Evening journal., 1912-06-13
THE RIyERFRONT OWNERSHIP.

To the Editor of THE EVENING
JOURNAL
Sir Recognizing the truth of state
ments made that the city Of Whining
ton has no interest in Waterfront land
other than the 100 feet frontage at
Fourth street extended yet the State
of Delaware does own the land beyond
low water mark and no one can gain
say that truth as to present owner
ship
In his most excellent speech before
/ the public meeting Of City Council in
Committee of Whole recently, II. II
Ward. Esq. for the Wilmington Ter
minal Company and its associates,
made the claim that riparian rights
Of littoral land owners run under the
nayigable waters of the State, il you
please TO the middle of the river or to
the States boundary line, subject to
the rights 10 the State Of Navigation,
| fishing swimming and similar rights
only.
! The decision Of Harrington in our
own Delaware Court was dramatically
the opposite Of this claim. Judge Har-
ringtons decision said the actual
! proprictory interest to States river
and land under the water of States
rivers resides in the State subject to
the rights Of the people of the State to
navigation. fishing and such similar
rights as has been quoted before.
Il has heon made clear that our
State actually does own the land
There can be no question as to the
present status. The littoral owners
have as yet failed to do any work or
fulfilled any conditions TO make ef-
fective the Bulkbead Act of 1901 and
give the littoral landowners any right
or chance yet TO claim deeds from
State Of Delaware as conditioned by
that Act
why should the city of Wilmington
take and perform any step to help
make that act OF 1901 effective for the
benefit of the riparian rights of littor-
al landowners and against its own in
terests? The government is delaying
work in front of Wilmington for Will
mington to protect its interests II
would be but natural expectation
that the ownership of the State of Del
aware in the lands under water in
front Of the city of Wilmington should
and would come TO the city of Will
mington II any act of the Legislature
be necessary let us wait and ask such
legislation and get il.
Look az the benefit the city would
receive, and could derive from public
ownership Of the 500 acres of land to
be made by the fill inside bulkhead
and dyke.
BY the way. remember one thing,
fr,A nd hIr a
der of our city officials, and properly
so done, too, but yet to be remember
ed-that even the surveying and
drawing of the plot specified to ac-
company the proposed agreement be-
tween the littoral landowners and the
city was made in the office of the City
Surveyor and Engineer and, while yet
a small matter. the entire work and
expense was at the cost of the city
and paid for out of the city's treas
ury According TO this drawing the
littoral owners allow the city, OK
elusive Of street beds, 16 215-1000
acres Of land on the bulkhead from
the beds of the streets planned, in
cluding the 200-foot boulevard,
amount to So acres at the outside
Cutting off this SIS acres allowed for
/ the boulevard and streets from the
500 acres Of new land TO be made,
-that viii leave 400 TO AIS acres Of
land available for manufacturing
business and other purposes. Suppose
the city shall receive all this large
/ tract OF land. Why couldn't IL use
that land TO help induce the location
here OF new industries and also in
/ crease the opportunities Of our present
manufacturers and business men,
This land won't cost the city any
large expenditure, except the streets,
which would have TO be made anyhow
/ to get the land into use and make
i it benefit the city and our people
/ Those streets and boulevards are pro
vided for in the proposed river front
scheme anyway
Just suppose it be offered for A
nominal amount, or free, IN plots to
new or increasing business interests,
conditional only that within one. two
or five years after it became available
there shall be in operation on that
land an interest employing, we will
say. one hundred persons for every
acre so given, or any acceptable
number and arrangement as to use
of the land Allowing, simply for
arguments sake, that out Of this 400
acres the city should reserve 100
acres for public wharves and docks,
for a riverfront park and for open
public squares and Fairgrounds in