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EVENING LEDGEK PHILADELPHIA, TUESDAY, OOTOBEB 27, 1D14.
NORTHEAST SECTION OF CITY DEMANDS RAPID TRANSIT SOON AND FREE TRANSFERS
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FRANKFORD WANTS
RAPID TRANSIT ON
FLAT SCENT BASIS
Demands That Eight-cent Exchange Be
Abolished For Its 125,000 Daily
Passengers, and High-speed Service
Instead ot Strap-hanging.
Elevated Will Save $270,000 a Year in
Time, And Single Fare System Will
Give Section $91,000 Extra Spending
Money.
;iffr,,T-iniMit jmtmtiii'i i i
TtME BY RZCCMMCnrifD CAP'D 7ZHfS
urer -zs rf'"u7zo
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TIME SAVING, KRAMKtORD TO EIGHTH AND MARKET STREETS
The drawings show the present time by trolley to Frankford and the time that
would be saved, 42 minutes, by a rapid transit system.
TRANSIT PROGRAM IN BRIEF
The transit progiam provides lor the
operation of all hlgh-spcid linos In
conjunction with the sorface vtem
which will orve as the agent for the
gathering nnd distributing of passen
gers using the high-speed lines with
out extra charge.
Thus the advantage nf rapid tran
sit will he extended us eqirilH a
piactlcable to every front door in
Philadelphia.
Passeiigi rs will bo enabled to tnicl
In a forward dlr ction between every
Important section of the city and
every other Important section of the
city "quickly, conveniently and com
fortablv bv way of the combined sur
fuce and high-speed llii'u. regaidless
of the number of transfers lenulrid
In o doing, for one S-ont fare.
Eight-cent exchange tickets are to
be abolished
Frankfort "I." will -ae .trei't cnr
paMrnjrra SJTO.tlOii per jear In time
(1,800,0(10 hour-, lit IS rents mi hniirl,
ami railroad passengers J5W.t."i In time.
Abolition nf enrlllince tliKets will -live
Mreet ear pnt.eni;ers In r.ortlieiist sertlnn
SU1.00U pur ve.ir. liiillniml n 'ii r
will sate Sll.nr.9 l riilintlon In fare.
Frankford proper!) tiwnns will iiinWe
millions
One hundred and c-ighty-one thousand
four hundred people who tesldo In the
northeastern section of Philadelphia are
vitally interested in the "Program for
Rapid Transit Development."
The northeastern section of Philadelphia
Is that section which lies easlvvaid or B
treet a street running north and south,
approximately one and a half miles east
of Broad street.
This northeastern section Includes
Frankford and a part of Kensington. On
an averase l-0,0xi passengers travel out
of, into and within the northeaist se -tlon
of Philadelphia every day on the
Etreot cars.
It Is Interesting to note where these peo
ple travel to and from li.illv as ascer
tained by the traffic survey.
Thirty thousand travel daily between
the northeast section and the central busi
ness district
Seven thousand travel dally between
the northeast section and South Phila
delphia. Three thousand travel dally between tho
northeast section and Vst Philadelphia.
Forty-eight thousand travel dally be
tween the northeast section and North
Philadelphia.
Ten thousand travel dally between the
northeast section and the northern and
north suburban districts.
WANT FRANKFORD 'IV' SOON.
Every ono of the 1S1 400 residents of the
northeast section Is personnlly Interested
In demanding tho prompt ratification of
the "Transit Program" and prompt con
struction of the Frankford elevated line,
which is designed to extend from u point
of connection with the existing Market
street subway at Front and Areh streets,
northward v ia Front str et to Kensing
ton avenue, thence via Kensington ave
nue to Frankford avenue and thence via
Frankford avenue to Bridge street,
Frankford.
Out of the 151,100 population of the
northeast section nnd hoie having busi
ness In the northeast sei tlon, 125 000 travel
daily on the street cars. Some travel ,
occasionally and some travel every day !
