Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-09
STORM or PROTEST ON
TRANSIT VOTR DELAY

Next Thursday Common Council car
pass the ordinance calling the speoiu
election and submitting the loan to the
voters. and on the following Inursuey,
January 81, the ordinances can pe passeu
bv gelect Council Advertising OF the
election can be started on January % and
tbis must be continued for 80 days, ex-
cluding Sundays.
This procedure would be completed by
February "a. On March 1 the election
could be held, and three days later'
March 4 Common Council could pass the
ordInance making the loan available. Ad-
vertising of the loan could begin March .,
and in accordance with the law this would
continue for four weeks. rms Woulu
make the last day of advertslng Aprll -
ana Common Council could pass the ordi-
nance the same afternoon.
WOULD AID UNEMPLOYED.
Incidentally. those favoring March
election point out that Thousands Of men
out OF work would be provided with em-
ployment and the city would be In the
position OF helping Itself and at the same
time aiding it's army Of unemployed citl-
zens.
As the preliminary work Of relocating
sewers In the transit loop will be started
in March, many asserted that It would be
foolhardy ITO begin the job and then tie
up the rest of the work on account of un-
necessary Councilmanio red tape"
If the special election were not held
until June as suggested by Councilman
Connolly, many contend that II would
SAVIOR too much OF a political subterfuge
TO carry the actual start of the transit
construction work into another admin
istration. Then, too, with the approach
of summer many Councilmen and offl-
clals will be making arrangements for
summer vacations.
When Councils reconvene in September
preparations for the coming mayoralty
campaign will be in the air, and obstruc-
tionlsts would have no end of opportu-
mites for urging delays.
In view of all this, the business men
declare that the time for rapid transit is
now. II the work upon the relocation of
sewers was finished before the money for
work was available, the ex-
cavatlons in the section OF the transit
loop would have to be filled in and later
reopened on account of the legislative de-
lay AS a result traffic would be OBJ
structed in the business section, and the
streets would be in an impassable con-
dition for many months.
A special election In March will be
urged at the rapid transit demonstration
in the Academy of Music next Thursday
night Representatives of every business
and improvement organization In the city
will present combined resolution urging
that such a step be taken.
BUSINESS MEMS VIEWS
The views of prominent business men
and their organizations on the subject
follow.
THOMAS MARTINDALE, SIR.
I believe that the month of March
would be a much better time to hold the
special election. If it can't be arranged
to hold the election in March, why not
select the month of April?
Why wait until next June? Every
Philadelphian, as well as the person
who has come to Philadelphia to live,
wants a subway. In my opinion IL the
present program is carried out 1t won't
attract the attention of the man who
makes 1t a business to leave for the
mountains or the seashore during the
month of June.
Let there be no delay. Quick action
is required. L feel certain that by hay
ing the election next June it will result
in further delay. If the election were
held sooner great deal of time could
he saved.
E. l.. DAVIS, Director Fifty y-second and
Market Streets Business Mems Asso-
citation:
There is no subject dealing with NUM-
cipal improvements SO important as the
question of subways for Philadelphia,
The sooner Philadelphia has a subway
system the better it will be for every
body. l can't understand why the cleo
tion to provide $50 100000 should be held
next June l do not believe that there
is a person in West Philadelphia who
doesn't think that it would be much
better to have the election held within
the next 80 days.
To hold the election next June means
nothing but further delay. Philadel-
phia should have a subway system like
other great cosmopolitan cities. BY
holding the election within the next 30
days believe great deal of time could
be saved.
Our association has taken an active in
terest In the subway question, and feel
certain that the consensus of opinion
among the members is that the appro-
priations should be granted as quickly
as possible. The voters of Philadelphia
clearly understand the subway ISSUE be-
cause they have heard the subject dis
cussed for years.
1 earnestly hope that the money will
be appropriated before the summer sea-
son sets in, During the month of June
many voters who want subway usually
leave the city for their vacations. Have
ln6 elecllOn nelu sOOn'
!. ]. BERLET, president Walnut Street
Business Association:
II the legislation necessary in Coun-
ellis can be legally enacted and the
Mayors signature obtained in time,
why not have the special election on
Washingtons Birthday, Monday, Feb
ruary %? 1t is a holiday for a great
many men, thus making II easy for
them 10 vote, and what more attrac-
tive than to make greater transit possi-
BILE on the birthday of "the Father of
His Country" Philadelphia could then,
within a few years, after better trans
portation facilities have been provided,
have dual birthday observance. The
alI-important thing, / take it, is to
arrange so that work may be begun as
soon after the weather opens up as is
possible.
ROBERT l.. SHEPPARD, President
Frankford Business Mems Association;
/ am in favor of anything that will
produce rapid transit quickly, and for
that reason see no cause for delaying
the proposed work. OF course, l do not
suppose that the entire amount can be
appropriated at once, but the sooner a
start Is made the better. The FTanlSford
Business Mems Association has gone on
record as strongly faYorlng immediate
transit Improvement, and that indorse-
ment is still a matter of record. / re-
peat, the sooner the better.
OLIVER STOUT, JR., president, Frank
ford Grocery Company, Inc.
j am in favor OF action on the tran
sit proposition as soon as II is possible,
and see no reason for delay. II strikes
me- that II would be a good idea, too