Evening journal., 1912-12-23
MONDAY. DEC. % 1912.
PAYING THE PENALTY.

IAllAN IhE IENAhils
- REATER New York is paying heavy penalty now
NJ because Brooklyn, in the days Of it's municipal
sovereignty failed protect IFS rights and
the public the Brooklyn waterfront While
old New York city wise beyond it's age and gener-
alton retained it's waterfront the North East and
Harlem rivers and developed it until It represents
municipal asset valued hundreds of millions, IL not
billions, of dollars the old city of Brooklyn permitted
It's waterfront fall into private hands and suffered
untold injury from doing.
Following consolidation the folly Of that Brooklyn
policy became manifest to everyone and was decided
that Greater New York should extend into that
borough the policy of the municipazauon Of
the waterfront that had been beneficial and
bsought such rich returns the old city of New York
But when il came TO recovering that waterfront that
had been squandered layishly hy the old city OF
Brooklyn t discovered That the wanted
many millions of dollars for what had cost them. un-
der the old and shortsightod Brooklyn policy, only
thousands OF dollars Greater realized how
ever. that munclpali2aton must for the public
good and decided pay the price. Il proceeded 10
purchase, at current prices long stretches Of the
waterfront, and that work still is in progress Tho
Cutting family alone received approximately $2OO0O00
for it's waterfront holdings IN South Brooklyn that
had cost it only song in the old days of Broolyn's
foolish short-sghted and prodigal waterfront policy
Within the last week the Board of Estimate of New
York city has voted approval of a Brooklyn water
front multiplication plan that will carry with il
expenditure OF Sl5iOOO 600 and give Now York City
of the largest municipal dock systems in the world
I is proposed that three miles along the Brooklyn
waterfront the city shall take It's pick of the choicest
properties Tn estimates that the Bush Terminal
Company and the New York Dock Company alone shall
veceire S50OOOOO0 for their holdings
Wilmington taxpayers should learn a lesson from
the expensive experience of New York taxpayers re-
eulting from Brookyns old and short-sghted policy
We have long. handsome and undcveopod waterfront
on the Delaware river. From low water mark out to
the middle Of the main ship channel belongs to the
State of Delaware Private interests are endeayoriug
70 take it from the people exploit It for the en-
rchmeni Of private pockets The plan OF those private
interests is that the State shall contribute 600 acres of
valuable waterfront land, which, in ts filled and de-
yeoped form win be worth. i'm a few years millions
OF dollars; that the Federal Government shall build the
hulkhcad and make the an. valued at hundreds of
thousands OF dollars that the city shall contribute
handsome boulevard and street system and that then
the private interests Nsha enter the possession
OF that magnificent property barring a small portion
OF il given TO the city for helping TO put the deal
through.
Those private interests attempted to put that deal
through early this With the assistance City
Council and the old Board Of Trade. which had been
led to believe that the iug-handed scheme would be
good thing for our city. The inquiy of the PROPOSE
ton was uncovered and, following the rendering an
opinion by City Solicitor Daniel O Hastings the pr-
vate interests withdrew their proposition and for the
time being, abandoned the fight
With the session OF the Legislature approaching the
private interests that OF that 60O-acre
tract OF state land may try to get through bill amend
ing the old hulkhead law aud perfecting the alleged
title of the Wilmington Terminal Company and its as
sociates 10 that valuable heritage the people Our
city officials the newly organized Chamber of Com
merce and the the city and State should
stand ready to demand that any such bill be thrown
out of the State House and insist that If State
purposes giving that handsome riyerfront prop
ery, it shall be given TO the City Of Wilmington for
the benefit Of the public not to private corpora
tons and for the enrichment Of private for
tunes The commercial future of our city is at stake
in this matter and the members Of the Legislature
and the taxpayers should it that that future is
conserved and that the waterfront question is handled
for the general benefit of the public and not for the
special benefit Of the Wilmington Terminal Company
or any other seif-seekng corporation private inter-
est