Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-29
VISUALIzING
THE WHOLE CITv
The s, Purpose of the Today sna
Tomorrow Exposition Is to o''U
Develop Greater Civic
Patriotism
By GEORGE w Monn,.

- F'N oiiu OIueTly growth Of f,n..
cities, and uses these expressions. 0''nan
The German cities are th,nt,o.
morrow as we'll as of today. OF ~, =. 10 70
erations to follow, as we'll as !. sen SEN
generation that is now upon the s,.a
eiy Ge,rnahy' almost alone, Is building ~
SIes 10 make them contribute IA ~.
happiness, health and well-beins the
people. The business men wbo " w
them seem to think in social rs,h.g
than individual terms Thev b..'aH
sense OF team play, Of co-operatlvs
fort, OF being willing to sacrifice 49,
immediate individual interests 10 .hs
welfare of the community, 's
The existence of this spirit IN ca,..
cities and In some English cities ana ~.
absence of 1t In most American oitie. -
presses him as the most striklno :, ~
the contrasts between American ana ~
eign cities. Thinking men must asr..
with Mr.. Howe. II he were to writ
review of the activities of Amsrlo.s
cities, 1t is to be feared that he might "a.
Philadelphia as "a conspicuous il,ps,rs
tlon of the American method NJ 49,.
hazard and unregulated growth ~ ~.
subordination Of community interests Il
private interests, and'of the lack Of "tear,.
play" or cooperative spirit. These a..
fects underlie and are Responsible q.
much of the failure to provide for cor,.
munity needs, lack of coordination !,
charitable effort and failure to take al.
vantage Of natural opportunities for com.
mercial growth and development
Visualizing the City
1t was with a view to visualize thess
conditions that the Civic Exposition was
planned. 1t is appropriately called
To-day and Tomorrow" Exposition. ITO.
day" is not represented in a spirit Of nuck.
raking or fault-fnding, nor is 1t illus.
trated by any Chamber of Horrors"
Tomorrow" is not pictured as millen.
MUM. The exposition is designed to show
the defects and omissions of today only
so far as clear understanding of present
conditions is necessary as basis for i'm.
provement. The future conditions which
are represented are only such conditions
as may reasonably be expected in the near
future. ~
, No branch of civic activities is mora
fully or interestingly exhibited than those
pertaining to the municipal administra.
ton, and this exhibit is particularly time.
ly, in view of the fact that an over.
whelming vote of the people has au.
thorized the expenditure in the next few
years of more than $100,000,000 in munici.
pal improvements. If this money should
be injudiciously expended, it would be a
la IA
should be productive OF untold good to
every citizen.
The city is big collective enterprise.
It's officials must have something of thsl
same vision as the railroad executlvs
who abolshes curves, reduces grades and
builds cut.offs with an eye to economy,
the elimination of waste and greater and
better service to the shipper and the
travelling public.
We propose to spend $57OOO,oOo in pro
viding rapid transit facilities for the pub
lie. Plans for the expenditure have been
made after careful and elaborate study,
but the approval of these plans and ad'
herence to them should be founced not
upon the fact that they were devised by
any one man or set of men, or that they
are approved by any political party orfac'
ton, but because intelligent citizens
having the interests of the city at heart
and willing, If necessary, to "sacrinee
their immediate individual interests 70
the welfare of the community" under
stand them and are prepared to insist
upon their adoption. The same is true
of the S10,000,0d0 to be expended y the
improvement of our port facilities. otner
large items include dn round ngurep
$4,000 900 for the Parkway and the same
amount for the great piece OF work IN
South Philadelphia which viii aponsh
two crosstown surface railroads proyiae
adequate river frontage for municipal
port development, construct an open Del'
line railroad and create out OF what aIs
now waste lands within few miles OF tns
centre of the city an enormous area tOl
industrial and residential deveiopihsn'
along approved lines of modern city pan
ming.
Every intelligent citizen, and parucr
larly every taxpayer, should have ps''
sonal knowledge and personal cohF,v
ton as to the propriety of these expenaf
lures.
Peril in Sectional Politics
More than s575o.OOO is provided tor
sewers. This expenditure should not y
controlled by the influence or activity 7,
sectional politicians. The public sn0u4
understand where these sew
ers are to be built and why, TheIe
an authorization of nearly sS.5Ooee0 y.
new municipal buildings, in addluoh
SO 900 900 for the new General Hospi@s
city officials, believei are anxious -,
the public should understand the ~
of these buildings. and there shouia ~
tainly be a corresponding desire On sns
part of citizens to have this knov's0sr
More than S2,5OO.OOO will become N
able for streets. bridges and ROADS ~"
expenditure, properly made will Ply
ably earn its carrying charges 70 ~
increase of assessments resulting E
what are now farm landz nv
building lots, but Infinitely greater ~
he the return in the saving OF time His
money by providing smooth and cohssrs
ent highways upon which hauling m-
be done more expeditiously and al -
cost. .s.
No study Of eouncilmanie orp'ian
or department reports will begin 20 So