The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-07-22

would rave been held at Wrigb tsville.
In the correspondence between tn
committee and General Register, the
committee was informed that a meet
ing was to be held in Raleigh, to be
attended by: General Armfield. the
colonies of the three regiments. h
inspector general and the chief of
engineers for the purpose of determin-
ing the matter In this letter Gen
era1 ROyster invites the city of Will
mfngton to be represented at the
meeting, when her claims in behalf
of Wrightsville would be heard. This
meeting was authorized by Governor
Aycock, and at the hearing a sub
committee was appointed to look into
the relative merits Of Wrightsville and
Morehead City. and report their
recommendation to the Governor. The
power to select a site resides absolute
ly with the Governor, but we aspect
fully submit that when a committee
was appointed at the instance of the
Governor himself to look into the
relative merits of claimants, with
recommendation to be reported there
on, that the Governor waived his ar
bitrary right Of selection and was in
good faith bound either to accept the
recommendation of the committee, or
to give satisfactory reasons for not
doing so; nor will the plea avail that
such report is the private property of
the Governor, for the state treasury
paid the expense Of the committee of
investigation. and their report is neces-
sarfly public document.
Whereas, the committee appointed
by this Chamber to present the claims
OF WrlghtSv1lle as a site for the en-
campment appeared before a. meeting
of military authorities in Raleigh, con-
vened on the authority or the Cover
nor; whereas, said conference appoint
ed a committee to examine into the
relative merits of Wrightsville and
MoreheaG City as encampment sites,
and report their recommendation to
the Governor; whereas. said committee
Of investigation visited Wilmington
and Morehead and made their report
to the Governor, who selected More
head City In preference to Wrights-
Vile; and whereas, the report of the
committee of he Chamber of Com
merce, now in hand, recites tina ap-
%plication has been made TO General
Royster for a copy OF, the report of the
investigation committee. which request
has been denied by the Governor; be
1T resolved:
1st-That the report of the invest1-
eating committee is not the private
property of the Governor. That said
report was procured at public expense
and bod a recommendation which
the Governor was in good faith bound
to observe. That said report dealt
with the advantages of Wrightsville
as a claimant for an encampment site,
and that the City of Wilmington is
entitled to this report and to know the
reason why Morehead City was pre-
ferred over Wrightsviile.
2nd-That in refusing to furnish a
copy of said report to the committee
from this Chamber, the Governor lays
himself open to the suspicion of con-
serving the interest of Morehead City
at HI cost of the military service of
the state. as well as having done.
Wrightsville a grave ana deliberate
injustice.
3rd-Tnat we respectfully request
the Governor 10 furnish this Chamber
with a copy of the report in question.
to the end that WI may .now what
are the shortcomings of Wrightsville
and the superior advantages of More
head City.
What Members Thought of Governors
Action.
After the reading of the two reports
a general discussion was INDUCED in
by the members of the Chamber, and
they did not hesitate to say what they
thought of the Governor and mis- action
in suppresSing the report of the COM
mittee that inspected the two en- :.
campment sites.
Colonel Walker Taylor, who was Il
member of the special committee ap-
zone to address the board on the mat
ter in hand. He said when the COM
mittee was in Raleigh in regard to
getting the encampment. that Cover
nor Aycock was not there, but that
his private secretary was present and
made himself very conspicuous by on
sulting quite frequently with an official
of the A. and n. c. road.
Colonel Taylor stated that it was
the general impression that Governor
Aycock wished to have the encamp-
| ment held at Morehead City. During
the month of August he said the sea-
| son was practically over at MoreheaG
City, and that 1t was generally believ-
ed that the Governor wished to have
| the encampment held at Morehead
| during the month OF August to help
| out the hotel. If he had made up his
mind to haze the encampment held ut
1 Morehead, Colonel Taylor said. tho
| Governor had no right to have q com.
| mittee appointed at the expense IF the
state, to inspect the different encamp-
ment sites. He stated further that he
did not believe the committee recon-
mended Mo-ehead. Colonel Taylor de-
II Gu lAdl Ia NA ~ F
posed to be treated fairly. and he
wanted all to know il. If the COM
mittee said Wrightsville the best place
Colonel Taylor said the fact ought tC
be made public and nol let IT remain
as at present, leaving the impression
that Morenead was preferable.
An estimate, he said. made by MIR
W. j. Craig, general passenger atsen'
of the Atlantic Coast Lie, showed tina
the troops could be carried TO Wrights
vile at a cost of at least $3.50 less thar
Morehead.
Captain J.. Van b. Nets, anotke4
member of the special COMMITTEES
stated that before the meeting of tn
advisory board that the impression
prevailed that the encampment wonl,
be held at Morehead City N August
Captain Nets said this informatio:
was learned on good authority.
MI. Sam Bear thought the languag
in the latter part Of the report a littI