The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-13
CITY TO ASSIST.
City VIII Give 10 Cents on Every
Dollar the Government ApprOpri.
ates for HarbOr improvement.

The Improvement Of tho Christiana
river is again being discussed This time
William b. Smalley at the request OF
President Lawton, Of the Board OF Trade,
is preparing bill to be sent TO tho Legis-
lature The bill provides that the city
shall appropriate 10 cents for every dollar
appropriated by the national Government
for the improvement of the harbor. Ii
the Government appropriates Sl0O, OOO, the
city will give $40 900, but under 10 clrcum'
s.auce will the city be requ r1d to pay more
than $4,000.
Senator Pyle will be given charge of the
measure in the Senate, while Represents
tive Donaldson will sec that it is given
prompt consideration In the House.
While the members Of the Board OF.
Trade have been discussing the matter
Individually for some time, tho matter
will not be brought officially before that
body until tho bill is fairly under way at
Dover. when every effort will be made to
arouse public sentiment to realization OF
the necessity Of concerted action by tho
business and commercial interests of the
city.
William Lawton Is strongly in favor Of
tho bill. In an interview he said:
"There Is no reason whatever why Will
mington, with its natural advantages in
commercial and manufacturing way,
buOutu uOU TeCelVo u largo bIldTo III Uno
shipping business of the Delaware, and the
only reason why we have been handi-
capped in this regard in the past is because
OF the Inadequate facilities afforded vessels
for entering the Christiana.
80 far as the proposed appropriation by
the city of ten per cent. Of the amount
which the government will be asked to
provide for the improvement of this har-
Dor, can say that 1t has my hearty ap.
proval because realize that IN order to be
progressive and keep up with tho march
Of public improvements tho people Of this
city must insist upon doing something
which will attract vessels to this port, and
especially those vessels which have cargoes
consigned to our merchants and which.
owing to the inadequate depth of tho
Christiana, are compelled to carry the
goods to Philadelphia from which point
they are shipped here either by rail or on
lighters. n. =
tho improvement of its water front and
harbor, and although the State Legisla.
ture refused to aid in the work, tho above
sum il now being expended and will no
doubt provo of immense advantage.
las to tho advantage, that accrue to the
city If we could dredge The Christiana so
as to allow vessels with draft Of twenty
i've reeG TO come up, can only say tDaG
amot every month the Board of Trade is
receiving communications from manufac-
turers desirous OF locating here, and while
they are abundantly satisfied with tho city
in general, the fact that the navigation
facilities are so poor alone deters them
from establishing their plants here. l be-
lieve, therefore, that every citizen and es.
pccially every business man has per.
sonal interest in seeing the contemplated
projec' cOnSummated.
"Auother matter which l believe should
he considered is the removal of tho sew
age, and according to the government en-.
aineers it would require at least 10, COO an-
nually, but in my opinion this would be
money well spent and in the end would
accrue to our advantage.
'ff we have the same advantages as
Philadelphia and Newport News, we can
build the largest kind of vessels on the
Christiaua. We have the works, we have
the mechanics, we have the capital. All
we lack Is the means to bring the craft to
our shores, or, after they are built. to
start them out on their careers, and il once
we are successful in this effort to secure
an ndequato water front am satisfied
that the skill and enterprise of our ship
builders will bring us at least n just pro.
portion of the trade which owing to the
reasons which it is now proposed to obviate
goes elsewhere"