Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-30
HALF MILE O. TRACK
STALLSCOIaPL
OF VITAL ROAD JOB
Trolley Rails Must be Moved to
Highways Centre Near Shellpot,
Ere Work Proceeds.
PUBLIC OPINION STIRRED

Compared with the welfare of n com
monwcalth and the good of that common.
wealth's municipalities half n mile of
douirlc trolley track ~ as n cent To n
dollar. Yet II is half a mile OF double
trolley track which is holding up rapid
conriction If the WilmipCton-Phllndel
phin turnpike n work Of vital Importance
To the entire State of Delaware, since II rs
part Of the highway system which con-
meets virtually every community IN the
State with Philadelphia, besides being n
lirk I'm the Federal government cham
Of military roadways along the Atlantic
scahoard
This is ono phase Of the situation.
Another has TO do with the travelling
public and the public opinion IT has the
power To stir up Il wants the road To
Philadclpli already well in process Of
rebuilding completed just as soon ~
possii le ard pu'llic oplrion rs rapidly
mol illzing lis forces behind that desire
The half-mile Of trackagc belongs to
the Wilmington & Philadelphia Traction
Go. ard occupies one side nf the road
Here lies the caus, of the trouble The
State Highway Commission says the
tracks must be shifted TO the center hc
fore the Job Of rebuilding along this
stretch can even hc started, let alone
firlshcd The commission has the money
10 60 ahead with Its part OF the work md
is ANXIOUS to get things under way On
IFS part the traction COMPANY has made
the plea that il has been handicapped hv
a lack of funds because il runs into
money these DAYS TO lay railroad tracks
and Nv inability TO get steel rails Just
when il wanted them
THE ComrANY's 4 ATTITUDE
None the less. The company officials
frankly say that the Job must be done
some time or either and they are equally
frank To confess that II would he much
letter il were done voluntarily and IN a
spirit of cooperation with the state High
way Commission rather than through
y. l;irgs from pulhc cpirion Evidence
of thus attitude of far more convincing
nature than word Of mouth is TO hc seen
IN the fact that the company + engineers
are making and by now may have
finished estimates rs to the cost of
moving the rails
This state cf mind. IT would seem,
leaves the company virtually committed
10 the Job. The only item of the situation
left 10 be considered. therefore, appears
TO be the very vital one Of when il will get
done The travelling public and It's sup
State lghway Commission, think that
unless this happens by spring, so that the
road-hnilding project may 10 oa ~ conn
plction, very great injustice will he done
Iow vital to the road-buildinR project
this small stretch Of track-troublcd high
way is can be understood by glance over
the Highway Commissions plans. Begin
ming at the State line at Claynont the
enc Contem plates FIST t-ciass highway
for the heaviest sort Of trati4c, carrying
II southwark as far rs Shclipot Park
From this point to the VI iir.Ington city
line the plans provide for a similar road-
way. but with the trolley company $
tracks in the center snd not on the side
And IL Is from Shellpot TO the city line
that this half-nie stretch of track lies.
Just now il is iearsome thing-bone-
racking, spring-raeking. tire-raebng.
Once the rails are shifted and the new
road laid travelling over II viii be like
riding upon bllhard-table basis
THE ROAD SOUTHWARK.
With this very important Improvement
out of the wav and the New Castle cause
way put into good condition, there would
be a continuous excellent road all the way
from Philadelphia through Wilmington to
SMYRNA And with the work being done
between Smyrna and Dover this Ihiladel-
pi.ia- " ilmington-Snyrna highway would
extend all the way TO the State capital in
very shOIt time.
OF course everything depends upon the
hall nile of roadway between Sbellpot
Park and the city line and the transfer of
the trolley tracks from the side of tie road
to the center If it remains In its present
shape there viii be very dlsgraceiul, dls-
jointing and dismal gap which will mar
the pleasure OF all who travel it, not to
speak of menacing them with danger
furthermore and this is something the
State and its people cannot afford to
ignore there will be large financial and
sentimental loss to Delaware by reason
of motorist trafhc stunning the road and
going around Wilmington by way of Penn
sylvania and Maryland roads the Media
Conowingo route.
And 50 what appears to be only
trivial thing half-mile of trolley track
becomes q matter of very large and
luminous Importance.