Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-16
|lAYOR READY
IOHONOR CITY'S
CHOICE in HALL
Declares Peoples Wish Will
Be Respected in Conven-
tion Auditorium
10 GET WHAT THEY WANT
Structure to Seat $4,000 More in
Line With Desire of Busi-
ness Interests

Whatever sized Convention Hall the busi-
ness interests of the city demand they VIII
get, as Mayor Smith stands ready at any
time to abandon plans for building with
4 seating capacity of only 5000 persons
This fact was established today, when the
Mayor assured members of the Fairmount
Park Commission and citizens interested in
building control exercised by the Art Jury
that the plan made public ten days ago was
more of ''feeler' than anything definite.
with fourteen months of his administra-
tion behind him. the Mayor is anxious to
get something done, and this fact. added
10 the general demand for Convention
Hall resulted in the suggestion for small
building to come within the sum or 81, ,43o,-
600 available for construction work. In
putting forth the tentative plan for small
building the Mayor was guided, in part,
by City Hall advisers. who assured him
that the average convention held in the
city does not attract more than from fve
hundred to "A thousand delegates and that
therefore building with seating capacity
of 5000 would be adequate. lie was also
assured that only a building of this size
could be constructed ornate and handsome
enough to be placed on the Parkway
When a storm of protest resulted from
the suggestion 10 build a small Convention
Hall instead of the one the Mayor had at
first in view. which would have had seat
ing capacity of $1,000. or about 1000 less
than Madison Square Garden in New York,
the Mayor planned a number of conferences
with those most interested in the plan and
with others, such members of the Art
Jury and Park Commission, who will have
20 pass on the plans before they can be
finally approved and actual construction
started.
10 adj ha Ma1vn tool
the possibility of constructing a building
Of brick and steel or steel and concrete that
could be built within the limit of SLABS. 900
on hand for the purpose The ornate con-
struction planned for the small 5000 capa-
city building was dropped from consdera-
tion and building plain but safe and sub
etantial in character was made the subject
Of careful thought.
In the event OF a concerted demand for a
large Convention Hall the cheaper charac-
ter OF construction which the Mayor has
been assured will prove adequate will be
resorted to, or 1t may even become neces-
sary to wait another year until additional
funds can be provided by popular loan
This latter delay the Mayor has been as
sured will not be necessary If brick steel
md concrete be resorted to instead of gra-
Mite marble, bronze and other costly ma
terials Planned to go into the makeup of
the Convention Hall for 5000 people.
UP TO THE PEOPLE
On the question of adequacy the Mayor
declared he would be guided by the con-
s1ensus of popular opinion He said that,
although he believed a hall with seating
capacity of 5000 people would be adequate
Tor most occasions, he understood fully that
II might not prove of sufficient size in the
event of such affairs as national political
conventions and other great gatherings. His
dnal action, he declared. would be guided
entirely by general demand.
Members Of the Chamber of Commerce
and of other civic bodies are anxious that a
convention hall with a total capacity of
sunicient size to make it one of the great
est, II not the greatest. in the country be
built. This monster hail. they contend
could be so arranged as to shut off whole
sections when small conventions are being
neid. This idea was first Incorporated in
the convention hall project, but was aban-
oourts, II was found that only loan moneys
now available could be used for contracts.
SMALL-HALL PLAN DOOMED
& SO certain are many city officials that the
email convention hall plan will fail that
extensive plans for using for years to come
the Commercial Museum buildings are even
now under way. officials in charge of the
DIG exhibition buildings along the Schuyl
XIII River say that these buildings alone
would be almost as serviceable as a more
ornate small structure along the Parkway
NO matter what final decision is reached
II Is certain that Philadelphia for several
years 10 come will not be in a position to
compete with ther great cities for conyen-
tiohs OF national importance or size.