The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-10
STRIKE WHILE THE IRON is HOT
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO MOVE IN
MATTER OF u. S. DRY DOCK
Committee on Harbor shipping and
Commerce Asked to Take Matter Up
and Report to Nex Meeting OF Cham-
ber-Efforts Being Made by Charles
ton-May Raise Subscription TO Pur-
chase site A Great Prize nj stake.

There lacked one or two members OF
being a quorum for the meeting OF
the chamber OF commerce yesterday,
but. while no business was actually
transacted. ii did not deter the men,
bers present from discussing In a COM
prehenSive way a number Of impert-
ant matters which should just now en-
gage the special attention OF the cham
Der. notable among them being the
securing Of the location OF the govern
ment dry docks at the mouth OF the
Cape Fear river. when moved from
Port Royal. \ resolution was present.
ed for adoption providing that a COM
mittee be appointed e press rs
claims OF Wilmington for the dry
dock. having. as We ave at the mouth
OF the Cape Fea the finest natural
harbor on the south Atlantic coast.
n also calling upon the commercial
bodies of all the towns and cities n
the state TO join in the movement to
secure the location OF the docks h re.
Pendin a date for the mex meeting
of the chamber. the committee on har-
Dor. shipping and III j. urged
10 prosecute the interests Of the oity
in the premises and submit any recon-
mendations they may deem advise Die
TO the chamber at the next meeting.
From yesterdays issue % The Charles
ton News and Courier IL is noted that
a very hard pull is being made for the
location OF the docks there. The bust
ness mems league held a meeting yes
terday with a view 10 offering the gov
m a site for he docks. They
nave wen gone so far as To ~inaugurate
a movement for raising a public sub
scription for the purchase Of a site.
In commenting upon the Importance
of securing the dry docks for Charles
L ION and nlEhfrR "A nTGNaFnanf N this
end with all possible dispatch The
News and Courier says:
Savannah. Wilmington and Bruins
wick have not yet given up all hope
Of getting the station. Any one OF
those cities would gladly donate a site
10 the government if by SO doing Ii
could get the plum; and in view OF this
fact L Is but natural that the navy
department is looking 10 Charleston for
liberal treatment. The naval station
would be cheap at any price that the
business men here could pay for a site.
Its establishment here would he the
greatest thing for Charleston that has
taken place in a quarter OF d century.
The advantages TO be derived from IL
are permanent. not transient. II IL
were once placed here it would mean
the expenditure literally Of millions
OF dollars of government money in this
city and harbor. The opportunity Of
fered to Charleston is a splendid one
and there is no reasonable request
that Rear Admiral Rodgers and his
board could make that should not be
complied with without the hesitation
of a moment"
As an indication of the conditions
hampering the selection and purchase
of a site in Charleston the following
from the News and Courier will be OF
interest:
Dispatches recently sent out OF
l u < rs@- hn.-z
fear is entertained by Secretary Long
that an effort will be made to gouge
the government when the time came
for the purchase of a site here for the
station. OF course all the talk that has
been INDUCED in to the effect that a
syndicate has been formed here TO run
up the price on all available sites is
mere bosh. II any such combination
has been formed something would
have been heard OF il here as we'll ~
at the capital. and so far the only ref
erence TO the matter that has be-
made has appeared in dispatches that
were sent out of Washington. The To-
cal committee will not have TO deal
with a syndicate, but IL may have to.
use its influence to See TO 1t that in
dividuals who have property that the
government may want do not place
upon it a prohibitive or extortionate
price. One OF he objects of the meeting
tomorrow is to discuss this subject at
length and 10 make such preparations
as will be likely to facilitate the work
Of Rear Admiral Rogers board"
The above extracts from The News
and Courier will Indicate the spirit
with which Charleston has entered the
race for the dry dock And the advant-
ages pointed out as accruing to tina
city If located there apply Just as
strongly in Wilmington If We secure
the prize. Truly the chamber Of COM
merce and other commercial bodies of
this city should lose no time in inaug-
urating and exercise with the utmost
vigor every influence they can bring TO
bear upon the United States authori-
ties to select this city as the location
for the docks.