The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-12-06
Yours very truly.
Charles +. Pugh,
Second Vice. President.

Accompanying the letter was a re.
port from the committee represent
Ing the board, that conferred with
the street and sewer directors con
cerning the grantingo Of the franchise.
The report Of the special commit
nittee referred to was as follows.
! Wilmington, Del, Dec. 4, 1901.
Board of Trade.
, Gentlemen: 1t Is with much pieas
Nre that the committee appointed by
you to confer with the members Of
the Street and Sewer COmmiSs ion Is
able to report successful tcrmina :
tion Of the negotiations inaugurated
by them for the passage of resoIn
tion by the Street and Sewer Com.
mission, providing for the elevation
tiOn of the tracks Of the Phi'adel-
phia, Wilmington and Baltimore
Railroad through our city, which is
not only satisfactory to the railroad
company, but which has made ample
provision for the protection Of the
city IS interests.
The material advantages that will
accrue to this city from the prosecu-
ton of this important work in the el-
imination of from seventy-tive to
ninety per ccut of the danger and in
convenience now arising from the
present grade crossings and the erec-
lion OF extensive locomotive and Car
shops In the northeastern section OF
the city, that will employ thousands
of well.paid, skilled mechanics, and
the inducements that the erection Of
such extensive shops offer to manu-
facturers of other sections to locate
in our city, are of such magnitude
that the committee feel we'll repaid
for the time and attention they have
devoted to this matter.
In q work of this magnitude there
are many conflicting interests that
must be harmonized before its prose.
cution can be undertaken. The har.
monization of snch interests is a mat.
ter that cannot be rushed through
hastily.
Numerous conferences were neces.
yary to adjust the differences which,
though slight, were Of sufficient i'm.
portance to require earnest considera-
tion, as in the opinion OF the Street
and Sewer Commission, they vitality
affected the citv's interests.
The members OF the commission
treated your committee with uniform
kindness and consideration, giving
them hearings at times other than
their regular meetings at inconveni.
ence to themselves. and at all tim es
Bvineed disposition to meet the
requirments of the railroad company
where they did not, in their Judge.
ment, conflict with the city's inter.
ests.
Happily these differences were sat.
Isfactorily adjusted Us soon as the
plans and intentions of the railroad
company were fully understood.
! That your committee has been a bic
to bring about the conferences that
have resulted in the passage Of a
resolution, in which the interests of
the city have been 80 safeguarded
and yet SO satisfactory to tho railroad
company, should be sufficient refu.
tation of any adverse criticisms tn at
have appeared regarding the delays
incident to the passage Of this reso-
luton, an ample proof that th Q mem.
bers Of the Street and Sewer Com.
mission were not actuated by any
other motives than the protection Of
the interests of the city, which they
were morally and legally bound to
provide for. Respectfully submitted
W W. Lobdell, chairman.
William Lawton,
S. II Baynard.
Joseph l. Carpenter, Jr.,
Charles q. Dubell.