The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-12
WOULD LEASE CITY WHARF Boat Company, HSSaid. Has a Plan, EQUAL RIGHTS FOR OTHERS Claimed That Wrznglings and Dis
 putts Win Be Prevented. MsseAs.s Tsiks ss sh. essstsss, slsk- las ob,eetisa ts the LsasiAs ef
 Pabiie Necessities re csr-
 psrasieas.

I - It was announced yesterday that the HIrminxham and cuff Navigation Com pany, desired 10 secure lease on the river landing and control the wharf, but allow other boat lines plying the river equal privileges with their own boats. It was said the company did not want to raonepoiisc ths-wharf and that 1t would be held with equal rights for all steamers coming to the city, but that the B. and c. Company wish ed to be tho tenants of the property
 The same person who made the an- nouncement said the matter would be placed before the city council shortly and that body urged to grant the B. ana O. the ieases and that some of tue couneilmen were in favor Of the plan.
 sThsre will be repeated wraasiiPgs and disputes if the city controls the whafs. said the man who was discuss- in1 the matter. 'Nnd the boat com- pahy wishes to avoid this. if posaibls. by the other fines and thsrnselvss hav- ing no higher authority to appeal to and possibly secure municipal influence that will be detrimental to the weil- fare of the D. and e.
 This company k starting out to de- Welop the river facilities for com mefee, to rcjuvenats a business that has been allowed to lapse. and feels that It should be given some authority ia the matter. not to the hurt of other interests. but that their own may bs better taken care of.
 'sThe question Of relieving the city of all care in the matter has aireaay been discussed in the council and with some. met favoR." said this citizen, "the city has done nothing to keep the wharf np anA until the advent of the new boat compRny. the river had ai- most been allowed to take care of it. self. as lar as the city of Montgomery was concefned The present interest in river navigation is due almost en- tlreiy to the B. and c. having entered the felds and that company wishes to carry through che work, it has begun unhampered by any obstacis. save
 cittnen Ob3eesa.
 One of the citys merchants was asked what he thought of the matter and said:
 ''If the B, and 0. company wants to control the wharf. that is. lease, it, with the other companies having equal privileges 1t scene to me that they are very phiianthropicaiiy inciined. to say nothing of ths business end of such condition. why should they want to Assnme the taxes, license and possible ilahilities3 Is it out of big hearted interest in Montgomsryf Hardly. think they have something else up their sleeve. and I for one do not be- Have in corporation, under any con- dltion. holding asisaae on . public ne- necessity.
 'svice-Presidenk Dewberry of the B and c. made the same proposition last fall In Selmas but the people there could not see tt that way then. al- though they may have since. Mir. Dew berry met the Selma City Council and leading business men in the Selma Chamber of Commerce rooms and the advent of the boat company to the Ala- bAma River was discussed at length. Enthusiasm marked the evening. am 0Dld, and the little city was ready to do anything for the company, until Mr. Dewberry proposed that the D. and e, should control, or lease. the municipal landing. At the proposition the Selma men frankly told the company's ofn- ciai that there was nothing doing in that lines" @
 Interest in the wharf ia one of the iivest topics among the merchants these days. They say they see better business in it all around and the Idea of a single corporation encroaching on the key to the whole scheme of devei- opment does not take well with some. Better rates are already In sight. some affirm. and the idea of competition takes well in many quarters. Another point of interest Ia the placing of the bonds as soon aa possible and getting the work done. With the wharf bonds on the ways" soon to be launched ana fioated, merchants are asking question of travelling salesmen that is pregnant with mercantile meaning. Ia ret0fAA stnnA0 IA the merchants. they ask:
 "can this consignment be handled from Montgomery to points south of the city. by water?"
 The travelling salesmen who. many of them. represent big Northern whole sale houses. have begun to take tn- terest in the question. and 1t ts be- brought to bear on the Rivers asa Harbors Committee regarding appro- priations for the long neglected rivers of the South, the Alabama and tribu- tariss particularly.
 Locai merchants are taking more notice Of the. river than they have in several years, the advent of new boats and the betterment ot the schedules Of old ones has made 1t to their busi- ness interest to handle stun by the waterway, and they are doing it. A business man In a position to know. said yesterday that the business on the river had improved to a great extent. That shipments which for years had been handled by rail are now going by water, and he expected before long there would be a daily boat.
 It is matter now almost of days before the bonds for a e10,000 wharf and warehouse win be issued. The legal dificulty in the matter ia being worked out by a Boston firm of law yers. who represent a financial inc stitution that wishes to handle the bonds, and as soon as their opinion Is rendered, the bonds will be fioated.
 Representative engraving concerns have been in communication with Mayor Teague in reference to lithographing the papers and this minor detail will be attended to as soon as the legal opinion Is rendered.
 The merchants doing business in Southwestern Alabama are lending their influence to the matter and with them 1t is a question of more than a little moment. The Freight Bureau and several mercantile associations of Mont gomery are taking an aetive interest