Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-27
MAYORS FIRST YEAR STARTS
CITY IMPROVEMENTS AT LAST
Comprehensive Plans, Often Held Up, Under Way
by Public Mandate-What Administration
Has Achieved and Left Undone

mept projects proposed. the frs, six months |
ot the year passed with little or nothing
accomplished aside from getting the loans
before the vo.ers and into share Tor hnRl
passase. So indignant was Select Council
man Harry ]. Trainer of the Third Ward. /
AZ the efrorts of the administration 10
change the Taylor transit plan that he
made a motion IN Couaciis' Finance Com
mittce that Director Twlning withhold the
pay checks Of his ncores ot engineers and
other employees for the time they were taken
on work on the Taylor lines, 10 work on q
plan that no one seriously considered, until
they we're again authorized 10 so ahead with
plans that the city year previously had
approved In an unmistakabie way, This
drastic action. however, was not taken
POLITICS CAUSES DELAYS
The decision virtually to double tho cIty's
bonded Indebtedness BY authorizing loans
OF fiiA,S25,eoo was not the work of a week
OF month. and u was only after many de-
lays that the Coupcilmanic nnRnciera were
ready to submit their plans to the voters
Politics at times played no small part In
the delays and for a short time threatened
the success Of the immense financial deals
/ necessarily Involved In any move forward,
| Opposition. political and otherwise. was
| finally overcome, and ON May 10 last the
| big loans were approved by the votero by
an overwhelming majority. Following the
approval of the voterp the bills had to be
advertised aud Il was not until July 20 that
| the bills had finally passed Councils and
the money was appropriated 20 the depart
| mcnts for which Il was intended.
During the seven months that tho loan
| was IN the making Il was popularly sup
| posed that all the municipal departments
| were husily at work on specifications and
drawings that would expedite the letting or
| contracts for many " the projectA or at
| least for their beginning II soon de-
velopcd, however. that none of the depart
ncnt heads was for enough advanced TO go
ahead with the projects coming under their
| supervision and direction. and. more delays
| arising. very little was done.
ITEMS or RIO LOAN
The major items In the larEcs, loan ever
| authorized by Philadelphia include 49,
100000 for rapid transit, $4,000, 900 for
| tho port SS,0iO,i20 for removal OF tracks
| and grade crossings t9,0o0.0OO for the
Parkway $4,000, 600 for new buildings at
Byberry FRrma s5.20O.oO0 for sewage dis
| Dosal plant, N,9s5,9Oi TO mAndamua clairna
| due and pending for opening streets. $1,000
600 for main and $1,000. 900 for branch
sewers f7SO,oOO for bridges. $1,000. 900 for
an art gallery, 81 ts0. 900 for Public Library
and scores OF other loan items covering
every class OF Improvement contemplated
and providing nearly 100000 to pay
maintenance and deficiency bills incurred
| through Councils failure TO provide funds
for running expenses during 1915.
Midsummer found the city Government
| with It's annual cost OF operation OF ys5-
100000, In but a slightly changed position
| from that existing when Mayor Banken-
burg left office seven months before True,
tho loan bills had been passed and ap-
proved by ALL but the fact that the de-
partmen;s were at last In n position TO let
contracts and start work apparently made
little difference to the Mayor and depart
mental heads Another accomplishment
that was credited TO the Administration at
this time was the final ratification OF the
Taylor transit plans. that had long alncs
received the outspoken approval OF all but
Mayor Smith and a few OF his Cabinet mem
beru.
DIRECTORS PLEASED
When tho loan bIll passed. tho Mayor
and other oficals declared that "dlrt would
soon NY from many OF tn undertakings
planned. The Mayor said that no time
would DO lost In getting an operating agree.
mont with the Philadelphia Rapid Transit
Company TO run the new transit lines Sew.
eral directors expressed satisfaction that the
loans had been approved. and declared
they would be In position 10 let con-
tracts. without waiting until bonds should
be sold. out OF the 1918 loans Under the
law contracts can be let and work started
just 80 the money is appropriated and
available to meet the frat payments 10 con-
tractorA Because OF the consol. dated loan
fund many big undertakings could have
been started In midsummer had tho bu-
reaus and departments entrusted with the
planning OF the work been ready TO ask
for proposals. Despite this condition few
contracts OF any Importance were let dur
ing the best season Of the year for outdoor
working
In anticipation Of big things Councils
entrusted Director TwiniEs. OF the Depart.
ment of Transit with the power to hire
and nN salaries OF engineers, Todmen and
many other classes Of trained workers Di-
rector DAtesman. OF the Department OF Pub,
Ito Works, was given the right TO appoint
highway anG other inspectors New posi-
tiona were created in many OF the depart.
mentA. and once and field forces were
brought up 20 unheard OF proportions. In
the case Of transit and port improvements
the loan moneys themselves carry the sal.
airy items as well many once and sup
ply items. thus relieving Councils Of the
need for providing money for many Of the
activities.
sLoWNEss AT STARTING
one single instance will serve TO illustrate
tho lack OF action coming from the costly
departments. II Is small one and chosen
az random from many While Councils
and the Mayor were spending weeks and
months on financial problems and at a time
when the departments were popularity sup
posed 60 be hustllnE on plans for big pro-
iectH the old South street bridge, one OF
the nrst OF It's kind built by the city and
one OF the most used of the municipal
bridges "saREed" and sank several feet
under the weight OF long sustained traffic
Fortunately no one was KILLED or injured
hut the accident which happened TO the
western approach Of the bride proved con.
cluslvely the need for new bridge and
| approaches.
In Anticipation OF the need or new
hridre onaineers of the Survey Bureau had
IonE ago prepared plans for a new structure
and ali that was needed 20 add 20 their
plans was 20 complete plans Tor new ap-
pToaches. An item OF 1eO,OVo Ior oIlases
| h. tbs loan vas generally understood 20 in
eluds between $500 600 and 100000 for a
naW South street bridge
With the money In sight the plans prae-