Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-06

This Is the third Of a series OF
articles on municipal affairs IN Phiio-
de'phio.1
Sixty-five contractors have applied for
specifications for the new city pier to be
built at the foot OF Kenilworth street.
Proposals will be received February II.
The pier will be the first OF a series
of port developments that will be started
this year. These improvements will cost
the city sl1.370,1S417.
Previous lettings by the Department
of Wharves. Docks and Ferries during
the years Immediately before the war
and while the conflict was under way
attracted but little attention and COM
paratively few contracting concerns en-
tered the port development field. The
rush this week for first chance at an
after-the-war contract Is believed to
mark n new era in this line of business
in Philadelphia.
Keen competition means better prices
for the city for all kinds OF labor and
material The price scale set by con-
tracing firms in their efforts to land
the first big piece of work to be let
by the city after the restoration of peace
will set a new standard and show
clearly how far the many millions the
city has available will cover the field
originally designated when the big loans
were authorized at the opening OF the
| Smith administration.
| The contract when let will furnish
employment for several hundred men,
and later contracts will double and triple
the number. Officials of the Department
of wharyes. Docks and Ferries today
authorized the statement that most OF
the work for which plans have been
prepared will be put under contract
during the last eleven months of the
present administration.
Big Harbor Betterment Plans
The 1919 schedule of port activities.
In addition to the awarding of the con-
tract and the starting OF work on the
Kenilworth street pier. includes many
classes of improvements along both river
fronts. The largest part of the con-
struction program. and one for which
scouncilmanic approval has been OBJ
tanned. provides for the building OF
seven large piers south of the new NC
Kean street pier. forming what will be
known as the Greenwich terminal.
Plans and specifications have already
been prepared for the piers at Porter and
Wolf streets, the first of this series.
Work partly under way calls for the
completion OF the pier at Cherry street,
the preparation of sites for dredging
and bulkheading for piers to be later
constructed. the building Of pier at
Penn Treaty Park new pier at Ale
gheny avenue, new pier at Bridge
street and a new pier at Comfy street.
Other activities that will engage the
department in this and in succeeding
90 In,
ment for the new piers, the dredging
Of Frankford Creek, the maintenance
Of standard depth about piers by con
tinued dredging. the buikheading of thu
Schuylkill River and the improvement
and enlargement of a number Of existing
piers.
Employment for Many Assured
All OF these activities will furnish
employment for large numbers of men
and. taken in conjunction with the worl
in which the department is cooperating
with other municipal departments, sucl
as providing ample avenues of access
to piers and water fronts and the i'm
provement of land, space, affordng or
portunty for future location of indus
trial establishments near the Greenwich
terminal, will make wharves. docks ant
ferries one of the largest employers O
/. | labor in the city.
Philadelphia is the second port of tn,
United States, and since the creation o
the Department of Wharves, Docks ant
Ferries July 1. 1907. the city has an
propriated to il loan funds totaling SIS,
403,26O From this grand total owe
s11 900 900 remains unspent.
The loan program for port improve
ment to date is as follows: Loan, Jul,
8, 1907, for acquiring property and i'm
provement of wharves. $1,000, 900; LOAF
, of July ~. 1910, for repairs to piers
etc, $4,000: loan of october II. 1905
for the construction of a bulkhead alonI
the easterly side of Delaware avenue. il
, the vicinity of South street, $4,000
loan of July I, 1903, for the improve
ment of the Delaware and Schuylkil
| River fronts and channels, 100000
loan of June 10, 1911, for the completion
Of the Vine street pier and toward tn
! construction of Dock street pier AM
repairs to various structures, 100000
loan of May o. 1912, for the maintenance
, of boats and repairs to piers. $1,000; loal
/ of February 20. 1913. for the acquisi
ton OF such piers needed for harbor i'm
provements and the construction OF sue
wharves, etc, as Councils may author
ize. $500, 900 loan Of June 22, 1914
for the purchase of grounds, preparation
| of plans and for preliminary construc
tion work for pier at or near Mckeal
street. 100000.
Recent Loans Add Millions
The most recent loan authorization