Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-01

| apparent to all. The people are not par
| ticularly concerned with motives, but they
are vitality Interested in seeing that they
| get the kind Of rapid transit they want.
| TNHE Mayor said yesterday, in statement
| Alssued for the public:
not owned by any corporation
political leader, nor am to be deferred
from doing what believe to be my duty by
misleading or untruthful newspaper edi-
torials.
The EVENING LEDGER has charged:
l. That Director Twinlng entered office un-
der a distinct understanding that he
would concern himself with engineering
problems only and would not concern
himself with the operating agreement or
other matters of the sort heretofore con-
sdered as important functions OF the Of
2. That the plan to cut the heart out Of the
Taylor plan by eliminating the City Hill
station did not originate with Director
Twining and was not proposed as the re-
suit of any recommendation from him.
3. That the Mayor ordered Director Twin.
ing to change the route under City Hall
and that the so-called Twinng plan re.
suited from this order.
Senator Ware, It may be stated, has denied
that the Mayor issued such orders. There
are some who aver that the Senator knows
what he is talking about when he tells what
the Mayor is thinking or has thought Never.
theless in spite of Mr.. Vare's denial, we no
tice that the Mayor himself has not denied
specifically the truth Of our allegations. We
notice, too, that Mr.. Twining has entered no
denial.
Perhaps, in view of the enormous issue in
volved, the Mayor will be good enough to ex-
plain who did suggest the change under City
Hail. If he did not; and If he did. who first
suggested the change to him.
THURSDAY afternoon Mayor Smith entered
L the bowels of the earth under City Hall
and was photographed in the act of examining
the foundations 1t may be that the naked
eye Of Mayor can tell more at glance than
the expert examination of engineers. Stranger
things have happened in the last few months.
At any rate, the picture having been taken,
and "those awful foundations" having been
inspected, the Mayor delivered the opinion
which made the verdict of the engineers look
like thirty cents. He said: "This convnces me
that any station under City Hall is imprac-
tical"
1t is scarcely worth while to point out that
IL the foundations are SO bad it would be
a wise course to get new ones for nothing
by the simple expedent Of building a sub
way station. There would be no cracks
then, for where the cracks are there would
be pillars of steel. But that is too obvious
a fact for our statesmen to comprehend. Be-
Sides they do not want the station there.
1T APPEARS from the Mayors statement
OF yesterday that he is now willing to let
the people have whatever kind of transit they
want. In that case there is nothing in dis
pute, for the people are in favor of the Taylor
plans, and it is not recorded that a proposal
to change them has come from anybody of
Importance except the Mayor. 1t is import
ant, however, in this connection that the
Mayor be a little clearer. The public has
been under the impression that he was
alterably opposed to the City Hall station.
Does he mean that his opposition to it will
stop instanter at the peoples behest? That
is what his statement ought to mean.
AS TO the imputing of improper motives to
\ the Mayor. we are not undertaking to
say what any mans motives are. We do not
know. We simply state that the course of the
Mayor in relation TO transit has resulted in
an efeminized Department Of City Transit,
has stopped actual construction work. has
thrown into the mire OF politics great ques-
ton that was already settled has threatened
the city with surrender, absolute ana COM
plete, to the traction interests and is stab
at the vital interests OF the community. 1t
may be that the Mayor is convinced that
course which has produced such results
wise course. If SO. the city is indeed un.
fortunate.
THERE is one way out for the people OF
u Philadelphia
They must have Director OF City Transit
who knows no masters voice.
They must insist that the new loan bill
specify absolutely the routes for which money
Is 10 be borrowed, in such form that there can
be no possible doubt whatever OF the kind OF
transit the city wants.
Let such loan bill once get to the people.
ana not even the Mayor himself thereafter
will be in any doubt as 70 what the people
want