Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-16
SOON TO ASK BIDS
ON BROAD ST. TUBE
Assistant Transit Director
Atkinson Tells of Rapid
Progress on Plans
DELAY ON FRANKFORT az"
Due to Increase i'm Cost of Labor
and Material-Taylor Ques-
tions Twining's Figures

George r. Atkinson Assistant Director OF
City Transit. today announced that the
plans of the department had progressed 50
far on the Broad street subway portion or
the system that bids for the section north
from city Hall TO Girard avenue would soon
he asked for.
We have several sections Of the Broad
street subway work in such shape that bids
for their construction will soon be asked.
said Mr.. Atkinson. THE flrsr OF these Will
cover the section extending from the Ftlbert
street building line to Grard avenue. We
shall advertise for bids on this section with
in a couple of months. Then, when the
bids are opened. we shall be able to start
work soon as we receive a certificate
from the Public Service Commission.
There are several other sections of the
Broad street subway and the system gener-
ally upon which We are working at TINS
time. Some OF these are so far progressed
that the plans are nearly complete and
the advertising OF bids for the work will
soon follow. one Of these Is the Frankford
elevated.
There has evidently been a misunder-
standing on the part of the public as to
what Director Twning said before the
Public Service Commission regarding this
line. The Director told the commissioners
that the sum apportioned to this worI;
would suffice. under present material and
labor prices. TO complete eighty to eighty
five per cent of the line between Dyre and
Rhawn streets He did refer at all to
the entire route. but only TO the extreme
upper section north of Dyre street
For my own part I believe that prices
just now are at their pinnacle, and 1t may
he possible to build not only 10 a point
eighty-flve per cent above Dyre street but
to the Rhawn street terminus. IL prices
should fall from their present topnotch
DELAY on FRANKFORT ~"
THE construction Of the Frankford ee-
waited above Bridge street cannot he start
cd at this time under any circumstances.
There are legal difficulties TO he smoothed
out. Besides, the road itself is not paved
or graded, and these matters must be ad-
justed and the curb lines determined be
fore we could set up posts or start the
work Of actual construction. We are MAX
ing good progress in our cooperation with
tho Department of Public Works in this
connection,
Il only wish the people could understand
the exact conditions of the rapid transit
plan. If they could only come here and
talk over these different phases that have
to be gone over and Strengthened out, in |
stead of forming conclusions based on state |
mcntS of unauthorized or poorly informed |
persons 1t would be mutually beneficial |
The Department Of Transit is committed
to give the people the system of transit for |
which they voted and it has never departed
fl ON that course. There seems to be q |
disposition to think that we have abandoned |
the Taylor plan. We have not done so, and |
Director Twining has never favored any |
'bobtailing' or reducing of that system.
1--WE are proceeding along the lines origi- |
nally laid down, but the people must remem- |
her that the cost of materials has gone up |
considerably since the first estimates were |
ha
Hall loop under contract 101 cost $50 a |
ton The lowest estimate on contract lO2, |
the last section awarded was at $120 a ton, |
an increase of 100 per cent.
NO MERGING BALANCE"
There is another item in the Frankford |
elevated work that calls for explanation.
The estimated cost for construction was |
s.. 900 900. while S7,400,000 was set aside |
for the line. This seems to show a margin |
Of 81, 100000. When the engineering ex-
penses the cost of stations, flooring and |
other details are considered, it can readily |
be seen that there will be no merging bal |
Ance from this section, Similar misunder- |
standing has arisen in other work for which |
contracts have been awarded. The City |
Hall loop, for instance, as contracted for |
hereby the hole in the ground |
There is much other work yet to be done |
out of the money set aside for that portion |
Of the Broad street section"
Director Twining is in Boston today and |
is not expected at his office before Monday |
He is attending a convention OF engineers. |
1t was pointed out at the Directors Of |
fce that the awards made for transit work |
thus far have all been within the estimated |
sums set aside in the Taylor prospectus |
Of 1915 for the particular work. Indeed, |
il was declared, 1t would be illegal to award |
any contract at figure exceeding the sum |
set apart for the specified work.
~
ming that there will he a deficit OF s2S,000,- |
900 above the s63. 100. 900 now available for ]
transit If the entire high-speed program Is
carried on have been questioned by former |
Transit Director A. Merritt Taylor, In |
telegram from Port Sewel Fla.
THE TAYLOR MESSAGE
The telegram from Mr.. Taylor follows:
Estimates of the cost OF construction of |
The subway and elevated railway lines, eA- |
elusive of equipment. appear on page 23 OF |
the annual report OF the Department OF |
city Transit for 1915. These estimates
we're compiled under the direction of II. H, |
Quimby, chief engineer of the department |
They then were checked and approved by |
william S. Twining and j. A. Emery, con- |
sulting engineers. They were based upon |
prices of labor and materials current in |
November, 1915. Considerable advance in |
costs OF labor and materials had then taken |
place.
"I have always relied implicitly upon the |
and accuracy OF these est- |
mates They included ample allowance for |
normal contingencies II the construction |
Of the system be carried out in accord with |
The plans which have been adopted by the |
vote of the people.
THE large excess in amount Of money |
provided for transit development above the |
estimates should be ample for that purpose, |
provided this constructive enterprise be con- |
Quoted in a prudent and frugal manner.
'It has always been the plan that the |
city build and an operating company, pref |
erably the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Com |
pany equip the hgh-speed system 1t was |
never contemplated by any one that the |
city should equip the system.
"AIl construction contracts awarded by |
the department while ! was Director were |
awarded at prices materially below the |
figures upon which the estimates herein |
to were based.
"I believe the satisfactory proposition |
OF the Philadelphia Rapid Transit should
be accepted without undue delay and that
the mandate of the people which has been