Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-08
Letters to the Editor
Tho DANGEROUS Ferries

To the Editor Of ths Evening PaoHc Ledger!
Sir-''Ferry Danserous. Need Bridge
Now. Mayor Testlnes In the
EVENING Puhtio LspasN.
II some erea, ana Imminent public peril
threatened this part OF the country and
that peril could b warded on or averted
by The building Of bridge over the Della.
ware river l SUPPOSE that bridSe would %
nmt at onoo, Or. 10 the sateU OF oepi.
talit private property was IN, any WAY
mcnaced by the continued delay. have
no doubt the bridge would be spesdh" built
In that case. But human life 10 eneAp.
There Is nothing no cheap today az human
life. Over 5000 suicides hast YEAR IN he
United statesi Yet no ono thinks II Of
enough interest 70 think about or tnouire
into with an eye to causes: nor 90 the
acwspspcrs IN thcii capacity as inerpre.
ters Of daily events consider II worth while
for editorial instruction. Profits 10 tne
sole thing that matters.
pidnt the Episcopal clergy OF New rcrH
the other day select the rector OF Trihiy
Church, greatest OF pronteerins landlords
to be bishop of New rotkY Fronts are
sacred, always SO the ferries are alloweu
10 run and the conspstion OF human freiEht
is permitted to grow Surse df that were
possiblel while the aesSntee owners i've
In ease and luxury without necessity OF
having TO use the boats. Fourteen million
| passengers a year cross the river, say the
figures: 40. 900 day. don't know how
they know. but thc asutes are probably too
low.
The ferr,. now Is q menace 70 the peo-
| will sink with q load OF people crowded
en- Il like sardines." The Mayer says
| this ana n must I've 80. evrn thoosh the
| Mayor does not ross III" river twice day.
| as We Jetseymen do. tThe Mayor was an
| authority on waterways before no became
| Mayor.) Can Il be that he is looking 70
IO2s, and IL thinking ~ yotes' Perish the
| Thought 4.
Representative Sims, OF Tennessee. In
auIred whether individuals uenr tne pro
posed bridge would pay more than on the
| boatB, and whether the span would ihter
| fere with ocean.goins vessels Capitans'
property again, above humanity ana WIZ
should Democratic congressman troIu
| miles away Would citizens or Tennesse'
| consult Philadelphia conarcssmen WV
| wanted to put UP Dutch windmilis TO suppl
Memphis with watrr7 bernard shew say
this world Ia an asylum for the insans o,
| all the other planets. Shaw must nav
| heard about our ferries when he wrote hii
| ephorism.
There arc thr.o terryboa.s in the Mar
Ike. street service that are regarded 0!
| many daily riders as really dahserous
Beverly, wenonsh and Baltic. These OF
tubs. when loaded TO the rails az PEAK
| hours always list so heavily that II is
matter OF remark BY pasaengets on ONE
| hCata ono SIDE leans 20 toV oNo' 'St "
water seems 10 wash tho feet OF passen
gers. whlio the opposite side ,.,, ,s 50 h,s SnS
out Of tho water that one wonders nov
the pa sheet can tnke hold Of tho waite
at all Th, dscshands DO not % sss% nsm,,,. ,
pnrase) for often q ions line OF auto
mobiles will be carried on the starooar
side and none to port, or Woe Verfa'
Recently great black and white eisn
have been painted on tho vehicle pasesss
way walls announcing that smoking is ror
bidnen BY the steamboat inspeotorsi out IN
rmokins goes on regardless OF the Signs
Tho autos and passengers arp 30 prom'set
ously and denseiy packed that II 10 IN
possible for the deeehonds 70 ostect "
fractions OF the notice {and most smoker
, are an irresponsible lot OF bsst,, The tr
angular blocks that arc provided 10
placed against tho wheels OF Vehieles at
often as not allowed 10 lie anywhere b.
against the wheels, 30 that foot passenEe,
stumble over them in the semi-darkhe'
OF tho deck 4.
These are only q Tow OF the th'nss TN
! daily riders on the ferries are up arainst'
ALBERT c. HART.
| ierchantyiue n. j., February 2, le.l.