Evening journal., 1902-01-10
SCOPE or rnE IMPROVEMENTS

llOnf
SCOPE or THE IMPROVEMENTS
The following. an extract from an
editorial in the Philadelphia Times, Is
fair statement of the need Of the ap-
preparation for the Delaware river i'm
proyements:
The channel of the Delaware Is not
within the jurisdiction of any one
State. lt is bordered by three States,
and the regulation OF it's commerce is
the concern of the United States Con-
gress. The obligation has been ac-
knowledged and appropriations have
been made in the past, but not upon
the scale required In spite of existing
obstacles. the commerce OF the port
expands. In the actual customs reve-
nue. returned during last year, Phila-
delDhia was second only to New York
and its coastwise trade is of value to
nearly every Atlantic port Thus the
Delaware improvements are not for
local advantage merely, they interest
the whole country.
II other harbOrs are nearer to the
ocean. no other is so near the great
centres of industry and the field
whence We draw our supplies Of iron
and coal. the basis of our expanding
commerce Philadelphia is the natural
entrepot of a vast region intimately
connected with il by great transporta-
tion systems. and the people of all this
region are as much concerned In it's
harbor facilities as It's own citizens.
Furthermore. Philadelphia has not
called upon Congress without showing
Ia readiness to do its own share. The
.ciy.with ecorpOratiOnscente here.
not only has spent literally for the
opening of the river front, the con-
struotion OF modern piers and other
commercial facilities. but has actually
put its own means at the disposal Of
the United States officials to continue
the work upon the channel for which
Congress failed to provide If the jur-
lsdiction OF Philadelphia extended to
the sea. We would have an open har-
Dor here without asking favors from
anybody.
We endorse every word of our able
contemporary. and certainly It must
be apparent that while a clear channel
to the sea would greatly benefit Phila-
delphia. yet the scope of the improve
ment needed Is very much wider. The
river and its navigable tributaries
should be considered in one common
scheme of improvement. Along the
Delaware are such cities as Chester.
Wilmington and New Castle. These
would all reap the benefit OF deep.
open channel, but Wilmington needs
something more. She lies several miles
inland and on a tributary stream. She
has great industries. and a large com
merce. Most Of her shipping is with
Philadelphia and it is injured as much
by Instructions in the channel OF the
Christiana as it would be by the same
conditions in the Delaware. Any i'm.
provement which would give us better
navigation would benefit Philadelphia
and in considering these matters W,
should not take a narrow or a selhsl
view. OF course our great neighbor t
the North is primarily considering hel
own interests. but her interests as wei
as ours extend not only to the chan
mel of the Delaware. but to the tribu
tarv streams. From middle and lowe
Delaware there are numerous lines o
boats. besides sailing craft whose OBJ
iective point almost invariably /
A Philadelphia. These vessels carry {
, her markets all sorts of produce Il
. large quantities and take as retur
l. cargoes. the goods to stock the store
p of the Delaware towns. This trade
s not inconsiderable. but II would b
quadrupled under proper condition
These streams need their small appr,
ID priations as much as the Delawal
ol needs her large one. and Wilmington
AZ and the towns in lower Delaware ha'
he contributed and will contribute
much proportionately as Philadelphi
~ The whole improvement. both Of Il
no Delaware and Of its tributaries. is
- crying necessity. and the congres
ls men, the newspapers and the people
three States should work together
\ obtain the appropriations.