All travel more or lens freiiu-' '
It Is important to eveiy resident In the
northeast section and to eveiv oiv em
ployed there to know the pei-mil id
vantages which will result to In n c r hoi
C PICTURES, TAKEN AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THE CITY,
woo-f -
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ssjof This
pn'ff'f ip1
TrmrnmrmwrnTr,
TfPTE Yn-&t mnuiti
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IU.aiUtlLlUJLJLUJ
' a the- case mny be, by the adoption of tho
I "Transit Program."
I Tin discriminatory S-cent exchange
I ticket Is to be wiped out, as nr
runged ! I'lrector Taylor nnd olllctnls
of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Com
pany under tho terms of the "Transit
Piogram."
The icsidrnts of this .-ectlon who live
be nnd ensv walking distance of tho
rninkford elevated line will be enabled
to take suiface curs to or from the near
est station of the Frankfurt elevated line
on free transfer. On boatdlng the Frank
ford elevated line the.v will be carried
for the same five-cent fare to any point
on that line, or to nnv point in the city
in n forward diicctlcn on the present or
future high-speed sjstem, If not directly,
bv free transfer. Then upon leaving- the
high-speed system, If necessary, they will
be enabled to take a surfa-e line from
the station to d. stlimtlnn on another free
tnii sfei, making the entire lourrcy for
one five-cent fate Similar reverse move
ments and facilities are mado available
to the thousands who work In the noith
eust srctlon, but who do m t live there.
i-o.vii i: i piss roit five punts.
This means from Frankford to Darby
r nnv- point on tho Woodland avenue
elevated line for five cents.
From Frankford to nny point on tho
South Broad street subway for five cents
From Frankford to nny point on the
Pnrltwav. North th street and Rnx
borough subway-elevated line for five
cent.-.
From Trankford to any point in North
Philadelphia and Germantown for five
cents, with the privllego of a surface
,ar ride from the Rapid Transit station
upon boarding or leaving the high-speed
lines. If necessary.
The new system will cut down tho pres
ent time between Frankford and the fol-
ii-winc pomes, at. ioiiows:
From Frankford to Sth and Market
streets, 2i minutes, from Frankford to
Lencuo Island. 30 minutes; from Frank
ford to th and Woodland avenue a.-, min
utes: from Frank&rd to Roxborouch M
minutes, from Frnnl.ford to Green street
entrance of Falrmount Park. 13 minutes.
ver car rider ,hoiil,i unci, i stand this
The- onei a tlon of the Fiankford elevated
line will furnish comfortable accommoda
t ons for those who travel to and from
ttie northeast district at present in greatlv
overcrowded surface cars
Tne operation ot the Frankfurt olevate 1
will remove suilicient .travel from the on
istlns surface lines to make tiavel there
on comfortable for the local or short
distance riders.
TO SAVE IS MINUTES A DAV.
The 30,uoo people who travel dally be
tween the northeast section and the cen
tral business district rightfully demand
the const! uctlon of the Frankford elevated
line, which will cut down the time re
quired to travel from Bridge street In
Frankford to City Hull, from 13 minutes
lo 5 minutes, a savin? of 21 minutes each
way. or f minutes per day. Theso people
want this waned time for pleasure.
The Tuiu who travel dall between the
northeast section and South Philadelphia
will save still more time by being enabled
to travel southward by free transfer on
the Broad street subway, or, on the other
land, the) will be enabled to save money
In traveling southward from Market btreet
oy iree uuntm-ia on surrace tines.
The 300O no travel dally between the
northeast section and West Philadelphia
will not only save J5 minutes each way,
but wih also bt curried through to any
point on the U'ost Market street line
without Iiange of cars or pa merit of un
utld. tu in! fare
'II. Mii w I. m! firtih hetween it,
n ml,., si - ' i ii. '1 N ii'i I 1 II nM,h i
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Page and Save It For Your Scrap
elevated and then n surface car on an
cast nnd west street for one live-cent
fare, thus saving time nnd money.
Tho 10,0 0 who travel dally within the
district will be relieved of the present
congestion on tho curs nnd travel will be
made comfortablo for them,
The Frankfort elevated line will only
cost KOlO.OOO.
Moieover 2T4,r,7l annual round trip pas
sengers on the Ileadini' Hallway between
Frankford and the Pending Terminal,
who spend approvimately 33 minutes In
mnklnir the trln each way and pay 9ti
cents as the average late of faro each
way. aro Insistent that they snail navt
the advantages which will be affotded
by the Frankfoid "t."
