Removing them wasn't necessary, but it's better. Elm isn't 1.0 yet, so "does this make the language better" is the metric for feature addition or deletion.
Every other comment about these changes has expressed approval. An overwhelming majority of Elm community members I've heard discuss this feel the same way.
You are welcome to a dissenting opinion, of course, but throwing shade at Evan for his popular design decisions seems unlikely to change anyone's mind.