Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-05-08

- making TO have the City Hall piped as well !
as wired so that either gas electricity may be used
as necessity shall dictate II would be well for mem
bers of the Levy Court to emulate his activity IN that
respect
The Joint Public Building will cost approximately
st5ooOoO To pipe both the city end and the county
ends OF it at this time would entail expense OF only
81 500 II that work be deferred until after the build
Ing has been completed it will times that
amount and in addition, inevitably result in marring
the structure
Il Is eminenty proper that the building should be
wired for electricity There are two good and suf1
cent reasons why il also should be pped for One
is that there should be gas Illuminating system In the
building for use in OF the breakdown Of the cleo
trio lighting system Another is that while at the pres
ent the electric light and power plants in this city
are under the central and direction Of men who would
not be parties TO attempted holdup of either the
city or the cunty in the matter Of rates or service 1t
may be that in years come, those plants may pass
into possession OF who knowing that there are
no gas pipes and fixtures in the Public Building Will
not hesitate engage in hod-up in the face of which
our city end county would be helpless until at great
expense and marrng effect, they could put in pipes
which would enable them to declare their Independence
Taero may be those VINO will suggest that the contn-
gencies cited are very far-fetched Surely such per-
sons cannot deny that breakdown Of electric service is
so in all cities that TO guard against it, both
and pipes are placed in thousands Of large build
ings Nor should they lose sight Of the fact that in
these OF big operations public service corporations
pass fror hand to hand almost overnight The fact
that tire present management of such corporation is
fair and honorable does not carry with it any assur
ance that a seductive price be offered a controll
ing interest il will not pass into the hands of who
are disposed to make sinister of IT, What better
opportunity for such work could be supplied than
through a S150OOOO building that has been built so
that only one Of luminant may be used in with
a,,r
the installation OF pipes.
We link the Public Building Commission has dore
cool work thus far It would be matter of regret
were to It by refusing 10 look far enough into
the future to what l-efects might result if pip
ing system we're omitted and the public left helpless
against breakdown hod-up from the electric end Of
the public service
II may be said that those in control of the cleo
trio light power situation Nere would not be parties
! TO q hod-up of either the city the county. We ac-
cept that contention as being II is not of the
present thinking but Of the failure Those who
object to spending $500 for the piping may add
the contingency the electric system here pass
ing into the hands OF conscioness men who might in
| dulge in a hold-up is that it should not be
provided for by those who have charge Of the consruc
ton of the new Public building We with
that attitude.
When great steamship is built the prevailing idea is
that she will float for and bring her owners rich
returns through operation That idea does not deter
them however. from putting in watertight bukheads
installing hundreds or thousands OF lie preservers
putting feboats and davits where they may be used
quickly and carrying wireless apparatus so the
IS o 9" call may be sent out through space TO brnt
succor All that is done guard against not what vii
happen but what may happen So 1t is in the matter
Of providing nre-eXits hre-escapes and other things
for prblc buildings, theatres, hotels and business
houses. hose things may not be needed for years
but when they are needed 1t is imperative neet
which iustifes the preoauton that led to their exist
ence for immediate
And so it is with Public Building. The cleo
trio service may rot break DOWN for years. On thu
other hand it may break down within wenty-four hour
after IL has been installed BY the same token, tn
electric lighting company Lere not change hand
FIR fifty years. On the rther hand. 1t may chang
/ hands within a few weeks. On the one hrnd what oc
ours is dependent upon mechanical perfection that nev
er has existed and will exist although it may b
Appropriated. On the ether hand what occurs is de
pendent upon the financial ability of who longs
possess a thing TO meet the demands of the one VIII
possesses and who makes secret Of the fact tina
If satisfactory price be offered that thing is for salt
Those are the elements the commissioners shoul
take into consideration before they decide not to pip
the 81 100000 building that being constructed unde
their supervision.