Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-22
THG BOARD Or TRADE.
lcnnlInnnd lrnm ihlrd -. }

CONTINUED from third pagel
interests are larger than those of any
other Delaware community. Two Mary
land towns, further down the peninsula
salisbury and Snow HILL are her rivals
in the lumber business. Some very COM
Portable fortunes have been built Of lum-
ber And it is interesting to note tnat
the lumbermen Of each OF these thlee
towns have given the State cher mag
istrate-G Governor Jackson Of Salisbury
Governor Smith Of Snow Hill, and Gov
ernor Marvel Of Laurel.
'Lowes, the home Of that stainless
gentleman and modest bachelor, former
Governor Ebe W. Tunnel. is the Oldest,
ouaintest and most charming settlement
in Delaware. Lewes makes fish oil and
pilots. There is the possibility of great
port Of call at Iewesr The United states
government has spent many millions IN
breakwaters at I.ewes making port OF
refuge AZ the mouth Of Delaware Bay.
When 81 constructs the additional break
water urged by DR.. Hiram r. Burton, our
present energetic member OF Congress,
an honored resident Of Lewes, Lewes Will
have a great. deep and perfectly safe har-
bor at the every edge Of the open sea.
She is about equi-distant by water from
three great ports of entry-New York,
Philadelphia and Norfolk. A ship canal
might make Baltimore equally conven-
lent Of access from the port Of Lewes.
Wilmington is not only in herself a
fine, prosperous and growing city, but she
is most fortunately placed In the midst
Of the most desirable part of the world.
Our farms shall all become gardens TO
raise fruit, vegetables and flowers for the
great centres of an ver-increasing popu-
lation. Our towns shall become hives Of
busy industry surrounded by comfortable
homes. And all of this development shall
contribute TO the greatness and wealth Of
Wilmington. We are not your rivals and
we would not pull You down We are all
an greater or less degree your customers,
your supporters, your contributing sis
ters."
Mercantile Interests.
William d. Mullen spoke on whining
tons Mercantile Interests" He said, af-
ter brief introductioni
Take my own business, the Wholesale
grocery trade, and note what has taken
place during the past 30 years; from one
house IL has grown 10 where we have now
Eve houses doing a business of S20O0O00
per annum Take our iron, steel aud
hardware interests and note the steady
growth Of this important branch of our
commercial life, now doing an annual
trade of about S750000. Tho transpor-
tation features, representing an annual
trade of about S2500O00. Then there arc
number of varied interests, such as
wholesale produce, -four and grain, lum-
her, agricultural, confectioners' and
plumbers supply houses. pork packing
and meats, wholesale druggists. dry goods
and notions, printing and stationery
china and glassware. paints and oils
with large Investment Of capital, all do
ing a large and successful business. Om
exports in oil alone for the year 1905
appointed 10 SO, T22, 400 Our annual ex
ports of cars and car material 10 Brazil
Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Hayti, Cubs
and Continental Europe now amount ts
about S650,000, and Of finished morocco
about S3,O00.O00 annually, and paper ma
chinery TO South America, Canada, Fin
land, Norway, Sweden, Cuba, Mexico
Holland, France and Germany about
S600,00O"
The Harbor.
In responding to the toast, "Our Har
bor,' United States Engineer @. A. +
flagler said
~rho harbor Of Wilmington is the mos
important waterway in the district i
has lived under difficulties. From 1883
when William Penn described IL as hav
ing a depth of 25 20 90 feet, and as be
ing capable Of laying up the entire roya
navy of England, to the present day, j
has suffered every injury that the han,
of man could deal it. The tidal basil
that secured its channels has been stolei
from II by the banking of meadows; en-
croachments on the banks of the harbo
proper have been continuous; bridges o.
unsuitable type and dimensions havl
contracted and choked its waterways
the sewage of this large city has beer
cast into its currents, and the principa
stream of the harbor was robbed evel
of its title Of river, and existed for man,
years as Christiana creek. A benefcen
Legislature finally wiped out that insul
and IL is again a river. Since 1853 tn
harbor has been under Improvement b.
the United States. and channel depth
have been secured by congressional an
lpropriation SUCCESSFULLY of 10. 70. Is. il
and 2l feet at mean low water. Thes
depths followed the increase of the com
merce Of the harbor and its needs. Nh
Improvements eliminated in 1908. when
fun depth Of q feet existed tlrouehou
the harhor on the Christiana. Since tina
year, insufficient appropriations have pre-
vented the maintenance of that doptl
and at the present day funds availabl
permit the maintenance of only Is fee
depth, and that only below the Thir
street bridge
in most foreign countries. the i'm
lprovement and maintenance of harbors
covered by funds collected as dues; ton
mage dues dock dues. etc, laid upon IA
vessels trading in the harbors If thi
were the case IN this country. Nilmingto
would have Jared far better than she ha
in financial assistance for her harbor. [
support Of this statement. I will quote
few figures relative 10 other harbors q
about the same commercial importanc
in the United States In the 32 wear
from 1851 10 1908. the harhor of Savaf
nah received in appropriations 2-lO q
one FER cent Of the value of its tot-
commerce for that period Galveston
a4loQ If one Per cent. Pensacola. 50 m
per cent Charleston. 2g per cent. Nc
bile, pa Der cent. and Wilmington, l5.i0
Of one rer cent
Wilmington harhor is not susceptihl
cf permanent improvement and MAR
tsnance hy the simple utilization Of nai
ural forces. II is one of those harboi
that will always require constant exper
diture for maintenance. In this respe,
u resembles the CLYDE where enormou
sums are expended annually % maintai
what was once a shallow creek. as one ,
the worlds greatest harbors, the harbC
OF Glasgow. There is probably no bett,
parallel IN the world than the harbor {
Glasgow to what Wilmington harbe