AVOID I-ON'G WALKS
Thcv will then be enabled to travel
between Frankford and the business dis
trict by way of the Frankfort "I," In
stead of by way of the Reading Railway,
saving 3S.5SD hours per year, which at
1 , cents pur hour would bo worth SI&Ti
per )ear. Moreover the) would be able
lo save In faies paid UWiRI per year with
out Including the saving due to being
convoved by the Trenkford "I-" and
surface lines to destination Instead oi
having to take n surfaco line In ninny
instances at an additional cost of ilvo
cents each way after reaching the Read
ing Terminal. They will also avoid the
r.eccsultv of walking long dlstnnces in
manv Instances to tin Reading station
In Frankford. as tho stations on the
Frankford "I" will be conveniently lo
cated only n few bloeks apart.
This Is a vvle Investment for tne city
to make, because it will involve an an
nual Interest and sinking fund charge of
only 6.5 per cent on that amount, or
$i2:..ri00 per year, under the existing laws
of the State.
With tho pending constitutional amend
ment ratified by tho people next year,
this annual fixed charge will be reduced
from C.5 per cent to S per cent, by a re
duction In the annual sinking fund
chargo from 24 per cent to I per cent.
This would make tho annual fixed charge
on the investment In tho Frankford ele
vated line only 5325, ono per )ear.
If tho city were to make the invest
ment now under existing legislation tho
annunl charge of $422,MO would pay not
only the interest, but also would pay off
ttie vvlioie tioni incurred .or k "
lino In 30 venrs, nnd the city would then
own the Frnnkford elevated line, free of
all debt, without an) further annual fixed
charges as a great municipal income
producing nsse!.
CITY HAS PRACTICAL SUBSIDY.
This annual fixed charge of $422,500.
or J323.00O, as the case may bo, will bo
offset by tho net Income resulting from
tho operation of tho Fiankford elevated
line, over and above the reasonable pay
ments allowed the operator, and the fig
ures show that the annual deficiency. If
nny, in tne euny )ears in operation win
hn uiinhf nmi th.it it will not bo lonir in i
. . i.A !. iia ..ill ...... .A
total annual Intciest and sinking fund
teoulrements out of net earnings.
Moieover, under Ihe personal property
tax at the city has a practical subsidy
granted by the State In aid of transit
development to offset any deficiency.
The following aie certain Items in nd
dltion to the net income of the Frankford
PU-v,ittil Line to offset the annual fixed
cliuie. 'f $1.J,5"0. in (2504, us the case
lllii 1 e
1 null si 1 1 if; to lesldcnts of the
SHOW THE CROWDS WHICH USE
THE FIRST GUN
Frankfort's patience for leal rapid
transit Is exhausted. Its business men
aro determined thnt the relief for
their section, promised In tho recom
mendations of Director Taylor, must
bo prompt. Tho entire community has
banded togother In a vigorous fight for
transit nnd free transfers. Tho de
mands of the section will be forcibly
put forth In a monster mass meeting
under the Joint auspices of the Frnnk
ford Hoard of Tiado and the Frank
ford Ilumncss Men's nnd Tax Payers'
Association In tho Frankford Free
Library on Thursday evening, Novem
ber 19 The business men of tho com
munity, vvno feel their responsibility
to their section, have every reason to
be confident of victory.
northeastern section, resulting from the
elimination of exchange tickets, JDl.OOO.
2. Annual saving In time to resident
passengers tributary to Frankford "L,"
over 1.S00.000 hourH per )ear, or at 15
cents per hour, 5270,000.
3. Increase In leveuuo to tho city re
sulting from increase In taxable values
In the northeast district.
It is interesting to noto whnt increase
In taxable values resulted In West Phila
delphia when the Market Street Elevated
line was built
For the period from 100S to 1912 tho In
crease In taxable values In all of West
Philadelphia was $30,172,745, or G0.9 per
rent., while tho increase of taxable val
ues In other residential districts of tho
city, Including West Philadelphia, was
only 23 3 per cent.
