Evening journal., 1912-04-29
COUNCIL TO GO
SLOW ON RIVER
FRONT AGREEMENT
lContlnued from First Page.l

Continued from First Page.)
proposition offered by the river front
corporation to the city is this, you
get the Government to build the bulk
head, and see that the earth is filed
in; YOU contract with us to build
streets at your own expense and make
said filled in land valuablei you. make
a street over a mile long so that we
can sell adjacent lots, and we will
take as a gift all the made land, ex-
cept fourteen hundred feet out Of
some mile and a quarter
The river front corporation does
not own the river bottom beyond the
tide line. The bill that they lobDied
through the Legislature to accomplish
this very thing that they are now
trying TO do will not stand under the
Federal law Further by eminent do
main their claimed special privileges
can be taken away The city has not
got TO give away the land made be-
yond the low tide line, nor make said
land, aul build roads to get cor
poration~ TO take 10 as a gift. The city
can own practically all Of the river
frontage. If fair proposition Is not
made the city. then let the citizens,
TOO. 60 10 the Federal authorities and
protest against the national govern
ment becoming q partner with a cor
poration In exploiting the city Of
Wilmington through contract made
IN the dark. II Is time for the citi-
zene TO wake up, and use their might
AGAINST tho aocrmulating evils Of the
day.
We arc now laboring under oppres-
sion originating in contracts that
have already been made with corpora
tions excmpting them from taxes and
payments duo tho people for special
privileges We object 10 any more con-
tracts Of exemption being made. or
any contract ohligating the public
60 assist in It's own exploitation.
We are opposed 10 making con-
tracts in iho dark. Tho citizens want
20 know and have right to know
what the obligations arc that they arc
teing madc a party TO- Thcy should
have the opportunity fully to discuss
all public AFFAIRS. and In tho case OF a
proposition like that coming from the
river front corporation, to express
their opinion before action is taken
Turn on the light as you say. aud
those seeking TO bind the city to con-
tracts unjust to the people and 10 the
future. will bc compelled to make a
proposition that is fair. Tho only rea-
son for secrecy is that tho people NAV
not be able TO protest against exploit
tation. The repetition OF such attempts
as this. made by the river front cor
poration. If Tho papers have the facts
correctly. is forcing our cities TO
adopt the Referendum II we had the
Referendum now. through a petition
Of twenty-five per cent of the voters,
the subject could be brought to light
and the said corporation compelled t1
make an offer that thcy are not
ashamed TO state to the public
My feeling Is that the people arc
willing that any man or corporation
should make fair gains; that II th'
river front can be filled IN, and wealth
added 40 the city. the people want
filled in. But what should be cmpha
sized is that the rights OF our citizen
should be respected. and that we de
mand of our officials that they ente
into no contract that the majority O
our citizens would regard unjust w
have before US charter to be vote
upon that was conceived in darkness
and the people now sec what II is. AM
that Il perpetuates these very con
dltions that confront MS I'm regard q
the river front There is a saying tina
possibly some OF us can recall, an
the truth OF which has been prove
over and over again. "Men loved dark
ness rather than light, because thei
deeds we're evil
Respectfully,
George Henry Dole