Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-20

may try 10 evade. disguise or sidc.s'cp
the fact.
In III" choice of n director general for
the Centennial Exposition forty-SiX
years ago. the men at the head of it
recognized this. They selected General
Joseph X. Hawley, then forty. seven
years Of age. for the post.
II may be- insisted that he Srsuui-
Centennial is further advanced than
was the centennial four years before
its gates were opened. What Of that ::
1t should be. We are half century
away from the centennial's beginnings.
w" are living in another age.
Besides. the exposition Of 1926 will
be the greatest the world has ever
known
That is unless. through selfish. diIa-
tory. piddling methods the International
exposition of 1926 is permitted TO do
generate 70 the level of II red lemonade
and peanut fair unworthy of the city.
the country or the greatest event which
II will commemorate.
And that is what it will com" to
unless the Board Of Directors and the
Mayor himself get right down to brass
tackS.
The Srsoui- Centennial begins auspi-
ciously as TO time and opportunity. The
ness. an improvement in economic con-
dtions. which should be in full flood
four years from now.
The Centennial Exposition of 1876
started with the handicap of the great
financial panic Of 1879. whose effects
hung like a shadow over the enterprise
until it closed. Today. everything IS
propitious 10 the modern enterprise
while fifty years ago the outlook was
adverse and threatened calamity.
In 1872. four years before the Gem
: tennial opened, the Philadelphia of
that day was boosting II ali over the
country. 1t had committees in nearly
every state soliciting contributions. A
women's committee or department was
! especially active in seeking subscrp-
tpns,
In May. 1872. ih" views Of the archi :
tectS of the country regarding compe-
! titiOn for building designs and general
| arrangement Of the grounds were asked
In December following. thr committee
was advertising for plans for buildings
and grounds.
I In December last. Mayor Moore com
plained of the inaction of the SeSqui =
! Centennial Board of Directors. City
! Hall reporters told Of II stormy meeting
. behind closed doors in which His Honor
. was alleged TO have read the riot act
to the Board.
That was three months ago. The
, Mayor has had ample time I" arr SINCE
! then. If. as alleged any members of
/ his Board Of Directors. a highly hon :
orablo and coveted distinction, are in :
different to or Needless Of the demands
Of the hour or otherwise incompetent
! III" Mayor should have demanded his
+ or her resignation ere this.
! One third of the members Of the
F. Board Of the Sespui- -Centennial are
in point Of years unavailable for the
eXartng work before them. As mem
brrS of a purely advisory and not of an
active constructive board. they could
render most admirable service
otherwise. younger men should b'
made available. II should be u Board
of Work and not of Dtsnif"d Discus
i sion. =
Anyhow. the immediate and insistcnt
requirement is for the appointment OF
u director general who can relieve the
Mayor of the duties. and worries dc :
yolving upon him as chairman Of the
board.
Release from these cxacriunS would
permit him to give his entir" lin" and
attention as Mayor to rhc interests Of
the city an office in importance nno
! dignity next to that Of Governor of
| the Commonwealth.
! And that job is about all one man
can attend to and do It right