In the -16th Ward, which adjoins Market
street on the nouth, extending from 45tlr
street to City Line, and which Is dliectly
served by the Market street "L." the
valuation of unimproved rcnl estute In
1900 was JS75.0O0, although It was only as
sessed at 50 per cent, of thnt amount.
In 1901 the assessed valuation of the
same property in that wart Increased to
$l,6S7,0OO (hasl.s 100 per cent.).
In 1912, It still further Inci eased to $!.
M1.00O, or a totnl Increase In 12 years of
500 oer cent.
INTERESTS REALTY OWNERS.
Fills is particularly Interesting to the
,0ldPr8 ot vaht tracts of real estate trlbu
; tariV t0 the Frankford elevated line,
which are undeveloped nnd which will
remain unbuilt upon so long as they con
tinue to be unavailable for residential
purposes by reason ot the lack of capa
city of the existing cnr lines to carry any
more people to and from huch districts.
West Philadelphia Is profiting Inrgely
nnd disproportionately to other sections
of the city from the advantages afforded
by rapid transit. It Is becoming unite
a city In Itself. Great and prosperous
shopping centres have i.piuni; up at 52d
nnd Market streets and at 60th and
Murket streets, with theatres, banks,
stores and otner industries.
Ts(ilpntM cit KrHnkforil nml llie nnrtli.
cost section are avvaro of the advantages
which they should share with their West
Philadelphia neighbors
Tho people of West Philadelphia and
real estate owners aie traveling with
comfort, convenience and saving In time,
all factors which contribute to comfort
and prosperity. The people of Frankford
rightly demand that they be placed on a
'.lasis of equality with their West Phila
delphia neighbors.
The Frankford elevated line will save
THE FRANKFORD LINES AND
time for 295,000 people, Including thoso
who live tributary thereto west of "Ii"
street nnd along Front Btreet. Tho
present Market street subwuy-elovatod
1 lino saves time to only 163,000 people In
West Philadelphia.
This Is still further evidence that
j Frankfort's demand Is Just.
I Any one who doubts tho necessity of
an elevated road from thlH noitheast sec
tion to the henrt of tho city should tnl.e a
ride any morning on route No 4. Hun
dreds of working girls, and working men,
I too, aro obliged to stand practically the
, entire journey. Sometimes thoy are lucky
enough to get a strap which dangles
ovcihcad, but when they don t tho pas
sengers suppoit each other. They aro
wedged too tightly to fall. And so they
ride, postllng, swinging and hanging by
their linger ends, from Frankford avenue
nnd Bridge street, the northern terminus,
all the way to Sixth and Market streets,
where most of tho exhausted passengers
leave to go to work, tired out before
they begin their day's labor.
Tho cnr thon proceeds to Its Bouthcrn
terminus, Sixth nnd Rltner streets. To
obtain accurate Information about this
Frankford line, an Evening Ledokii. re
porter took the interesting ride this morn
ing from Bridge street, stnitlng from
theie nt 7:20. Ho was lucky enough
to ohtnln n seat by entering the
car before It started. For two whole
blocks thcro was plenty of loom, but
when tho cnr reached Margaret street
there was a rush, and In less than two
minutes every seat was occupied.
WEARY GIRL STRAP-HANGERS.
At Orthodox stieet, five minutes later,
there w.ib a similar rush for straps, and
fully a dozen frail llttlo girls, baroly past
the offlclal working age, reached for
straps to rest t?) during the long rldo
to Market street, which point was reached
at 8:09. One girl, evidently accus
tomed to tho ordeal, managed to
wedge n little package of lunch under her
right elbow and read a book. With tho
disengaged left hand she practically
dangled from a strap.
And so she rode to Market street, a
trip of 41 minutes from whera the
boarded the car. A few of the girls
lucky enough to get scats offered their
laps to somo of the girl strap-hangers
Although the car was uncomfortably
packed at Orthodox street, theru were
at least two dozen workers taken on nt
Allegheny avenue. There wus no room,
hut they got In by rushing, squeezing
and standing with feet closo together.
