Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-09
'TECLOGCED RIVER
/, BOOSTS BRDcEPLAN
Strongest Argument in Favor
of Combating Natural OBJ
/. stacles to Traffic
COvERNOR EDGES PLEA
Message to Ne wJersey Legislature
Urges Necessity for Interstate
:, Structure

with the Delaware River In the con-
Alton II has been for the last week or
. two and with the interference with
y hoth passenger and freight traffic pe-
tween Philadelphia and Camden by the
Ire foes that jam the stream from shore
10 shore. there is no better argument
advanced for bridge between the two
cities than the present situation. Ask
sny of the thousands of men and wo-
men who commute between the two
clties or the business men whose drays
and motor trucks are helplessly tied up
either at the ferry or In mdstream. an6
avery single one of them will admit
villingly and freely that the best thins
n the world is huge structure that
will span the big ice-clogged stream.
But bridges where two States are in
4 xolvcd and where the National Gov
ernment has to be shown. are dependent
4 mon necessary commissions to inquire
. into the need and practicability OF such
. project.
Governor Edge. of New Jersey, and
the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Della
ware River Bridge commissions are a
trife at odds SO far as that important
\ project is concerned. Yesterday the New
Jersey Governor in his annual message
TO the Legislature urged legislation for
the immediate building of the bridge
between this city and Camden. James
=. Lennon, president of Select Council,
who is secretary of the Delaware River
7. Bridge and Tunnel Commission of Penn
sylyania. today said that at recent
ioint conference of the Pennsylvania and
New Jersey Commission it was tacitly
understood that the building of the big
bridge at this time was neither practical
Z nor feasible.
Mayor Smith is, chairman Of the State
commission. and the other members are
John T. windrim, the architect. and Al
fred Il. Burk. of Burk Brothers. They
were appointed by Governor Brumbaugh
following the passage of the Conner law
\ creating the commission, and at the same
time the last Legislature voted an ap-
propriation of $4,000 for expenses.
'"The Pennsylvania and the New Jersey
commissions had meeting recently
said Mr.. Lennon, "and while no actual
vote was taken, 1t was felt and under.
stood that while we are plunged In this
big war it would not be practicable al
this time to build the bridge. The Gov.
ernment Is communicating steel ant
other building material. labor is difficult
to obtain, and in view of the unusua
condition of affairs the building of the
bridge at this time was net thought tc
4 be practicable"
n "The State Commission was appoint
cd to consider the feasibility of the piai
and there must be u lot of work done be
fore there is any actual construction
All the commission can do is to repor
its findings to the next Legislature
which meets year from now. We ar,
working on the project and it is a larg'
one"
x "Is the opposition to the bridge on tn,
Philadelphia side of the river dyinl
out?" he was asked.
"The commission has nothing to dc
with that. Officially we know nothing
about any opposition, II there is any
Inasmuch as the Delaware River Is
navgable stream the United States Gov
ernment must be consulted before an,
bridge Is built Some seem to thinl
that 1t can be built overnight. but nat
urally, 1t will take a long time. and th
money necessary for its construction
must be voted by the two Legislatures
and 1t is necessary to convince boil
Legi gi-latures that the bridge is not onl.
needed. but is an engineering posi-
bility.
zone thing both commissions are vir
tualy agreed upon. and that Is tnat tn
tunnel project is not practicable"