
stores have the type OF awnings that
come under the ban of the law. of these,
10 per cent. are willing to remove them
and many have already done so. There
fore, II is only 10 per cent. OF all the
storekeepers on the street hat are maxi
ing this protest against the removal OF
the awnings. The other 90 per cent. are
beginning to recognize them as a positive
menace.
Another nuisance we intend to abol-
ish is the ''barkers'' who are paid to stand
outside the shops and entice the people
inside. To the ignorant, waverlng shop
per, attracted by the display of wares on
the outside this guiding hand on the arm
and 'wheedling voice in the ear is just
the psychological push needed TO get him
inside the store.
IF the awnings were taken down peo-
pie would rave to hide their disreputa-
BILE looking stores under a coat of paint
and will this cleanliness Inc roomlness
in the street would come other changes
which i am sure would be a revelation
to all the. opposers of what the South
street Business Mems Association is try
ing to do"
Jacob B%erkowitz, owner OF a large
woman's, wear store at 9Th and South
street, is ~strenuously opposed to the per-
manent awnings. He said:
There is lots of business on South
street. 1t Is the poor peoples Chestnut
street. But the larger and better class
merchants along the street cannot alto
gether compete with the people that put
their goods for sale on the sidewalk. The
1uhsIgtliness of two adjacent stores with
sidewalk stands and wretched awnings
detracts considerably from the value Of
an open property in between. They can
undersell us because in most cases these
stand are sublet for almost nothing
while we pay large rents. IL everyone
kept their good and themselves inside
their own doors, South street would at
tract a better class of people, which il
the only trade n better class store can
appeal 70 IL we cleaned up the street /
firmly believe there would be a great IN
crease In business for both the large and
small storekeeper."
Or the other hand the awning store
keepers have something to say. Abram
Chakes. who has a small dry goods store
at 535 South street, has maintained an
awning for the last Is years and sees no
objection to, his keeping it UP another
Is wears. Says he:
III only way we poor people can.
compete at all with the big stores along
the, street is to get our goods on the
sidewalk and urge the passerby to look
!em over. And the only way We can
our goods on the sidewalk from
sun and rain is to have an awning over
them. We haven any large windows In
which to display our goods and why
people go into our little musty
shops when they can go into the places
whore there is plenty of room to display
thingsH"