Evening journal., 1912-07-02
TUESDAY, JULY 2. 1912
rxplOrrAmoN ADVOCATES ANswERED.


-v>HosE shortsiehted and pooriynformed Wilmington
L ians who have been citing Pbadclpha's water front
exnorience as an excuse for our city permitting the
wilmington Terminal Company and its associates TO
walk away with our river front should read the fol-
lowing taken from talk with Dock commissioner
Norris of Philadelphia, just issued
aThese conditions can best be realized by publicly
owned water and publicly owned belt line and
IL will he my aim and purpose TO accomplish these
things as rapidly and completely as the available means
will permit.
~Thc demand for port Improvements here and else
where Is the logical result Of Industrial prosperity
that is now approaching IFS maximum, and which must
look TO material broadening OF commercial policy II
succeeding years are TO show advance In keeping
with the record so far estabshedr said Director Nor
Ms ~The determination Of the States and munici-
paIties 10 regain control Of their harbor fronts Is
long step In the right direction
~It is realized now. wherever port problems have
been studied that private ownership OF wharHes and
piers existing 10 any great extent, is an additional tax
upon the ports commerce, STILES competitions encour-
ages monopoly, and mpedes commercial progress. Such
condition is anaeonistc to every phase Of real port
development or commercial expansion, aud the present
universal tendency toward public ownership and sn-
per,sion is a direct blow at such monopoiistc evils
"Roadways are free TO all who TO use them. Rail-
roads carriers bound by law to convey any
persons commodity who pay the fixed transpcrta-
vessels. Certainly there Is no sound argument to he
advanced Of private enterprise controlling the
point where Of necessity, the mode OF transportation
must change from land carrier to water carrier, aud
vice versa. Such condition provides both the tempa
ton and the means for the regulation OF competition
and the artificial depression OF commerce.
son the other hand, port facilities that under
the supervision aud control Of a municipality not
operated upon the profimakng bases hut solely from
considerations Of economy. Favor and discrim
ination eliminated and the result is greater CONF
mereaI Interchange through that port because Of su-
perior advantages offered every shipper carrier and
consumer
~0nly under such policy this port he built
up to high standard OF efficiency.
massachusetts California, Louisiana aud other sea-
board states have appropriated large to regain
control Of the water fronts Of their respective ports.
The right Of eminent domain has been legslated 10
the branch OF the state municipal government hay-
ing jurisdiction the port and the policy Of public
control OF piers is being put into erect rapidly
possible. New YORK City now more than half Of
the docks and whares in rs harbor, and is steadily
acquiring the others In Bristol. England, the munic.
paly the entire port and rs facilities every
foot Of its water front"
Those expressions Of opinion supplemented by state
ments previously made by Dock Commissioner Tom
kns of New York and others constitute a complete an.
to those who would advocate giving our own wa
ter front TO spectators for private exploitation