Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-03-30
John F. Tackles the Adams
Express Company.
KENT ISLAND B0BS UP AGAIN
Colonel Martin Fails to Get
a Hearing.
The Senate Kills and Burios the Flsh-oi1
Factory Abolition Councilman
Murray's Delegation Before the Senate
Committee.

Pa. said there has been no discrimination
whatever against Delaware business on
the part of his company A new classiii-
cation of package business went into
effect all over the United States, adopted
by all the express companies, in $3.50.
This classification was revised in April,
1892. BY this classification the rates on
some small packages were slightly in
creased, while on general merchandise
and ON produce rates We're materially re-
duced. MIR. Hildt proceeded to argue that
the minimum rate provision of The pend
ing House bill is impracticable and UNI
justiliable. He referred to the very able
opinion of the encouragement Of
Delaware" to show that there had
been no intractiun of the interstate
commerce law. lie said the State Of Della
ware proposed, two Years ago to impose
tax Of 10000 on their annual business,
which netted the year before only SOS.
He thought the company had paid into the
state treasury about 90 per cent of its
profits last year. He produced tabulated
statements of rates, NC.. which he thought
would show that the Delaware rates were
probably lower than i'll adjoining states.
The pending taxation bill would be pro-
hibtory. II il is passed the Adams lGx-
press Company will have To curtail its
business i'll Delaware, because ii will then
be placed in the situation Of losing more
money the more Delaware business it does.
The company is doing more lor the people
and State Of Delaware than Tor any other
State; in no other state does the company
carly State matter free
In reply to question from Mr.. Cooch,
MIR. Hildt said that Laurel was probably
the greatest berry shipping point in the
country; that most of the berries trans.
ported THENCE by the company were for
New England points, and that the 3ll 900
paid the company last year on berry car
ana did not enter into his estimate oil the
Interstate business. A great deal of the
express business does not pay more than
~ per cent profit
IN reply To John +. salisbury, MIR. IIildt
said lie would have no objection to legisla-
ton restricting the local agents totle tariff
rates OF the company. Ihereupun Messrs
salisbury and Hlldt got into lin animated
controversy over the express rates to
Dover on hats. The controversy involved
Local Agent MCDANIEL Of Dover. Mr.
Czech and several others Joined iii and the
animation grew more animated. 1t even
grew tumultous. Finally Mir, Hildt dis
covered that John II. salisbury was not a
member Of the committee and he pro-
ceeded to resent, with Indignation, the
catechizlng to which lie had been subjected
John II. salisbury responded III kind
and with equal warmth. He was here by
invitation oil the committee and as a citi.
zclul peIhWhFelo protest against ulScrlml-
nation against the people and trade of
Delaware and he meant to do il. The
chairman poured oil on the troubled
waters and Tor few minutes there was Il
slight lull
Then MIR. Salisbury twitted Mr.. HildC
with the charge that the Adams Express
Company is not Incorporated in this State
"A and has no legal corpus here to be sued or
* held 10 account that it can only be reached
4 through Its resident agents,
Ml MIR. Hllut reiterated that his company
did not Discriminate; that, if there had
been any oNerGharglng, il must have been
due TO error on the part OF some agent or
clerk, aud il Mr.. salisbury would 20 into
" an examination of the matter, lie would
4 refund the uyercharge upon his hat and
4 upon all his express business for the past
~ years, if he HAD to employ clerk for Il
whole year to ferret ont the truth of the
matter.
n The chair explained that this WINS a pub
lie hearing, open to both sides, and that
John r. salisbury had only exercised the
privilege OF amy citizen who wished To
take part i'll the discussion of the subject
before the meeting.
WHO OWNS KENT ISLAND?
This question, which was mooted in the
Legislature of 1859, hobs UP again. In
1850 joint committee comprising Senators
Richardson and Collins and Representa-
tives Richardson, Downham and White,
lnan, tackled the conundrum and was
thrown. That committee reported March
18th, 1883, )that they had investigated "the
question which has been raised and urged
respecting the title of the State to and in
all that certain tract OF land and salt marsh
known as Kent Island, = in the eastern part
of Little Creek hundred, Kent county, and
"ind that the said body of land was, by
an act of the General Assembly of this
"A
unto Thomas Clayton and Jacob Stout,
expressly under and subject to certain con
ditionS in and by the said act prescribed
and upon the performance whereof the
title, i'll the opinion OF your committee,
depends; so that whatever of right or title
may now be in the State of Delaware must
necessarily depend upon a judicial con-
structiOn OF the aforesaid act Of Assembly
and the legal effect Of the non-observance
of the conditions, or any of them, by the
said act imposed, which can only be prop.
erly ascertained and determined by Judi.
clal investigation 70 which end the
committee reported, by joint resolution
which was duly adopted, THAT the attor.
ney general be and lie is hereby author.
lied empowered and directed to in-
vestigate the present status of the
title to the said body Of land men,
toned in the preamble hereto, and to
incept such proceedings in the proper
of Delaware, as will lead to and result III
an adjudication of the question of ttle;''
that il, in the opinion of the attorney
general, the proper proceeding shall be by
an action of ejectment in the superior
court Of the State of Delaware i'll and fol
Kent county against any one or more oil
the individuals now claiming title to the
said premises as against the State, then
and in that case such action in the name
Of the State of Delaware is hereby OK.
pressly authorized and directed to be in
stituted," and provision was directed TO be-
made for the proper and reasonable re-
Enumeration of the attorney general foi
performing this service.
II does not appear, however, that any
thing further was done and the resolution
offered by MIR. Scyil and adopted by the
House to-day will have the effect Of re
opening this matter de novO. This resoltl
lion was based on IL petition which set!
forth that Kent Island is a large tract o.
salt marsh lying along the mouth o
Leipsic creek, containing many Thousand
acres, now held in possession by Dir. r. j
Stout, now of Philadelphia but recently o
Dover, and that the petitioners beliey'
that the island rightfnlly belongs to til,
State of Delaware.
on SEWER ASSESSMENTS,
Councilman Murray Philip Plunket
and several others came down to-day Il
advocate the bill repeating the one cen
per square foot sewer assessment. They
went before the Senate committee this AT
iernoon, and SO also did Street and Sewe
Director Carpenter, who managed t,
occupy the greater share of the time, 5,
mat Mr.. Murrays delegation did not sc
IN all they came down to say. The discus
lion, like that Of the Adams EXPIRES
natter, waxed warm and threatened t.
Wind up in wrangle. The Murray mel
hnuIIv nvbrnsapl their WILLINGNESS IN ran