Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-21
G,IeuIaei0l' Eyeuna Yesterday ssTls 1851
Wbv Criticism is Justii'able.

II is not a pleasant thing for news
paner to criticize public officials. out soiiae-
times il becomes a duty to do 50 unoei
oor,ain conditions. where the interests Oh
The public are at stake and necessity
,,,;res il We referred last week to the oe-
.Iarob,o situation as regards tratfc> con-
d;tions now existing between "iia'
known as the north side ana the cr9
.o,,tb of the Brandywine, resulting from
rho rebuilding of Washington brloee' 'tie
g. o;Irre Of the proper officials to nave ,iie
Van Buren, street bridge repaired IN 'iiie
~ relieve some of the traffic ana 'io
f,,h,rc of the Levy Court to bring apou'
tho same result in the new b. x y. prloRe'
Tho combined result of which has been 70
,hro,, all traffic of every kind north ana
south over the Market,street bridge. Ing
stuation IS attracting vast amount "a
oo,,,r,ent none Of which is the least ccln-
,,I;,,,o,+.rv 10 the officials responsible ior
same
For there appears to be no question %
resnonsibihty. Plans for rebuilding WASH
;ngton bridge have been under way ~
sa,,oral nonths, and the same sltua'i0h
ex;sted regarding the new B. x y. orldge.
Van Buren street bridge has been IN pau
slsape for two wears. or longer. ne ,Slnu
4 . child could have imagined what "oo
bannen with these improvements "A
ba;nq made at once and traffic thrown
- tho Market street bridge. And yet
the present situation has been periili''eN
10 develop.
The question is now being raised as 70
iust how long the bridge at Market s'Iees
,.;ll stand mn under the steady STRAIN o.
traffic which it is now forced 10 take care
of Not that the bridge is weak Tor II y
not but the flooring is in none too good q
condition and surely will be worn ou'
before u months have passed. van
Furep street bridge will take care OF pos
siblv 10 per cent of the Vehicular tfaiil'
whom il is finally repaired, and the new
a & O. bridge probably 10 per cent more,
Market street bridge must be depehoe"
rron 10 take care of the bulk CT all traii'c
north and south until the new bridge as
Washington street is finally completed
Incidentally. our attention has been
called To the fact that Eighteenth street
extending along the park and the onIS
logical route to reach the new b. q y
bridge Is now being dug out. preparatory
70 laying q new surface. One naturabs
wonders why this was not done sometime
ago. so that when the new bridge 10 Liz
north IS opened to traffic there VIII p'
some way to reach it.
Peonle in the Ninth ward are much con
cerned as to what the Levy Court plans
IN do in connection with toot-Drldge a
West street. bids for which recently were
asked for. There are, it is stated nor'
than 200 children living IN the Ninti
uard who attend school this side OF IN
Brandvwine, not to mention SEVERE
thousand other persons who are IN IN
habit Of walking into town daily on pusi
ness Parents naturally do not desire ID
children. many of whom are small L
have to go a dozen squares or more Out
their way in all kinds of weather IN oroe
IN pet to school daily. A foot-bridge is
vital necessity, and if the Levy Cour
had shown even ordinary foresight, such
bridge would be built and IN use TO-DAY
There are other phases of this sltuatio
which only go to emphasize woefui lac
of intelligent planning on the part
public officials, and for which the publ
apDears to be in no mood to accept e.
cuses.
As stated in the beginning. It is not
pleasant thing to criticize officials wh
have charge of public interests, and Ever
Evening would much prefer that
should not be necessary TO do 50, but II
situation now existing, as outlined abov
is so entirely uncalled for, and IS workir
SO many hardships upon so many peop
that we regard it as a duty to again ca
attention to it.