Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-23
LEGAL BARRIERS MAY
FORCE CITY TO ABANDON
NEW TRANSIT PLANS.
provisions of Taylor Procro. :,
Must Be Adhered to Unless ,,"'
Difficulties Can Be Over
come by Officials
AWAIT RESULT OF PROBE
Action Depends Also on Civ CO.
itor's Opinion and Director
Twining's Report

Legal difficulties. caused Inv Tr.,.,.,..,
rector Twinlng's proposal to cbsrs. ~! ~
iaylor transit plans after contracfs as w
peeh let and the plans In part annro,1a,
| by the voters at the polls, NAV for,a .oved v
Smlth Administration to return ~ w ne
original Taylor program so far ss ne az
@ @pIoau street subway and the FrankforS
| elevated are concerned 'VIu
This was forecast freely TODAY vbos !,
vac iearIeu Ihat Mayor Smith had nan,sS
commission of five department onS 'eu u.'
reau heads to make an exhaustive O.,,. Du
OF physical conditions under civ tJNy
10 determine the plan of subwav an asI
struction most feasible there. ana ,sa. oh
Director Twlnlng at the same fine LA, la,
asked City Solicitor Connolly for an orI. aD
ion as to whether II was possible 10 chez.
.ne orlslnai plans without annullins The
contract for the work. 'us
Mayor Smith today deplored the ,,o,
% %.na' tle appointment of the commission
, ,'ee peen maue public, and said he never
mad intended TO give 1t out until tbs :.
port was before him. i''
"T had no intention" said the uor,.
"of making public the fact thai d,roas.n,,
and engineers were carrying on an Inv.
tisation. 1t Is not always best to mai.
pubic In advance everything that il golns
on. My directors and engineers ,yars
trailed and that Is the way II bec.nas
public. ] don't know when the fuil ro
port will be before me. 1t may be a aay
or three days.
While | have not asked CITY Solc,to-
Connolly for any transit opinion. thint
Director Twining has done So"
The opinion from the City solicitor 4.
expected to be made public today bn,
the report of the commission will not he
completed for some time Until both
have been given out and the comnIata
report of Director Twining made public
no definite steps will he taken by Mayor
Smith to have the work continued
1t was pointed out today that Citv
Solicitor Connolly two weeks ago adj.
vised the Mayor in verbal opinion that
1t would be illegal to change either the
plans of the Broad street subway after
the voters had approved it's construction
from League Island to Olney avenue or
the plans of the Frankford elevated after
its construction to Rhawn street had
been approved.
Lawyers who have studied the case
predicted that the City Solicitor will also
be compelled to admit that any import.
ant change in the construction plans under
City Hall would also precipitate legal
difficulties since the changes would, In all
probability, annul the existing contract
With the Keystone State Construction
Company.
In his preliminary report. dealing with
he division of the City Hall section of
he subway from under the hall to around
md outside it, Director Twining stated
hat he could effect a saving of 100000 4
o the city. II is understood that more
ecent calculations have convinced the +
transit Department officials, that even q =
-reater saving could be made
While the contract for the work around
'ity Hall was let to the Keystone Com. p
ANY for price approximating s1.70e.. {
90, provision was made for the payment >
or extra work on the unit basis. II Is =
cared that the foundations of City Hall 4
VIII be found to be so unstable that i'm !
1ense quantities of concrete and other d
materials will be necessary to render 1
hem firm enough to support the great I
eight upon them when the subway is q
INSTRUCTED underneath.
This condition will be carefully studied 4
y the commission and a report made be-
ore the work is continued Whether or 4
OF the changes of Director Twining or
le original Taylor plan is followed win
len depend in part upon the opinion to Il
. given by City Solicitor Connolly.
The commission named by the Mayor, 2
of Transit Director Twining. 7
irector Datesman, of the Department of e
ublic Works. Director Webster of the
apartment of Wharves. Docks and Fer 1
es; Chief Engineer Qulmby, of the De.
artment of Transit and Chief Engineer
hester E. Albright, of the Bureau of Sur Y
sys, started it's work yesterday.
The commission will lconfer with the
ayor today, although, it is understood,
will be ready to make only prelimi- -
Try report at this time II