The lurching nnd sudden stopping of tho
car fortunately did no haVm, for there
was a solid mass of passengers from
end to end. Even thone fortunate enough
to have seats didn't havo loom to read
their newspapers. Some, on alighting
ut Market street, scanned their papers
ns they walked to their places of em
ployment. Tho actual tlmo mado from Bridge
btreet, the beginning of tho routo. to
Market street, was 41 minutes, and us
the car was packed nt Oithodox street,
live minutes from the starting point
si ores of little woikeva had to stand
packed together like tattle for 41 min
utes befoie they went to tho stores to
stand for the lemalnder of the day
Riders say the conditions arc the same
every day.
There Is nothing better to look for-
ward to at night, fur too Frnnkford
THE DIFFICULTY EXPERIENCED
Book The Transit Fight Has Only Begun J
'--"l'- J
cnr, as all dally riders know, Is filled
beforo Chestnut street Is reached. Thus
It actually happens that some girl
workers are on their feet from the time
thoy leave homo In tho morning until
thoy return nt night, except for tho
short respite for their noonday lunch.
Between tho hours ot !:45 and 7:45 in
tho morning tho conditions on every
southbound cnr on this line are practically
tho same. There aro aged workers, too,
barely strong enough to stnnd their reg
ular dally tasks, who must suffer tho
added misery of a Frnnkford cnr. In nil,
9S minutes of torture Is added to tho lot
of hundreds ot Frankford workers dally
STATUS OF RAPID TRANSIT
Ratification of Suggested Program by Union Traction Com
pany and City Councils Should Not Be Delayed Phil
adelphia Amply Able to Finance Great Project.
Existing Lines Assured Fair Treatment.
(Itrprlntcd by request from tho livening
Ledger of October 24.)
Tho necessity for rapid transit becomes
more and more apparent dally. The Bur
fnco lines have reached tho limit of their
capacity during the rusli Hours They aro
handling tho maximum traffic of which
they are capable. Realizing this, the
Philadelphia Rapid Trnnslt Compnny has
agreed lo a tentative program for the
operation of the new lines This con
templates the abolition of all exchange
tickets anil the cintitliii- nf unlverH.it
transfers. In the following statement, the
exact
Hiaius or mo tiansit program is
authoritatively given It will be followed
by a scries of articles In the Evenino
LEcann. published on alternate days,
which will take the city section by sec
tion and visualize the benefits to be ob
tained by tho building of tho new system.
The destiny of Philadelphia cannot bo
realized until Its transportation problem
Is solved.
Phllndclphlans aro mobilizing In every
section of tho city to forco tho transit Is
sue to a successful conclusion.
Widespread public determination In this
respect becomes moro emphatic every
day.
Let us see Just where tho municipality
stands In this matter.
On the 27th of May, 1912, his Honor
Mayor Blnnkenburg appointed A. Merrltt
Ta)lor tis Transit Commissioner to ding-
i nose the clt)'s trunsit needs nnd lo pre-
scrlbo tho bc3t methods of meeting them.
j His report was filed on the 24th of July,
I 1913.
Tho report outlined In vast detail what
I additional facilities arc and will bi
needed, where and how the same should
be coiihtiucted nnd what tho cost will be.
The Transit Commissioner, backed by
! tho busluebs men and newspapers, se
emed the enactment of tho necessary
i Slnte legislation which clothed the city
1 with the legal authority, financial null
1 Ity and executive machinery to carry his
I recommendullons Into effect. The most
, important of this legislation Is embodied
In the following acts-
An act approved b) tne (iovcrnor on
j June 17, 1313, authorizing tho city to
FIRST IN GETTING A CAR AND
on nccount of deplorable cnr service.
An elevated rond, which will bo buif
when Councils unwinds alt Its red tape
would Bavo 21 minutes to the tollers on
eh trip, or 43 minutes n day. This
eduction In time has been figured out
by Director Taylor, of the Department,
of City Transit, who bases his calculations
accurately upon the running schedule of
tho Market street subway-elevated road
This means that overy toller In Frank
ford who Is obliged to use Route No. t
could have 43 minutes more each day at
home, or four and four-fifths hours more
rest each week when tho elevated road
Vj built.
