Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-03
MANANAi

! TN NOVEMBER, 1915, when war pros
perity was at its height and the prices
Of all commodities were far advanced
Mr.. A. NJ. Taylor then Director Of the
Department of City Transit, revised his
estimates of cost of the Taylor plan.
The estimates so revised were care.
fully studied. considered and indorsed by
Henry H. Quitnby, chief engineer Of the
department, and by ]. A. Emery and
William s. Twining, consulting engineers.
The letter of approval. to which Mr..
Twining signed his name, contained the
following concluding paragraph:
Our estimates include engineering
and other overhead expenses. with in
terest and sinking fund charges during
construction, which are Intended TO be
met from the loan fund, also the cost
Of the required real estate easements.
The department is now provided with
s2,6Oc.0OO more than the estimates called
for, although to the estimates themselves
had previously been added 20 per cent
to cover extraordinary charges.
1t Is provided in addition with s5,o00,o00
toward the construction of a Chestnut
street subway, although that line is not
to be built unless all arrangements for
an operating agreement between the city
and the p. r. t. fail.
The EVENING LEDGER presents in this
issue signed statement from Mr.. Tay-
lor, who demonstrates beyond question
the accuracy of his estimates and the
sufficiency of the money provided. Unless
there Is unparalleled waste in construc-
ton there will be no shortage of funds.
But the lamentable feature of the pres
ent situation is not that Mr.. Twining has
misgivings as to the sufficency of the
funds available. It is the attitude OF the
Department OF City Transit toward rapid
transit which disturbs citizens. Under
Mr.. Taylor the department was character
lied by a spirit Of energy and action
Councils could not appropriate money too
fast for Mr.. Taylor. So soon as he got
the authorizations his specifications were
ready. and the ink was hardly dry on
the authorizing ordinances before he was
advertising for bids. He was not looking
for obstacles. but he knew how to get
over them when they bobbed up in his
path.
We find no evidences Of similar energy
Ia the department now. Although the re-
location of sewers preparatory to the dig.
glng of the delivery loop, which is the
heart Of the system, was completed long
ago, no bids for construction contracts
have been asked. Instead there is talk
about other sewer location somewhere
else. Yet 1t is we'll known that the loop
must be begun in advance of other ele-
ments of the system II all parts are to be
completed at practically the same time.
Plausible excuses for delay can always be
found. can even be found conscientiously
and we impute TO Mr.. Twining nothing
but a conscientious purpose-but the
people did not vote for excuses. They
voted for rapid transit, and that is what
they expect to get.
Instead of looking for distant obstacles
the Department of City Transit ought to
be doing something. 1t ought to be push
ing things along. Just as is being done in
New York. We shall not have a COM
pleted system in five years or in twenty
years unless the spirit that dominates
the department is one of aggressiveness.
We find no evidence OF such a spirit In
the department now. 1t seems, instead,
to be victim OF hookworm and Spanish
manana.