Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-06
A NEW UNION OF STATES
BEGINS WITH THE BRIDGE
The Delaware Span viii Be Of Direct
Advantage to All Jersey and Most
Of Pennsylvania

d DADS and bridges are great civilzers.
~ Next to n common language and com
mon aims, good and easy means of commu-
nication are the surest guarantees OF
progressive thinking, contentment and gem
eral prosperity for any people. They make
n way for the constant TRANSMISSION of ener-
gies and an endless exchange Of inspiration.
The Delaware Bridge will not only serve
the interests of the people of this city and
Camden 1t will be a permanent link be-
tween all Eastern Pennsylvania and the
greater part Of New Jersey. In 1926, when
Il is completed, both States will have mag
nifcent systems of concrete highways radi-
ating in all directions from its terminal
regions. 1t will be possible to travel from
almost any point in one State to any point
in the other easily, swiftly and in complete
comfort without unpleasant delays or dis
comforts Of any sort.
The sea will be about m hour nearer to
Philadelphia. The richest garden land in
the country will be that much closer to the
markets Of this city. Camden and its
suburbs will be rs close to the shopping
and theatre DISTRICTS here as Germantown
now is. The bridge will be nothing less
than n great intercity street, and 1t Is sure
to affect the social life Of the two commu-
mites in a hundred ways for good.
In all big cities there is constant drift
Of the population toward open country.
Thus regions once attractive and prosperous
have been left to slump and decay as the
people move out from them. 1t happens
that the Delaware Bridge will drop at each
end into city areas that need rev!talization
and new reasons for dignifed being. A
good part of Philadelphia and n good part
Of Camden will be transformed under the
inspiration Of the monumental architecture
Of the great approaches and terminals Of
the big span. The lift Of property values In
the regions so affected will probably repre-
sent n total greater than the cost Of the
bridge. There will be a new era Of build
Ing and restoration all along the new way
Of intercity commerce and travel
For almost a hundred years the Delaware
Bridge has been talked Of and hoped for.
Yet construction could lardly have begun
at better time. The bridge upon which
work formally begins today will be, perhaps,
the costlIest and most conspicuous public
project undertaken since the country at large
began TO suffer from the mood of slackness
and lethargy which followed the war. Here
is the beginning of an end TO the spell Of
encouragement and procrastination.
The spirit that is behind this particular
enterprise is pretty sure to be contagious.
It is certain that as the work proceeds, even
in the early stages, It will have n stimulat-
ing effect on all sorts Of people with work
TO do but no disposition to hurry it. Be-
cause Of the subtle force Of example, one
big Job always leads to other big jobs Very
little prodd!ng Is needed TO cause the will
o-achieve TO assert itself In the average
American. 1t ought to surprise no one IT,
before year is out, Philadelphia and
Camden find themselves in the midst Of
building boom such as neither city has
dreamed Of in a generation.
Great credit belongs to the members Of
the Bridge Commission. to the Governors
and Mayors In both States and to the citi-
zens committees and the two Legislatures
who refused. in the face Of mounting costs
and other novel obstacles, to permit the
bridge plans to be stopped or delayed. 1t is
idle now to say that the work should have
been done years ago. Perhaps II should
But lost opportunities are lost for good
and It is a waste of time to mourn over
them. The ground and the ice are being
broken together, and that Is enough. Prob
ably before the first vehicle has crossed the
Delaware Bridge there will be plans for an
intercty tube for freight and rail traffic.
The expansion which must follow on both
sides Of the river once the work on the span
is well under way will make new facilities
Of interstate travel necessary. Motors will
be even more plentiful inI926 than they are
now. In the course Of time the bridge will
probably be needed for street car. motor and
foot traffic exclusively.