Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-10
MAYOR FAVORS
TAYLOR CHANGE
in TRANSIT LOAN
Smith Declares for Amend
ment of Roxborough
Subway Plan
NO FIGHT IN PROSPECT

Mayor Smith today gave his full in
dorsement to the amendment to the tram
sit and port loan bill suggested by former
Transit Director Taylor as a means Of
remedying two defects In paragraph five
of the bill describing the route Of the sub
.way-elevated line to Roxborough. The
Mayor said the defects pointed out by the
former director had probably been over
looked in the drafting Of the bill and that
they should be corrected before the bill Is
passed.
The amendment as suggested will pro-
vide that the section of the subway
elevated to run on Henry street be either
an open-cut subway or an elevated and
will specify more clearly the route of
the proposed line. An open-cut subway, IL
is pointed out, would mean large saving
to the city in construction cost. In de-
filming the line no change Of route is con-
templated and only minor defect in
phrasing will be corrected.
TAYLOR KNOWS BEST
''Mr. Taylor Is better acquainted with
the details of the plans than those who
drafted the bill" the Mayor said, and his
suggestions should be followed The de-
fects which he points out no doubt were
overlooked when the bill was drafted and
I think they should he corrected with
out delay"
Chairman Gaffney, OF the Finance Com.
rnittee, and Chairman Seger, of the sub
committee agree that the amendment will
probably be made tomorrow on the floor
of Councils when the s67 100000 port and
transit improvement ordinance comes up
for action To pass the amendment it
was explained would only require ma
jority vote.
Mr.. seger said he did not know of any
t,,l,n ,t,ae t,Ia IN ma 70 10
ment but he added:
IF no one else offers it may do so
myself"
The fifth paragraph of the loan bill
now reads as follows
Fifth. Toward the construction
and Improvement, and in payment of
interest and sinking fund charges of
a subway railway extending beneath
the Parkway from point of connec-
ton with the city Hail. into Fair.
mount Park near the Green street en-.
trance. and an elevated railway con-
Meeting with the same, extending
thence over 10th street. Henry avenue
and Ridge avenue 10 Roxborough--
seven millions five hundred thousand
(S7,500 OOO) dollars.
Under the Taylor amendment 1t would
read:
Fifth. TOWARD the construction
and Improvement and payment Of in
terest and sinking fund charges of a
subway railway extending beneath the
Parkway from a point of connection
with the Broad street subway at or
near the City Hall, into Fairmount
Park, near the Green street entrance,
and an elevated railway COnnection
with the same, extending north over
29th street, thence to Henry street,
together with an extension thereof
to RoxbOrough, which extension may
be in whole or in parts either elevated
or open subway seven million five
hundred thousand t7500,000) dollars.
woNT DISCUSS PROPOSAL.
The Mayor today declined to make any
comment upon the suggestion of Walter
F. Ballnger, a Philadelphia architect that
the plan of the Broad street subway be |
abandoned and that one of the streets
between Broad and the Delaware River |
be widened to $50 feet ami an elevated be |
constructed from League Island TO Tabor |
The Meyor said Mr.. Ballinger had taken |
his proposition up with him, but he would |
make no comment upon II.
When asked whether he thought the |
loan bill should be delayed AT this time in |
order to give consideration TO the sugges- |
tion the Mayor replied:
~ have nothing to say to that either" |
The reports of the engineers of the Key |
stone State Construction Company, who !
are examining the foundations of CITY
Hall to determine how the work on the |
tion shall proceed, will probably be made |
public tomorrow, when Transit Director /
Twining will return from Toledo. The |
Mayor said today the engineers viii make |
their report directly to Mr., Twining and |
not to himself.
TERMS TO BE DISCUSSED
The terms upon which the Keystone
Company is TO resume work will be dis
cussed after the engineers have reported
II is generally admitted that the founda-
tions viii have to be rebuilt in part and
the only consideration will be the amount
the Keystone Company shall be paid for
the additional work and under what terms
of the present contract the work can be
undertaken
Mayor Smith. discussing conditions un-
der the City Hall. said:
II do not think ii was an exaggeration
when it was said that the foundations
were little more than stones dumped into
trenches My own observations showed me
that mortar had been sparingly used and
hat the foundations instead Of being wider
at the bottom We're narrower than at the
top and therefore particularly dangerous
when the earth around them was removed
These conditions were known to those |
in charge of the subway work before [
came into office, The work about the
City Han was virtually at a standstll
pending some agreement as to the method
Of dealing with the conditions
Il went down into the work and what
/ saw convinced me that further work
would be dangerous. With the appoint-
ment OF Mr.. Twining turned the matter
over TO him entirely. He In turn con-
Armed my beliefs. Then II was that
told him TO work out other details for |
correcting the condition and avoiding the
danger that existed. / have since visited |
the excavations, and conditions existing
there are almost unbelievable were they |
not SO evident"
SEEKS HOME FOR AGED, ILL