In the course of tho dlsagrconblo ride
tho reporter noticed that there was no
end of ground In Frnnkford going to
waste. Immense stretches ot land, hun
dreds of feet In depth, border Frnnkford
avenuo on both Bides, Just on the edge
of the built-up Bcctlon. There Is room
hero for hundreds of homes and ample
opportunity for a few new streets.
It was learned, however, that no one
contemplates building on this land, nor
will thoro bo any additional streets be
cause of the miserable car sen Ice.
But the length of the ride and the lack
of fresh air Is not all that tho riders had
to contend with. On turning Into Lehigh
avonuc from Frankford avenue there
was moro misery for tho strap hnngern,
Beginning at this point, the car literally
hopped all tho way to Sixth street. There
was a steady thump, thump, thump
nnd tho bumps reached their highest
pitch at American street, whore the car
dragged over seemingly endless tracks of
the Reading Hallway.
LITTL J3TIME FOIt RECREATION.
AVhcn at length the car turned Into
Sixth street, the nerve-racked passenger!
breathed a sigh ot relief nnd most of tht
llttlo shopgirls took a Armor hold on
tho strops. It was learned Incidentally
from their conversation that when they
wanted to go to a theatre at night they
went to work "dressed up'' and got their
mirpors down town. To rldo home from
the storo or tho shop when tho day's
work was done Is out of the question.
If tho remarks of two or three aged
passengers aro Indicative, of tho senti
ment In Frankford, then It Is essential
that the elevated be startod at the
railiest possible moment Thcso riders '
said that thoy didn't proposo to put up
with It.
"We're tired of all the talk ubout It."
I said one man: "It seems that tho plan
to nave me roau starts ana stops, and
we often doubt that It's going to bo built
at all. I am going to leave Frankford,
although I have lived thcro nil my Ufa,
and I know a dozon other men who are
going to quit the place, too, with their
families."
Tho cars on number 4 lino each scats
approximately 53 passengers. But at
least 40 moro aro packed In tho aisle nnd
fellow riders nro not responsible for con
ditions, so they "edge up" whenever tho
request Is made and do their best for tho
ono stnndlng or sitting next. But their
patience Is exhausted.
They havo had to stand and support
each other In tho cars.
Now they will support each other In
tho fight for better conditions.
The next article, to be published Thurs
day, will deal with transit conditions In
North Philadelphia.
construct, equip, lease nnd operate sub
ways, elevated railways and surface
railways.
An net approved by the Governor on
Juno 1, 1913, creating the Department of
City Transit as a municipal agency to
carry out the terms of the foregoing
ct.
An act approved by the Governor on
June 17 1913, making personal propel ty
taxable for munlclpnl and county pur
poses. Instead of for Stnto purposes ns
heretofore. This act adds (570.000.000, the
ussesed valuation of taxable personal
property, to that class of taxable property
which forms tho basis of the 7 per cent,
bonowlng capacity of tho city.
INCREASED BORROWING CAPACITY.
Tne borrowing capacity of the city has
therefore been lnci cased by 7 per cent
thereon, nnd the city la thus enabled to
bnirow 3!)OTO,000 for transit development;
this Is n fact because tho Supreme Court
has so decided In opinion filed by Justles
Brown on May 12, 1914. In tho case of
Magulro vs. the City of Philadelphia.
Director TyIor has recommended that
tho following rapid transit lines be built
by the city.
(1) A north and south subway line,
which will extend nearly the entire
length of Broad street, with necessary
branches and a delivery loop in Arch,
Sth and Locust streets.
Tho cost thereof will be (35,000,00a
(2) An elevated railway extending
from n point of connection with the
present Market street subway-elevated
line at Front and Arch streets, via
Front street and Kensington avenue,
via Kensington nvenue to Frankford
avenue and via Fiankford avenue to
Bridge street in Fiankford.
The cost thereof will be (6,500.000
(3i An elevated railway extending
from ! point of connection with the
Market stieet elevated line at 30th and
.Market streets, via South 30th stieet
and a private light of way skirting the
easterly boundaiy lino of the Unlverelt)
of Pennsylvania and of tho Woodland
Concluded on J'ape Two.
THEN IN GETTING A SEAT
IHMiiLlLLLLLLLLLH