Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-16
COUNCILS URGED
TO HURRY CITY'S
CONVENTION HALL
Action Asked for by Cham
Der Of Commerce and Busi-
ness Mems Committee
McNICHoL IN SYMPATHY

Resolutions urging COUNCILS to tab.
action toward the immediate construot,o,
OF convention hall in central locat,o,
to provide an additional attraction IN IN.
fiuencing the Republican National Con.
vention TO hold it's sessions here nsx,
year. were received and referred to An.
Finance Committee by Councils todsv
One of the petitions was from "a.
Chamber Of Commerce, the members -
which represent more than 1000 com.
mercial and industrial establishments in
the city. Another came from members. ~
the Allied Business Mems Committee
Several sites have been mentioned in
connection with the plan, those n,ost
frequently named being Path and Chest
nut streets and several on the Nne ~
the Parkway.
Early construction of the ConventIor
Hall would also furnish an impressive
advertisement of the city's progressive
ness to the 5000 advertising men from All
over the country who will assemble here
next summer.
or the loan money voted for the hail
$50, 900 has already been appropriated
leaving a balance Of s1,41s,06 on hand
for the work.
II James p. McNichol, who sits at ,hs
right hand of Penrose, is a good prophet,
Philadelphia will have its site for It's
great convention hall before the expra-
ton of the present administration. "a
Mr.. McNichol made this prediction when
asked TO comment on the labors confront
ing Councils. His friendship for John P.
Connolly, chairman of the Finance Conn
mittee, which must report the question
out for consideration before anything ef-
fective is accomplished, invested Mr. Nc
Nichols opinion with unusual interest.
Moreover. his Identification with the
forces in the Republican Organization
blamed for the more than 50 months OF
delay since the city borrowed the money
to construct the building. gives him au-
thority for making a forecast deserving
OF careful attention.
"I see absolutely no reason" said Mr.
McNichol, "why all the preliminaries to
the actual erection OF the structure
should not be disposed or before January
l. 1916 Certainly no right thinking resi-
dent OF Philadelphia would delay the
wcrk any longer than absolutely neces-
sary."
Mir. McNichol has a preference on site
but not definite enough to make his
choice public. formally. It was his inn
preston that the ultimate cost of the
ediice would reach $2.6oo.OOo or s3,oOo.Ooo,
but he thinks work can be started with
the money already on hand.
This money. $780, 900 in round figures
was part OF an omnibus loan OF s9,75oeO0
negotiated on July l. 1911, and Its sole
service since has been to accumulate in
terest charges at per cent. or $4,000 a
year. Philadelphia obtained nothing Of
value for this expenditure, and continues
to rank below Buffalo as a city capable
OF caring for large assemblages
Practically the only person who could
not be persuaded TO comment on the work
before the Councils was Mr.. Connolly.
In spite of his reluctance, the present
,oan, IT,
authority in the Organization. is to re-
port the convention hall project out OF
committee on the first Thursday in Oc-
tober. A discussion will follow, first as
t. site and then as to additional apppo-
priations ...
When this Republican leader was asked
II the fact that other sites than that on
the Parkway would be suggested. notably
one by william ]. Crawford, chairman
of the Council Committee on Public
Buildings. would complicate matters. he
said no.
"The site will be selected from among
those already under consideration" he
said. "No delay will therefore result
from new proposals.
George d. Porter, Independent candis
date for nomination for Mayor on virtu
| ally evcry ticket, earnestly EXPRESSED
the conviction that few things better for
Philadelphia could happen, And, n II
happen. he said, IL he were elected Mayor,
and had a friendly Councils to cooperate
with him. -~r
MIR. Porter has very definite ideas on
what sort Of a structure the proposed
Convention Hall should be.
1T should be available for convention
purposes" he said, "and for other public
needs. 1t should be conveniently located
to car lines railroads, hotels, depart
ment stores and theatres, 1t must be
remembered that delegates to conven-
tions frequently bring their wives and
daughters along with them, and they
should be in easy access to places of
amusement and to the shopping districts
when not used for convention pur-
poses, the hail should be available for
use as great forum for the people. At
other times Il should be usabie for con-
certs, for dances for people of medium
means, and for the other manifold needs
OF great city. The people should get
the greatest possible use out OF II, and In
time 1t might be possible to install a great
organ. as has been done in Portland.
Me.