Evening journal., 1912-04-27
MAY TRY TO JAM SECRET
RIVER FRONT PROJECT
THROUGH COUNCIL
Star Chamber Agreement Proposed Between CifY's
Representatives and Cherry Island Marsh Owners
is Withheld From the Public.

have the War Department finish the
bulkhead started along the river
'front.' the construction of which was
stopped when the Government learn
ed that private individuals and not
the city were to be beneficiaries of the
bulkhead and land to be made back
of it,
Demand For Publicity.
Whether City Council will try TO
Jam through the river front agreement
between the city and the landowners
without the citizens being given an
opportunity to read the agreement,
and learn whether the city gets con-
cessions or rights that il ought 10
have, remains to be seen.
Anyway, Council is to take up the
agreement at a special meeting on
Monday night, and it has been inti-
mated that an attempt will be mad9
then TO try to have il ratified, there
by binding the city to this star-cham-
ber proposition, at which the citizens
have not had a peep.
Those who demanded publicity say
that no doubt it would be pleasing
to the landowners of Cherry Island
marsh fronting on the Delaware
River to get an agreement signed,
sealed and delivered without the pub
lie having an opportunity to object
1t will be recalled that a howl went
up after it was discovered that the
] Wilmington Terminal Company had
gotten an act through the Legislature
about ten years ago giving it valuable
rights to property to be created OF
made by river dredgings. The viii
mington Terminal Company comprises
Herbert H. Ward, William G. Mahaify
and s. Redmond Smith, among others
and the company owns much of the
Delaware river frontage of Cherry
Island marsh. There are other own.
ers of the marsh land, including the
National Dredging Company and IN,
Edge Moor Iron Company Repre-
sentatives of these interests have beer
in conference with the Councilmer
and Board OF Trade committee.
Gets Valuable Land.
The Wilmington Terminal Com
pany by act of the Legislature is givei
right and title to all land that ma
be filled in between the propose
bulkhead and the present low waite
mark AS the proposed bulkhead
ward for a mile aud half or NOR
to a point about a quarter Of a mil
east of the present Cherry islam
Jetty, il can readily be seen that tn
land TO be made by filing i'm back {
: the bulkhead with dredgings frol
l the river would amount to hundred
of acres of valuable land, virtui
! monopoly Of the Delaware Rive
front.
II was year of two after the Wi
, mington Terminal Company law wa
, passed by the Legislature before th
/ full import of it dawned upon som
of the river front advocates. Sever;
times there has been talk of atfackin
!, the constitutionality of the law. bt
no formal action ever has been takel
Z Several months ago the Board O
; Trade and City Council empowere
committees to make up the river fron
a proposition again and try TO work on
. a solution that would get concession
= OF river frontage for the city. be fai
to the Wilmington Terminal Con
\ pany and other property interests an
: result in completion of the bulkhea
: and the filling in Of the land back {
= II. Many conferences have been helC
all In secret. One reason given 70
the secrecy was that it was desired I
y keep the proceedings away from ceI
= tain Philadelphia shipping interest
3 that are supposed TO be antagonist
+ to the development of Wilmington
o river front
The conferences now have reache
the stage where a tentative agreemer
o has been drawn up. which is satisfa,
r. tory to the Wilmington Termin;
& Company and other owners of Cherr
n Island Marsh property OF the tw
miles or thereabout Of river from
It to be created along the pr,
81 posed bulkhead line Wilmingto
10 Continued on Second Page.)