Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-17
P. R. T. LEASE UNFAIR TO CITY,
DIRECTOR TWINING STILL INSTS!
Director Twining said

the advantages that engineers enjoy who
can express themselves clearly and rom
vincingy Engineers, general speaking, are
mainly concerned with the ascertainment
Of fact, from which all true reasoning be-
gins.
Huxley said. Theory sometimes becomes
a tragedy because beautiful hypothesis
is slain by an ugly fact That Is too often
the case with the engineer; he blurts out
the ugly fact. and 1t is unpalatable, where
as, II he had the felicity Of expression to
present his facts In an attractive way the
results might be more satisfactory. 1 can
best illustrate this by reciting an incident
Of some four thousand years ago. as re-
lated by Doctor Ebers in An Egyptian
Princess
There was king in Egypt named
Snefru who ruled in Memphis. And IT came
to pass that he dreamed, and he sent for
the sootnsayers and told them the dream.
The first interpreter answered. Woe unto
thee, o King All thy kinsmen shall die be-
fore thee" Then was Snefru wroth caused
this messenger Of evil to be scourged and
sent for a second interpreter. He an
swered, 20 King. live forever! Thy life shall
be longer than the life of thy kinsmen and
the men of thy house." Then the King
smiled and gave presents unto this inter-
prefer. for though the interpretations were
! one. vet he had clothed his message in a
web of fair and pleasant words
The first of those interpreters blurted
out the truth blunty as an engineer might,
while the other presented It with the charm
Ing peisuasiveness so characteristic of an
accomplished lawyer.
AS an engineer, have striven TO learn
the facts affecting our transit conditions,
with view Of securing the best trans
portation available. though / realize my
inability to present my conclusions as hap
PLY as should like; therefore. I crave
your indulgence.
WITH OPEN MINDS
This transit problem should be consid-
cred with open, dispa ssionate minds free
from selflshness. bias and prejudice; re-
ceptive only to reliable and convincing evil
dence; keeping before us the great and
immortal truth, They who err in vision
stumble in Judgment
First. we must face the facts and rea-
son from true basis to arrive at souno
conclusions. Confusion reigns now because
the people cannot reconcile the statements
OF today with the assurances of the past.
| On October l. 1913. the Director of the
Department of City Transit published this
| statement:
The recommended transit facilities will
| not only produce sufficient revenue to pay
the interest on the citys investment. but also
return to the city the total cost thereof. in
due course. and the city will ultimately be-
come the woner Of all of these facilities
| free of Indebtedness. as a great municipal
| ihSohic piOuuCiUs investment.
PUBLIC WONDERING
"The public is now wondering why that
| promise cannot be realized The transit
| program as formulated at that time was
| more modest and had not expanded into the
| ambitious program that has since been
| authorized.
"Comprehensively and tersely stated to-
| day, the fact stands that the transit pro-
| gram as now authorized will impose a
| Y1,,Ia ho h1r fha ri ~ or
| the operating company, both.
| The city is now face to face with a
situation which was pointed out year ago
| in my report. and which involves the most
| important questions which have been be-
fore the city for decision within its entire
history.
| The questions now before the public are
deeper and broader than the mere question,
Shall tho Philadelphia Rapid Transit Com =
! pany be paid a guarantee Of i've per cent
on its stock for operating the city's sys-
| tenn?
THAT is but one of the Incidental f1nan-
cial features of the situation.
THE BIGGEST QUESTION
| Underlying the whole situation is the
desire of the city for improved and proper
| modern transit service
| "Prob9bly most of the people present, II
| asked today what the city contemplates in
| its program for transit development, would
answer that the city is committed to and
| intends to carry out the Taylor plan. If
| should ask what they understand by the
Taylor plan 1 think 1t Is doubtful IL many
| could give a clear and intelligent idea of
what that plan consists what it contem-
| plates.
PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
| Il find that many people talk enthu-
| siastically and with great heat on transit
| affairs. but when asked specific questions
| they reveal the fact that they are chiefly
| Interested in some particular phase of tho
| program affecting their personal interest.
| JOB Z. Hedges in a recent speech said
| Men amend the Constitution every day
| in language who have not even read It,
| "As pointed out year ago, the Taylor
| plan may be considered as having three
| constituent parts elements
| First. The system of high-speed lines
| running radially from the center of the
city in five different directions so as to
serve virtually all the districts of the
| city.
Second. The financial plan calling
| for these lines to be built out of city
| funds.
Third. An operating plan based on
| contract with the existing company
| by which that company shall agree to
| provide satisfactory service between
any two points within the city limits
on basis of five-cent fare, with
| free transfers.
| The first two elements of the program
| are behind us, and we have not time today
| to consider them.
| THE third element-the 'contract'-has 8
| been for the past three years a rather in
| different issue, but is now a live, active
| vital issue. for the people are at last real
| zing that this is the element which should
| have received the first consideration.
| II have been asked many times recently
| what is the cause of the long negotiations
over this contract which have not produced
| a satisfactory outcome.
IF you read the history of the lease
negotiations, starting in 1913 and continu-
ing intermittently to the present time, you
| will find that instead of the company and
the city drawing clos,r together as time
has passed they have actually diverged
md are now really further apart than they
were In 1914.
"The history of these negotiations show