Evening journal., 1916-12-07
XMAS WILL FIND
lower MARKET
ST. IN TRENCHES
Merchants Losing ThouS.
andS Of Dollars by De-
lay In Paving
THREATEN TO BRING
SUIT AGAINST CITY

They are not going 70 get Market
street below Fourth out of the
trenches before Christmas"
This was the general comment
among lower Market street mer-
chants this morning. There was
consistent report that the street paw
ing work had been abandoned entire
ly until after the first of the year and
this report almost started a pan C
among the merchants who are so vi
tally affected. While both representa-
iives of the Street and Sewer Depart
ment and the Union Paving Company,
he contractors, deny this report they
were unable tC give any positive as
surance that the work would be COM
pleted in time TO open the street for
vehicular traffic before Chr stmas
They laid all the blame for the delay
20 the shortage OF cars whicn has stop
ped the sh pment of the bricks.
IN the meantime merch0n on Mar
ket street below Fourth are losing thou
sands of dollars each day, with no pros
poets of relief Au omobiles are unable
10 get down Market street below
Fourth, and much of the business of
NthcsC mcrchan is cut of because of this
fact. The merchants are so incensed
over the state of affairs that thev arc
ready 20 put the entire blame up to the
city through the Street and Sewer De.
parmc't. They say the city should pay
the bill and there are threats of suits for
damages because of the loss of business
The merchants are unable to account
for the great delay in this work. which
was arted weeks ago. Some of them
stated this morning that they had beer
assured by directors of the Stree. and
sewer Department that the work would
DE completed and the street opened by
Thanksgiving Day. This was not don,
ard now the prospects are that il viii
not be opened before Christmas. Tn,
loss 20 many mecchants will run int,
thousands Of dollars, as their usual au
tomobile trade can not get 80 thei
stores In their machines.
II was also reported this
mornini that the bricks that
are TO be used on Market street
lad not even been burned" at the
plant Of the Westport Faying Brick
Company. Baltimore. where they are
being manufactured and that conse-
quertly no shipments could Dc made
Market street merchants are no,
only complaining about the work not
being completed. but also say bricks
and other material are allowed to re-
main on the streets and at intsrsec-
tions which interiors with customers
getting to and from their stores. In
some instances It was pointed out
persons getting on cars are required
10 walk around a pile Of brick or ma
terra; before they can reach the pave
ment. The Street and Sewer Depart
r,ont has promised % remedy this in.
reference today.
Street Commissioner Frank W
Pierson of the Street and Sewer De
partment. when seen by a reporter
for THE EVENING JOUPNAL today
stated that the Market street meT
chants or the public at large coulC
not feel any worse than the member
of that department over the delay II
the lower Market street paving work
He stated that the contractors. th'
Union Paving Company have beei
greatly handicapped by lack Of mate
rial. First, he said, they could no
get sufficient gravel and sand and nov
the shortage Of cars is holding up tn
work. Mr.. Pierson explained that
the bricks could be obtained the act
ual work of paving Market street be
low Fourth could be completed il
three days. lie denied that there wa
any intention or thought Of stoppin
the work until. the first Of the yea
hut that 1t would be rushed as fas
as the bricks arrived. The entire dc
lay now, he said, is due to shortag
Continued on o"ge .