Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-01
CONVENTION HALL
FOR CHESTNUT ST.
New Structure to Face Inde-
pendence Hall Urged
by Association
WOULD BRING PILGRIMS
Advertising Power of Liberty
Shrine Location Called to
City's Attention

Philadelphia's now Convention Hall
should face Independence Han old build
ings now facing the historic structure
should be torn down and an auditorium
erected i'm their place that can be advertised
all over the United states as facing the
Cradle of Liberty" Morris Il. Conn.
Eighth Ward Common Councilman, spor-
sorod the plan at the bimonth.y dinner Of
the Chestnu; Street Association at Kugler's
last night
The city already has Convention Hall site
on the Parkway. between Twenty-hrst and
Twenty-second and Hamilton streets, and
was prepared to advertise for bids for an
elaborate structure there. when the Supreme
Court decided a contract could not he award
ed in excess of 81 500 0O0 the amount au-
thorized by the voters to be borrowed for
that purpose. The original plans called for
an auditorium to cost between 81. .OO0, 900
and S4,OOOOOO.
Plans for a smaller Convention Hall then
were prepared Business interests criticized
the plan and Mayor Smith and his admins
ration heads have not yet made any de-
cision
FOR PATRIOTIC PILGRIMS
Philadelphia merchants could then boom
Philadelphia he said. and begin cam
paign to have delegations come here from
other cities on what he termed patriotic
ptlgrimages.' Much Of the city's pros
perity depends upon its visiting purchasing
population, he said.
The association. which is composed Of
Chestnut street business men. is waging a
campaign to have Chestnut street paved
with wooden blocks from the Delaware to
the SChuyltill river to have work begun
on new delivery loop and incidentally is
seeking to increase its membership to 500.
The United States" said Mr.. Conn lis
a nation of travellers. Thousands of people
pass through Phlade'p phia daily on their
way to New York and other large cities, and
do not stop here because they do not know
that Philadelphia can satisfy their needs.
That is because Philadelphia has been ad-
vertised in an improper manner. They think
that IL is a city Of factories, and no one
wants to spend little pleasure trip visiting
factories. The problem is to get the visitors
here, so that Philadelphia may reap some Of
the advantages Of the enormous amount OF
money that is spent annually in other large
cities by persons who live in outlying sec
tions"
SCORES CHESTNUT STREET SEWERS
DR.. Edward =. Gleason, president OF
Common Council said the sewerage system
that serves Chestnut street was entirely
inadequate and the quantity of dust and
dirt blown about in dry weather into the
noses and mouths of pedestrians is as cap
able of producing disease as If deposited
on food by flies He also said the water
supply was inadequate; in many cases II
Is impossible to get water above the third
story and not infrequenty it will not rise
above the second floor. He urged the
creation of a municipaI district comprising
the wards bordering on Chestnut street and
making II illegal to divert more than just
proportion of the revenues raised by taxa
ton of that district Chestnut street, ht
said, paid one.tenth Of the taxation of the
entire. city.
Elwood Chapman, president of the or
ganzation, presided. He set forth the
needs of Chestnut street and urged thai
every member help to make it the repre-
sentative street Of Philadelphia