Evening journal., 1912-05-06
MONDAY, MAY 8, 1912
ARISE AND PROTEST.

THIS is the week set by the Wilmington Terminal
Company and its allies to jam through City
Council possible the Board of Street and Sewer
Directors the scheme for the exploitation OF the Del
aware river waterfront with public money for pri-
vate benefit The understanding is that there will be
another Star Chamber meeting the subject on Wed
nesday evening, and that Thursday evening the
scheme will be iammed through City Council
Certainly it is time for the citizens city to
arise and protest against big private interests making
such use of the public machinery Of our municipality
The understanding is that those who want to put the
scheme through are afraid of delay. They know that
when the Wilmington taxpayers realize the enormity
of the proposition which the city officials arc asked
to commit the taxpayers there will he outburst
OF adverse public sentiment that will prevent favor
able action by either City Council the Street and
Sewer Directors
II is admitted in every unsefsh. intelligent and dis
interested quarter that the city of Wilmington should
own that waterfront and that II should obtain II from
the riparian owners by condemnation If necessary, at
fair price Il also is admitted that If steps be taken
to get it. either by purchase or condem-
nation. il will cost than one-tenth what
1t will cost when the Federal has built
a bukhead, filed in back of It and created approx
matey 500 acres of land, and the city has built
2OO-oo marginal boulevard and system of streets
through those marsh lands Therefore it is asserted
the Federal and city officials should do nothing now
that viii make that waterfront property more valua-
Bile private spectators they may boost
prices prohbitve figures when the city desires to
acquire the waterfront for the public good.
THE EVENING JOURNAL desires that its position
be understood clearly by the taxpayers
We favor the development of the waterfront
We favor the utilization of that mosquito breeding
and Misunderstanding stretch Of marsh land that lies
between our city and the Delaware river waterfront
We favor the establishment there of great piers and
warehouses and back of them great manufacturing
plants
But we do not favor giving the tax-dodeing Will
mington Terminal Company and its allies the bene-
NJ of the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of
dollars from the Federal Treasury for bulkheading
and filling back OF that hulkhead, and the spending
Of other hundreds Of thousands of dollars taken from
the pockets Of the taxpayers of Wilmington to build
great boulevard street system through that marsh
land the benefit of private and speculative marsh
owners.
The time has for the citizens of Wilmington
to call halt on those who are seeking jam this
thing through for the benefit of the Cherry Island
marsh owners The idea Of asking the city of VIII
mington to become a. partner in the enterprise Of
throttlng itself commercially and exploiting itself
and the Federal Government financially in exchange
for few hundred feet of waterfront property made
with the money of the Federal Government and Civ
ing to the Wilmington Terminal Company and its al.
lies practically everything else in sight is out
rageous that the manhood Of Wilmington should make
itself heard.
will be useless to talk and after the scheme
has been jammed through City Council and the Board
OF Street and Sewer Directors The time for action
The people should demand, in no uncertain
terms the transaction of the peoples business in the
light and not in the dark and the of the Federal
and the city money for public good and not for the
benefit Of private speculation in marsh lands
Willard Salisbury hoped that his friendly interest
in the candidacy Of Woodrow Wilson would lead ia
his selection temporary chairman of the Balt-
convention. Everything now indicates that some