Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-20
Fail to Force
Mayor on Bridge
Continued from rage One

preparation of plans and estimates
Councilman Buchholz, the next
speaker, aroused that is rare in Council.
round of appaurc from his colleagues
by speech declaring his opposition to
buying a pig in II poke"
II am not ready" said Buchholz
TO vote for bridge at any place or
at any price. ! have not forgotten the
Taylor plan for city wide transit
system which was adopted in ten or fif :
teen minutes in meetings of business
mems associations. These plans are
now a stumbling block. We have to
know the cost of this bridge. am not
surprised that the Mayor may have had
change of mind in this or other re =
spects.
~ have heard inaugural addresses for
twenty years and no Mayor has been
able to do all that he said he would
do as Mayor cannot look ahead six
months or year.
Councilman Hall said that even il
the borrowing capacity were affected. it
would not make much difference. for
the reason that this city's share would
be somewhere between $4,000. 900 and
500 .000. 900.
Hall pointed out that the city's Dor.
rowing capacity this year was S44 900, e
600. and that next year IL would be at
last $4,000. 900 r1--1.
Councilman Gaffncy again arose and
in brief but spirited address warned
against the alleged efforts of certain
interests" to defeat the bridge project.
Let us put stop to the ugly rrI :
mors that big interests are behind the
opposition he said. LET us not be
a party to tomfoOlery. You will not
be able to spend one cent Of tho state $
money until the enabling ordinance has
been passed. A taxpayer. furthermore,
ran go into court and prevent the spend
ing of this 100000 until the enabling
ordinance has been passed.
Gaffney's Resolution
Mr., GaffnCy's resolution follows:
"Whereas. The Mayor. in his in
augural address. emphatically and un
IUualitiodly declared for an immediat,
I start upon the plans and work of erect
ing and constructing n bridge across the
Delaware river. and
Whereas. On January II, which is
III" only time the Mayor has visited
Council, h. appeared to specifically urge
In" speedy passage of an enabling ordi
nance, which the city solicitor was then
preparing. to definitely commit the city
t" tn" Delaware river bridge project
and
Whereas, At meeting Of the joint
bridge commission held in the Mayor
otfic" on Thursday, July Is. directly
or indirectly the failure to initiate tht
work upon the bridge was laid at tn,
door Of Council because it had no,
passed an enabling ordinance. and
"Wh"rcas, There is now in the com
mitter Of public works such an cnablinl
ordinance drafted in the Office Of thu
city solicitor and transmitted to Coun
eli by the Mayor, appendix No. 100
thc passage of which will formally no
tfy the people of the commonwealth
Of Pennsylvania and New Jersey tina
Philadelphia will join with them il
Undertaking this great interstate i'm
Improvement, therefore be it
Resolved, That Council now take
ro"oss for ten minutes and that th
chairman of the public works commit
T." call his committee together for tn
purpos" Of reporting back to Council
today this enabling ordinance
The Mayor outlined his Views on th
bridge project in u letter accompanying
tn" 100000 resolution. Th" lette
follows
lHe NdyOT bCttcl
Pursuant to a meeting Of the join
bridge committee, ! again respectfully
draw the attention of your honOrabl
body to tho urgency due to the inCreas
in population of Philadelphia and Cam
den and vicinity and the congestion o
traffic at the ferries, of furthcriug plan
aud construction work so far as II ma
be done in fairness to the city and tn
taxpayers.
I'm my inaugural message ] laid thi
matter before you. and on April 4
after rough estimates had been secured
showing considerable variation i
costs. | submitted TO you an ordinanc
signifying the acquiescence Of the city q
Philadelphia in the act NJ Assembly. s
that If the city were to join with tn
states of Pennsylvania and New Jer
sey we might proceed intelligently an
by warrant of law.
That having been passed and tn
estimates of costs Of the bridge havin
varied from $4,000 900 to more tina
S66 600 900 and prices for labor an
materials being higher than ever befor
in our history, I advised the joint com
mission at a recent meeting that
would be necessary for your honorab
body to justify the proceeding befor,
as Mayor, | would authorize the ex
penditure Of any part Of the $3.50, ,0O
provided for in the ordinance on No
yember IL, 1919.
II did agree, however, to bring tn
matter again to your attention in sue
form as TO assist. II possible, In get
ting the preliminary work started with
out prejudice TO the right of Council
determine whether It should finally pal
the enabling ordinance binding the cit
finally TO its full share OF the cost