Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-20
WE'VE HAD ENOUGH SNIPiNC;
THE FAIR MUST GO THROUGH

Greed, Jealousy and Ignorance Have
Done Their Worst and Failed, and
Now Comes the Time for Con.
structive Ideals
FASHIONS change with lightning swift
ness even in popular discussions OF par
ticular events. Thus. day or two ago the
fair of 1926 was The Fair Now. following
meeting of the directors. the fair is being
called Chaos by some timorous folk who
prefer any settled condition of affairs TO
Progressive change Of any sort. But there is
nothing chaotic about the general plan for
the fair. and there will be 10 chaos unless
It is deliberately created.
Mr.. Rok'S suggestion that full authority
AMI n working fund be accorded the directing
he'd of the Cnterprise-a suggestion de-
S-ibed as impractical by spokCsmcn for the
wrerk:nc Crews-is about Us sane and con-
strurt!ve as any suggestion could be. His
demand that date pc fixed and that boun-
daries Of the fair areas be clearly defined is
not only reasonable. It IS constructive and
expressive OF a clear and active purpose and
an intelligent understanding Of the i'm
perative requirements of the situation. The
way to begin is to begin. And the fair even
now needs an active and independent head
quite as badly as Il ship needs a captain
with a right TO select courses and issue
commands.
Whs. every one really interested in the
Scsqui- centennial desires is 10 see the pre-
liminary work free from every conceivable
ta!nt of graft and favoritism and political
color. The enterprise will require vision
and it cannot succeed If creative minds are
not given free play at the outset.
Whether the fair will be an event Of
world wide Importance and significance or a
limited exposition" OF narrow meaning and
doubtful worth Will depend wholly upon the
scope allowed at the beginning to men capa-
bic of large and wise understanding of the
possibilities of these times
If men appointed to lay the groundwork
of the Sesqui are hampered and harassed
and bound and bedeviled and checked and
counter checked and made 70 take orders
from this and that small seeker after favors
we can expect nothing but disappointment
and a thing half done.
No man in his senses would attempt TO
plan 4 great worlds fair or assume respon.
sibil!ty for its ultimate forms who could not
be certain in advance that the work could be
done upon plane whore the devastating
inroads of graft greed and political ignor.
ance are impossible.
The Senate has given national sanction
to the fair plan. and now il will be harder
than ever for any one 70 make chaos of the
project. If the public still seems bit
lethargic. it is because a rather sord!d con-
fct Of private purposes has made it difficult
for the public 70 understand what the Sesqui
would mean 10 this general community
Even ii you are 20 view II only in the
light of materal!st!c interest the fair would
be a great boon not only 10 Philadelphia and
philadelphans bur to all the regions within
a radius Of q hundred miles. 4 vast lot Of
money would be required 10 build it, But
that same money would be circulated here.
1t would he put 20 constructive uses. Much
Of il would 60 10 labor and pass in turn into
the business channels OF the community A
great part OF it would be used TO clear up
the dank industrial morasses that for gen.
erat!ons have h!ndcred TIE development OF
the central section Of the city adjacent 70
the Schuylk!l!.
This, indeed. is why some people object to
the fair on any ground. People would be
benefited Wage earncrs would be benefited
Property owners would be benefited
OF course, people who own property and
work for wages would be benefited They
are benefited by every public improvement.
Elevated railroad systems benefit them. So
DO new roads and new rail systems and all
other general improvements. But no one
Ever before suggested that all the progressive
works Of civilization should cease. TO main
,a!n tie complacency OF 4eop.e who happen
70, be 50 fortunately placed as 70 find exist
nee complete and full and entirely salts.
factory.
! The man, whoever he may be- who as.
sumes the responsibility of laying out the
| groundwork OF the fair Of 1926 will shoulder
| duties as exaCt!ng as any ever imposed upon
| a private citizen in this part OF tic country
| The more intelligent and earnest and en-
tghtened and honest he may be. the more
| wi! lie be disposed 70 be allowed freedom Of
| action freedom 10 find and enlist the best
| available minds in his WORK, freedom TO
make important decisions prompted by a
| noble view of his task rather than by the
purely selfish needs Of the hordes OF SELF
seekers who normally hamper and confuse
work such as his,
4 lot Of snp!ng has been done under cover
By folk who seem actually 10 dread the
prosperity which building project as vas,
as the Sesqui would bring TO the rank ant
file. Business men who are wise and who
do not happen to be monopolists will be or
the side Of the fair. For they can never b,
relatively more prosperous than the ma
jority of wage carners. And, as We see II
they and the men Of selfish purpose whc
have allied themselves with the Sesqu
project solely because Of a high civic AM
patriotic spirit are going to put the thin
through-with bells on IT,