Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-07
Parks A ssOciatiOn
FaUOrs Cret Plan


Second.--A State Office building. It
has been frequently suggested the State,
instead Of having Its various offices in
Philadelphia scattered here and there,
should have n single State Office build
ing. In connection with the fair on
the Cret site, the State could readi y
erect permanent building to be used
Tor the exhibition and afterward for
Offices.
Third new commercial museum.
The Commercial Museum and the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania are uneasy
neighbors and the University should
have the exclusive use of its property.
In connection with the exhibition SUI
perb buildings could be erected for .hC
commercial museums on either the east
or the west bank of the Schuylkill,
which. after the exhibition, would be
available for the museum.
In the cnse of other sites, the build
ings erected by the millions spent OH
the exhibition would be wiped out OF
existence after its close.
1t may be remarked that the hope one
hears expressed, that suburban site
would result In the Improvement of the
land around It, is an illusion. Hog
Island was intended and expected to be
a great permanent Improvement; yet
IL resu ted in no development except Il
few hundred houses built by the Fedora
Government two miles away from it..
If such an intended permanent creation
does not cause development around It,.
aSsurcdly n temporary one like an ex-
position will not.
In the case of the Cret site. there
will be. in addition to the buildings
noted. the great permanent salvage
of the property taken into public
ownership for the possession and en-
joyment of the people for all time.
Other important bui dinGs-PMladel-
phia is the proud pOsscSsor of other
Important buildings. housing instItu-
tions which would be Of great Incl.
dental benefit to the exhibition, If To-
gated on the Crct site. The Academy Of
Natural Sciences, Nineteenth and Race
streets, would in itself be great at
traction.
The Franklin Institute owns property
for it's new building at NlnctCCnth and
Race streets. and, it is understood, one
million dollars is available for it.
Sites for a new Academy of the Fine
Arts and n new Schoo' Of Industrial
Art have been set aside by action of
the Fairmount Park Commissioners.
the sites being opposite the new MU-
scum of Art. and il is possible arrange
basement and first floor OF these build
ings could be erected for the use of the
exhibition.
Ample Space Provided-At the famous
Paris Exposition of 1850 the area oc.
cupied by buildings was sixty-two and
one half acres. At our Centennial Of
1876 the area So occupied was seventy
acres. At the st. Louis Exposition the
area covered by buildings was 12S acres.
The total area of ground within the
Cret site is vel more than 200 acres,
thus providing ample space not only
for buildings, but for the landscape
treatment. and in addition the Crct site
can be expanded 10 cover n consider
ably larger area of Fairmount Park /;
perhaps GOO acres more.
But 1t Is to be assumed this cXhibi-
ton will not be merely an enlarged
county fair. but in accordance with
Secretary llOovcr'S recommendation. an
intensivcly dcvc'onrd. highly organized.
closely centralized fair. The miles of
textiles and linens and other material
with which fairs have sometimes been
padded should not be included Phila-
delnhia merchants should have such
materials on their counters and should
sell them over the counters to the fair
visitors.
The Zoo. tho Aquarium and the Cret
Site-The Cret site makes IL possible 70
make uec. as n constituent portion of the
exhibition. Of the Geological Gardens
which Philadelphia already possesses.
Entrance to the Geological Gardens can
readily be arranged by tunnels under
Thirty fourth street. Il monetary con-
sidcration being arranged 80 TINT en-
trance t0 the Zoo vii be free to all who
have pail admission 20 the fair. Or the
street that runs back of the Zoo can be
nut in condition aud that portion OF
Thirty fourth street that lies in front
nf the 100 can be closed during the ex :
hibition.
II is worth noting IN addition that at
the foot of Fnirmount is the Aquarium
which has been brought UP to date. and
which can be further expanded.
Handy to Terminals
Within ten minutes walk of ali ter
minals-No other location is as acCes-
sible for visitors.
This is because the Cret site I,
touched by the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad
Mt Thirty second and Market streets, al
Powelton avenue and at Girard avenue
while BroaA Street Station is within
five minutes walk Of the main entrance
at Logan Square.
The Reading Terminal in Philadel.
phia IS within ten minutes walk of thai
entrance, and the Reading Railway ha,
a station at Girard avenue and car
readily make another directly under tn,
Fairmount Plaza.
The terminal of the Baltimore an,
Ohio Railroad. at Twenty fourth an
Chestnut streets, would be within thre
minutes wax of the entrance TO tn
exhibition Mt the SChuylkill River an
Arch streets. That railroad can ais
open station in connection with tn
Reading Railway under the Fairmoun
Plaza and 1t can also use the Readin
station at Girard avenue.
Easiest Freight Movcment-The fore
going also applies to the freight 70
the fair both coming to II and leaving II
whether the freight be Of building ma
terials or of exhibits,
The existing surface lines on tn
east and west banks Of the Schuylki
can bring various exhibits within
few hundred feet of their actual loca
tion. This would be advantageou
especially for the heavy exhibits for tn
Machinery Building. If that bulldin
ia placed. as ii probably would be. o
the west bank. No other location. eithC
for freight or passenger can poSSibl
compare with these advantages.
The Easy walk Cret Site VS.. Strap
hanging Sitcs-Thp attendance at Othf
fairs shows that total of 40. .000. .0C
visitors. or 10000 n day. must |
provided for. There are large nun
Der of surface car routes that run
the location proposed by DR.. CrPt. II
Market street. Arch street and Sprir
Garden street lines reach 1t direct
and all the lines intersPCting these wi
carry passengers by transfer or e,
change.
The Cret site has within walkir
distance all the biz hotels and railroi
;, terminals of the city; that means n