Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-27
Letters TO the Editor
rIinka We Lack Civic Pride

:. ,L. Editor Of the Evening PUbilc bed0tr
P.,.-The letter in the EvENISG PpBdc
. 81 .irned r. s. Burr Is right TO the
LsnV" Thc lethargy of the people OF our
POM almost inconceivnblp, Relative to
cH h,ILec some few OF the cit!zens may
Wv ,ooii.h enough to believe that Chis pro-
90 actually nearing = point whore the
FC,,,re will materially assume shape
HruI. ,rc next ter .errs but not 50 with
WIZ or lie whose knowledge OF the va
hU fecticrs 10 be cuuteudcd with IL based
survey OF the PAST. The continuous
',,,, o ,yrarglnE and sduabblnv over these
eaters In Philadclphia " matter OF rec
15 mS and known throughout the country. In
u",hor twenty years ~ is lust possible
'ss, tlcy may have the foundations for the
rsr heads down. In the meantime the
,,sdgc may afford the caption for an oc-
,,sora news tom
,b and south subway. When will the
,,onIe Ohc taxpayers IN psrtioularN wake
m organize syslematlCllE. and demand
,rb a subway that has long been overdue,
and tho completion or which would en.
Irce pronprty values q hundred-fold. and
.st,y additional business TO the city" 1t
!. rssIv amusing. Iutta, the same tuQs
sI,iabIe TO hear and read OF the almost
rbndllke appeals from thousands of resi-.
aorts regarding overcrowded trolley cars:
. Irntneiion of non-stops aud more cars.
Tbsy do not seem TO realize that the or.
tInary trolley surface line Is. an antiduated
,tgnsporta ton system which at best can
..ryo as nothing except a feeder for ee-
y,tcd or subway systems.
II should be obvious that under present
,,y conditions and growing automobile traf-
AZ there il little chance for speeding up
surface car or adding more ears The
central part Of the city Is now 90 congested
Vim ,rolloys during rush hours that one
,ouId walk almost twenty blocks In any
direction from the center in less time than
,bs trolley csr will make tne same distance
uost large cities build and provide for a
normal growth that may easily. be esti-
mated but not so with Philadelphia.
In real revenue producing improvements
,rIes Ike Baltimore and Cleveland are
,o.ns ahead Of Philadelphia. AZ for New
York and Chicago comparison is absurd
because they are too far ahead They
buIld frst and then solicit what ;hsy want
A man can hardly offer a house for sale or
rent previous TO its being built. Most other
large urban populations demand what IL
tuo them as taxpayers ana they get 1t:
hu, not so here. There is no concerted ac-
ZION and they are satisfied 10 go home and
read about what other cities are doing and
then retire.
Is matter Of fact there IL about az
miIe civic pride IN Philadelphia as IS found
anywhere There is no sainsn%ing the fact
,rd no outside denies that there are Ger
tain buildings and institutions that any
titv might well he proud OF: but no city
,ry more than an individual can live and
prosper on history or accomplishments Of
what has gone before. This is an era OF
rrosress and Il deduces itself to a mat
ter Of either keeping abreast ,or dropping
oui.
Let MS have subway under Broad street,
md 90 have = soon. as we'll as many
. murh rsedcd municipal improvements. and
there is no better time than the present.
since there are many good men out Of work
,nd municipal improvements will stir ZIP
Irtin n rpUawpd