Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-14
'NOG ISLAND SITE
GE1SLAST inning
Hearing Today in Mayors Re-
ception Room to Close
Fair Controversy
BOULEVARD FINDS FAVOR


for the Sesqui. Centennial Exposition
will present their arguments today be-
fore the Mayor and the Executive Com
mittee of the Exposition Association.
This will be the final hearing on the
proposed sites. The southwest Phila
delphians have list OF speakers and
4 welldefned system Of procedure.
When they have presented their plan
opportunity will be kiven the pro-
ponents of other sites to refute the crit. I.
icisms that have been made. o.,
When the final speech has been made
before the Executive Committee that
body will confer with the railroad heads
to determine which Of the sites would
be best from the standpoint of railroad
facilities.
After that visit will be made by
members of the committee to each Of
the proposed sites. Today's meeting in
the Mayors reception room will begin
ut 2:3O o'clock.
The Importance of transportation. fa =
cilities. especially motor vehicle traffic,
was stressed by Kern Dodge. q consult
ing engineer, last night in an address
at the Metropolitan Opera House.
He favored establishing the fair site
on the Roosevelt boulevard above COtt-
man street and taking in a part Of
Pennypack Park, with its creek. In
speaking before the Northeast SesQui-
Centennial Association he said:
I'VE have borne in mind certain gen
eral factors and our suggestions are
made with sufficient fexibility to cover
comparatively wide range Of require.
ments, as, for instance, the actual area
required for the exposition. which
figure it is not possible ut this time
definitely to determine.
Provides Ample Space
'"The plan we have suggested. how
ever. without altering the basic prin-
ciples involved, can be contracted or ex-
panded sufficiently to harmonizc with
any conceivable requirement. We have,
for example, assumed an area of one
thousand acres. This COULD; be de-
creased to, say, three hundred, which
would be less than the minimum re.
QuiremCnt. and increased to two thou
snd acres. which would likely be
greater than the maximum requirement.
1T is a property that can be 1uickly
and economically obtained without de-
lay to actual commencement of con.
struction work, and its location is such
that 1t can be reached by rail, traction
lines and by motor vehicle routes from
the north, east. south and west, with
out requiring this flow of traffic through
the heart of the city.
lf this affair is to be held, the broad
and underlying thought must be that il
~ to be success, and to be q success
certain fundamental things must be
donc correctly. A small, surpassingiy
beautiful exposition would appeal to
possibly . per cent of the people,
whereas 0o per cent would Judge the
success or failure by the single stand
ard OF magnitude. If this exposition Is
not larger than those held heretofore.
il will not in the eyes of the majority
be success. and we must remember
that it is the 05 per cent that will make
the fair success rather than the ) pcr
cent.
Question Of Parking Autos
1T is feasible to park only 100 auto
mobiles an acre, and space for 2J, 900
should be provided at the exposition.
This means that total of at least $50
acres will be required for this parking
space. and to give YOU an idea of what
this means it can be compared with
the original 'Crct plan of the PARKWAY
and lower Schuylkill in which the total |
area of exhibition provides for 1G5
acres. Now it would be difficult to
imagine how space virtually equal |
to that area could be found in any
central part of the city for parking pur.
poses.
Unless provision is made for these
cars, our visitors will not be satisfied. |
and the success Of the exposition. on
account of that one point alone, will |
be seriously jeopardized.
The advantage to the city in locat- !
Ing the exposition as we have sug. |
gested would be the value of the per-
manent enhancement in realty values,
not only in the vicinity of the fair prop
erty, but also in the immense outlying
and surrounding district. This would
be benefited, not only by the impetus
given by the exposition itself, but also
BY the permanent improvements in
traction lines which are now needed,
and extension Of sewer and water sys-
TENS, which would be proper and
logical development in that part of
Philadelphia County.
The proposed site, although not on
the river, is adjacent to the most desir-
able section of river front for exhibit
tion purposes. in that the water is
clean and is deep enough for all but
the largest craft. 1t provides excellent
anchorage for yachts and power boats,
and the river near the site is wide
enough not only to provide all neces-
Sary anchorage, but. in addition. all the
space required for the landing of hydro.
airplanes.
I'm addition. the northeast district
g one. half hour nearer the largest city,
New York. than any of the central or
southern sites suggested"