Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-28
MAYOR PUTS TIME
LIMIT ON BIDDERS
Transit Contractors Have
Till Thursday Noon to
Sign Instruments
CONFERS WITH TWINING
Penalty Clauses for Delay Cause
Firms to Hesitate About
Accepting Work

The contracting firms of McNichol and
Ware. which bid the subway work of
the high-speed transit system will have to
decide definitely by noon Thursday whether
they will sign the contracts for this work
as they now stand.
The heads of the three firms concerned
In the bidding were notified to this effect
this afternoon by Mayor Smith after he
had held lengthy conference with Tran
sit Director Twining.
Bids for the work total $4,000. 900. OF
this amount Senator McNichol's keystone
State Construction Company had been
awarded work amounting to sil,00O,00o
The other firms are the Wares Philadelphia
Subway Contracting Company and Smith
Hauser & McIsac. of New York.
All of the bidders have objected to sign
Ing the contracts. for the reason that they
carry penalties for delays The contrac-
tors say they expect obstacles on account OF
the scarcity of labor and materials Never
theless the contracts cannot be altered.
DELAY IN l. STATIONS
1t was learned this afternoon that an
other delay had been encountered because
no one has bid on the work Of constructing
the elevated stations on the FrankfOrd line.
Director Twining said that bids for build
ing the stations separately would be asked
for
II was announced that representatives
of the newspapers would be invited TO the
contractors conference with the Mayor on
Thursday.
When asked II he had discussed the oppo-
sition to the proposed lease with the Mayor
Mr. Twining said that phase of the matter
1.l II.
cussed plans for doing the real work." he
said.
Asked II he were surprised by the oppo-
sition to the transit lease, Mayor Smith
said:
NO. I'm not philosopher. ] do not ex-
pect every one TO agree with me. When the
hearing takes place on September 7 it will
be found that the administration is merely
trying to serve the people"
MORE JOIN LEASE FIGHT
Two more associations. one in North and
the other in West Philadelphia. have Joined
the fight against the Smth-Mitten transit
lease. Resolutions have been adopted
unanimously by both organizations urging
the elimination OF the extra-charge eX-
change ticket approving the adoption OF
universal transfers and voicing opposition
to the proposed new lease generally.
The, North Philadelphia meeting was
At a special meeting called last night
II was arranged to send a delegation to the
councilmanc hearing on September to
protest against the proposed lease. Resou-
tions were passed opposing four specific
provisions of the new draft:
Legalizing the eight-cent exchange
tickets;
Suggestions of the abolition Of the free
transfers with an increase In the fare;
Guarantee of 8 per cent on the capital
stock of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit
Company, and
Provision for the appointment of a
supervising board of three men,
George ID. NJ. Swift, secretary of the
North Philadelphia association. said today
that number Of other points were objec-
tionable TO the members of the organization,
but no action would be taken upon them
until they had been discussed more at
length.
Guy L. Aber presided at the meeting
held In the Fortieth Ward. The resolutions
were adopted without delay. They follow {.
Resolved That we. the free and inde-
pendent citizens of the Fortieth Ward,
assembled this 27th day Of August. 1917.
with membership of 1900. hereby de-
clare opposition to the new transit lease
as being against the best interests OF
philadelphia; and be 1t further
Resolved That the secretary be in
structed TO notify Mayor Smith and the
newspapers of the action taken by the
Independent citizens of the Fortieth
Ward and be II further
Resolved That we demand the elimina-
ti0n of the three-cent exchange as soon
~ possible, and wantsa straight hye-cent
fAre with free traasfers. Hltt
A copy of. these resolutions was given to
Mayor Smith this afternoon.