Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-06
MAKE A THOROUGH JOB OF 1T

TIlE only criticism that can be made
L Of cleanup week is that its program
is not comprehensive enough.
IIouscholdcrs are asked to gather all
the old and wornout stuff IN their houses
and all the rubbish that has accumulated
during the year, both inside and outside,
and put it in covered rcccptacIcS ON tho
sidewalk ON stated day, 50 that the
teams Of the cleaning contractors may
CART it away.
This plan clears the houses Of much
stuff. But there is much more that
might with profit be disposed Of. The
Closets in some houses arc filled with
womcn's garments no longer in fashion
or with suits of mems clothing which
have been kept on the chance thai they
might be worn again some time. They
are not worn. They accumulate from
year to year and gather dust and attract
moths. What has not been given away
this winter to be disposed of at rummagc
sales for charity might we'll be sent to the
emergency relief committee for the
benefit of war sufferers ir Europe or for
the better clothing of needy families in
our own city, the identity Of which can
be learned from any Of the charitable Or
ganizations.
But what is of greatest Importance is
that we should clean our minds of the
rubbish we have allowed to accumulate in
them and make room for the larger
thinking in which we must indulge if
Philadelphia is to face the future pre-
pared for the inevitable problems which
it will unfold. We had a population of
only $4,000 forty years ago. Today we
have 100000. If plans for a city of
100000 had been made in 1880 traffic
would not be suffering from the conges-
tion that is its bane today
We know as surely as we know any
thing that within the next forty years
the city will have a population of 3,50O,-
OOO that the small buildings in the busi-
ness center will be displaced by ten and
twenty story structures and that the men
and women working in them viii find it
difficult to move along the streets or be
accommodated in the trolley cars or sub
WAYS unless something is done in time to
widen the streets or to increase the num-
Der Of Subways or to build great trans
verse boulevards leading from the con-
gcsted center to the outlying districts.
The growth of the business Of the rapid
transit company ought to convince US of
the certainty of expansion. In 1910 only
445,OO0,0 900 passengers were carried by
the street cars. This number had in
creased to $4,000, 900 last year, or a gain
Of nearly 70 per cent in eight years. 1t
is not surprising, therefore, that we have
to hang on to a strap or that at night it
frequently takes fifteen minutes for a
trolley car to move from Sixth street to
Broad.
We canno; make the necessary plans
nor can we carry them out unless we
clear our minds of d-fashioned ideas
and begin to harbor those visions with
out which no man or city ever grew
great. We must stop congratulating
ourselves on our rate Of progress and
begin TO ask ourselves why we do not
move forward with greater speed. If
we gained $4,000 in population last year
let US make the city so attractive that we
shall gain $4,000 this year and 100000
next year.
We can do it if we choose to engage
wholc-heartedly in the business of a
mental cleanup.