Evening journal., 1912-05-01
Tue Association Of
WEDNESDAY. MAY i. 1912
ADVICE no INDIGNANr COUNCLMEN


ADVICE TO INDIGNANT COUNCILMEN.
+ INFORMATION has come to MS that there
tain members OF City Council who indignant be-
cause THE EVENING JOURNAL, welding tho club Of
outraged public opinion battered in the doors OF the
Star Chamber in City Hall aud turned the light OF pub
city the proposed ughandled Delaware river water
front development proposition that has been advanced
by tax-dodging corporation known the Whining
ton Terminal Company and certain of its allies.
We admit we are surprised that those members Of
City Council who have engaged in this Star Chamber
work should experience q Feeling Of indignation We
should think the sensation would be one of shame
that elected represent and conserve the public
should consent to do any Of their work in the
dark closeted with representatives Of sordd corpor-
alton that hopes get rich exploiting the Federal
and the municipal treasures.
II the Councilmen who profess to be indignant had
worked in the daylight and had devoted their en-
ergies toward making the Wilmington Terminal Com
pany pay what it ought 90 pay its property holdings
on Cherry Island the taxpayers probably would have
looked their action with greater measure of
prevail 1t must be apparent even to indignant coun-
cilmen that it does look right for representatives
Of our taxpayers sitting behind closed and locked
doors night after night dckering with waterfront ex-
uioters on proposition that bears IFS very face
stamp OF conscenceless private greed and unfarness
that should have led to its rejection as son as had
been read.
We are glad that we have aroused feeling Of in
NlgnatiOn among the OOunCilmen. we are denbhteu
that broken the hypnotic Wilmington Terminal
Company spell that had sealed their lips and made
them lose sight the fact that in these DAYS Star
Chamber methods will not in an enlightened Ameri-
can community such Wilmington is The people have
a right to know what IS going between Their public
servants and representatives private interests who
trying negotiate dicker involving great COM
mercial interests the expenditure of large amounts
Of public The closed door and the sealed lip
are un-American and dangerous. The tbs mem
bers City Council appreciate that fact the less
they will have feeling indignant because Of we'll
merited criticism.
When reads the proposition submitted by the
Wilmington Terminal Company the Edge Moor Iron
Company and the National Dredging Company he is
not surprised that there desire on the part Of
those behind the scheme have considered and rat
fed by Star-Chamber process II is nothing more or
less than proposition for the city and the Federal
Governments TO spend amounts Of money for
the development Of a waterfront and then to turn
four-ffhs Of over to tax-dodging private corpora
ton for all time Nor should it be forgotten that back
Of that aN-dodeing corporation there arc other pa
trios who hope obtain substantial benefits through
the construction with taxpayers money, OF system
Of boueyards and streets through their marsh lands
Let THE EVENING JOURNAL make suggestion to
these Councilmen who in such heat OF indgna-
ton Go on a Cherry Island marsh bank-walk Let
the breezes the Christana and the Delaware rivers
cool Won of Don't make the trip on dark and moon
less night and the Of representatives OF the
Wilmington Terminal Company. but make it in the
broad daylight when the taxpayers can see you
After YOU have made the trip and have cooled OF
10 the extent Of being able to the broad and noble
public interest rather than the narrow and sordi'
priYate interest involved iu this question go TO th
City Tax Office Look through the tax books an'
search vainy for evidence OF the patriotic ta1-pay
ing interest of the Wilmington Terminal Compan,
promoters in the prosperity and progress Of our city
CO to the records OF the Delaware Legislature. SCI
with what lofty spirit OF public pride the Whining
ton Terminal Company put through its bill provid
Ing that it be exempted from all city taxes on iii
rverfront holdings. consisting of hundreds Of acres
Of land When you have lone that, go 70 the Count
Tax ONCE Take the assessment books and go owe
them. Sec with what zeal the Wilmington Termina
Company has paid taxes ourageously low assess
ments and with what painstakng industry certain o
the weldins and the Taleys, have emulated its ex
ample
Having those things. return TO City Hall 81
down and think about them a little while Question
yourself regarding your duty citizens and official
OF Wilmington who TO uphold the publ
interest. Ask yourselves whether It would be bet
ter TO assist these exploiters to get strangle-ho
waterfront 10 reject such oyerturss ant
take steps vest the title to that waterfront lam
In the city. Ask yourselves whether it would not b
better to get for the taxpayers the benefits tha
necessarily would to them from the big i'm
provements that the Wilmington Terminal Compan
and its allies propose shall be made with public fund
and largely for the benefit of those who are behind
shameless piece Of exploitation Also ask yourselye