Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-29
A GREATER PHILADELPHIA
TO GROW OUT OF THE FAIR
Preparation for the internationa, exh''
bition 10 Merely Preparation for the
Needs Of a Growing Community

TEAMWORK is what will make the COM
L ing world fair successful. The men ON
cially in charge Of the enterprise cannot do
everything.
They can arrange for the necessary ex-
hibition buildings and for the exhibits to be
contained in, them.
They can plan music festivals. conven-
tions and conferences to be held within the
fair grounds.
And they can suggest what must be done
by the rest of us in order to provide for the
adequate housing and feeding and general
entertainment of the millions of visitors
expected.
When the rest Of US co operate with the
fair directors we shall have the kind OF
teamwork that will make the fair one OF the
most brilliantly successful international ex-
hibitions ever held.
Scores of persons have doubtless been
thinking of what could be done outside of
the fair grounds. They know that the
street car system is inadequate 10 accom-
modatc the present population OF the city.
They know that the railroad stations are
not conveniently placed and that they are
not big enough now for the people who use
them. And they are aware that the city
has too few hotels.
II takes SO many million dollars to build
and furnish large modern hotel that capital
hesitates to invest itself in such enterprises.
But splendid hotels are going up in other
cities where they are needed no more than
they are needed here. Experienced hotel
men have persuaded themselves that their
investment in the other cities will be profit
able. Philadelphia capital is invested in
some of these hotels.
Why should not Philadelphia capital be
invested in new hotels right here at home.
where 1t is evident that there will be an
acute demand for hotel accommodations
during the fair? The pressure on hotel
accommodations will begin n year or two
before the fair opens. as there will be
continual stream of visitors to the city soon
after work on the buildings for the fair
begins. Prospective exhibitors will send
their representatives here to learn what
space can be allotted to them. Men seeking
concessions of various kinds will flock to
the CITY to make their arrangements. And
when these arrangements have been made
their agents. will come TO carry out their
plans. Some of them may have to be here
so long that they will bring their families
with them and rent houses. But there will
be period during which they will have to
live in a hotel.
And this will make new business. As
the existing hotel accommodation is no more
than adequate for the present business. it
ifaIt tcto ,Lo
opportunity for profitable investment Of
course. it would be unwise to build lot of
expensive hotels to take care of all the Wis
itors to the fair while it is in progress. A
large part of them will have to be taken
care of in private houses turned into lodging
houses for the summer. But two or three
large hotels could be put up with the pros
pecS of permanent business. If the capi-
talists are timid they could insist that the
buildings could be so arranged that they
could be transformed into Office buildings or
apartment houses at any future time.
This course has been followed in other
cities. where large club buildings have been
erected for organizations the future of which
was in some doubt. The men who have
lent the money for the undertakings have
such way that they could be put to COM
mercal use. Indeed, 1t has been suggested
right here in Philadelphia that some of the
new schoolhouses in districts from which the
population may be crowded by the expansion
of business be planned in such way that
they could be turned into factories or Office
buildings and sold when the city no longer
needed them for schoolhouses.
The demand for apartments and for offices
in the central district Is now largely in ex-
cess of the supply, and it is increasing every
year. Even though there should not be
business enough for the new hotels after the
fair has closed, the buildings could be put to
profitable use. But the chances are that
with the growth in population and business
every hotel that Is likely to be erected would
continue TO be used as hotel. There is no
lack of sites for such structures that would
be satisfactory for apartment houses or
Office buildings.
Enterprising men are doubtless studying
| the situation at the present moment and we
may hear almost any day of negotiations be-
tween capitalists and hotel managers looking
TO the business that is expected to be created
| by the fair.
The problem Of the railroad stations is
| not simple
There are many Philadelphians who have
been dreaming of great union station into
which the trains of the Reading, the Balti j.
more and Ohio and the PENNSYLVANIA sys-
tens would come and through which all the
north and south and east and west trains
| nj cif fy
They are not thinking of any such expen
sive and monumental structure as the Penn
sylvania terminal in New York. but some
thing more like the Union Station in Wash
ington. But they are aware that this Is
only dream, as the corporations involved
are not disposed to consider any such con
solidation Of their Philadelphia stations.
Yet it must be admitted that such con
solidation would be of immense benefit to tn.
city, while 1t would result in economies TO,