Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-22

Philadelphia City Council has de.
clined to grant to the Cramps the con-
cession of river frontage for shipbuild-
ing purposes which the big builders
imperatiyely need at this time.
Baltimore has made an offer inviting
the Cramps to locate there. Last Mon.
day Heald & Company sent proposi.
tlon to the Cramps the purport of which
is an open offer Of all the Delaware
river frontage they may need. The
Philadelphia shipbuilders can have a
mile OF river frontage if they need it
and 100 acres or more of land. The
story Of the difficulty the Cramps are
having with the Philadelphia Council ia
indicated in the following extract from
the Record of Sunday:
The danger threatening Philadel-
phia's commercial interests from such
arbitrary proceedings as those in Com
mon Council last Thursday, when tho
ordinance permitting the Messrs. Cramps
to enlarge their great shipyard by vacat-
ing certain streets was favorably re-
ported from the survey committee and
then suddenly referred back to the COM
mlttee under very curious circumstances,
was very strikingly shown yesterday"
u
by representatives of the Baltimore Dry
DOCK aad Shipbuilding Works inducing
them to locate there.
The Record continues: "For 18
months now the Messrs. Cramps have
appealed to the City Councils of Phila-
delphia for permission to enlarge their
yard by wiping out certain streets at
their own expense, and they feel indig-
nant over the way in which they have
been treated. OF the railroads whose
tracks and property would be affected
by the proposed changes-the Reading,
the Pennsylvania, the Belt Line and the
Lehigh Valley-all but the Pennsylva-
MIA have agreed to the needed altera-
tions. All the industrial establishments
in the vinity Of the Cramps yard have
done everything in their power to aid
them in bringing about the improve
ment desired, and great expense has
been incurred in securing necessary
properties.
"For over year, however, all progress.
has been blocked through the opposition
OF a single corporation, until row the
shipbuilders feel SO disguised that it is
not impossible that they will move their
yard either to Baltimore or further down
the Delaware. Without an extension of
the yard, it will be quite impracticable
to build the immensely long steamships i
that are now coming into vogue.
"a curious feature of the opposition
that has developed to the Cramps plan
is that under the ordinance lust sent
back to the survey committee there is
no interference whatever with the tracks
and property of the Pennsylvania rail-
road in that vicinity. Every effort has
been made TO leave them unmolestcd,
but this fact does not seem 10 have
moderated the opposition of the com
pany to the plans"
wGLMINGToN's OFFER.
The communication from Heald g
Co., of this city to the Cramps, offers
facilities for the big ship-builders that
are unequaled anywhere along the
Atlantic coast. They far excel what
Baltimore can offer. In addition, it is
nearer the present location of the
Cramps works. They would still be on
the Delaware, and for all practical pur-
poses would control their business under
conditions modified in no appreciablc
manner from their present circum-
stances.
The railroad facilities are all that
could be desired. Access and egress
from the yards located here would be
had more easily by the larger ocean
which is the Cramps specially,
than in Philadelphia.
If our present shipbuilding interests
were located at the river front then the
land now offered could not have been
at any cost.