Evening journal., 1912-06-21
ExpuoITERS SWAN song.

Nor will II avail those members Of City Council who
favored that exploitation scheme TO wear long faces and
say sorrowfuy that all hope for water front Tor
Wilmington is dead The is true. II is more
alive than ever When the final obsequies have been
held over the schemes of the exploers and when cer
tain of the Counclmen have ceased playing the role
Of chief mourner. they will awaken to the fact that
the routing Of the expoiters and the killing of their
scheme simply has opened the door for Wilmington
waterfront that will be Wilmington water front IN
fact and not something that will be in the hands OF
tax dodging spectators.
The swan song of the Wilmington Terminal Company
which was sung City Council last night might have
worked upon the sympahies Of persons unacquainted
with the facts To those who know the facts, however
the swan song simply is aughable II is fitting cul-
mination Of the effort of the Wilmington Terminal
Company and its associates TO obtain lasting grip
on waterfront by the Of hundreds OF acres ot
state land hundreds thousands Of dollars from the
Federal treasury for making the bukhead and the NIL
and hundreds Of OF dollars from the pock-
cts Of Wilmington taxpayers for building handsome
boulevards and streets through the marsh lands Of
tax dodging speculators The exploiters had fooled
the Board of Trade; they had fooled majority of the
City Council and they also had fooled many
Wimingtonians and induced them TO line up in favor
of the scheme But when the taxpayers and voters OF
our city got their eyes the outrageous proposition
and analysed It there protest that brought the
whole thing a halt From that time the scheme was
doomed The people simply would not stand for It, II
from lofty motive that certain OF our Council
men refraned from iamming it through. 1t was from
abject of the taxpayers and the voters. IL was
from no sense of Indignation that the Wilmington Ter
mna Company and it's associates withdrew the scheme
from City Council It because they knew the light
OF publicity had turned upon IT.; that its selfish
and outrageous features had been revealed to the tax
payers and that it could get through City Coun-
ell
The eliminating feature Of that fight the people
was opinion of City Solicitor Hastings 1t confirm
ed the charges that had been made against the ex-
ploiters by those in unofficial life. That opinion show
cd that the State the waterfront land that the
Bulkhead law OF 1901 unconstitutona that II
be constitutional the Legislature has right 10 repeal it.
that the provisions of the law would not be fulfilled
n the Federal Government build the bulkhead,
and that the Wilmington Terminal Company does not
and has held title to the waterfront prop
erty y
1t not surprising that those who had hoped to put
this scheme through should feel disposed to criticize
the city solicitor He need not fear criticism coming
from such The city solicitor can rest
tent in the knowledge that he refused TO be drawn into
the outrageous scheme proposed by the riverront
ploers and that he emerges from the situation with
the respect and thanks Of every taxpayer and voter
for the bravery and independence upon which his adj
mirable opinion based Admission by the river
front exploiters that his opinion what led them
withdraw their scheme is a high compliment They say
they disagree with him every question Of law he
raised II that be true why do they withdraw their
scheme? n they are so sure Of their law. why don't
they carry the fight into the court? No doubt the city
solicitor Would be pleased 10 meet them in such tri-
bunal. Certainly the people would like to get these
oxpoiters dodgers court and punish them
there As they have punished them in the city solicit
tors s}ohice and in the City Hall
The taxpayers and voters of Wilmington, backed by
The opinions Of such City Solicitor Hastings,
former City Solicitor Robert G. Harman, William F.
Kurtz Alexander r. Cooper and other prominent and
reputable members of the New Castle County Bar.
not afraid to meet the Wilmington Terminal Company
and It's hackers in any in the land The
the dodging spectators realize that fact the
they will singing songs and settle down to
reconcile themselves the fact that they have tried to
fool the people of Wilmington and failed dismally
Intimation is given that the United States engineers
in charge OF harbor Improvement to be used
to assist the expoiters put their scheme through.
Don't believe anything foolish that. The Chief
Engineer in charge OF the harbor work for the entire
country not a man be used a tool by any water
front exploiters and tax dodgers That also may be
said of the United States Engineer in charge of the
Delaware river Improvement They know and have
said that It is the policy OF the Federal Government
to give to municipalities the benefits Of such improve
mens so far as It can done Here is a case in which
It be done and feel that the chief engineer
and his subordinate in this district will assist in doing
Suggestion that they be used by the waterfront
eXploiters and tax dodgers to put such scheme
against the people is insult to them But even q
they were disposed to DO IT, there is higher tribunal
That is the Congress of the United States We warr
these exploers now. tha~the contingency them try
ing the Federal engineers their unworthy pur
poses has been foreseen and provided for and that II
attempted there viii be developments Congress that
will halt any such scheme to exploit the Federal trea
sury for private benefit There members of Con
gress and fighting members at that who already have
been informed fully Of the progress events here anc
who will not remain silent inactive II any sucl
game that be attempted.
The duty Of City Council is to let the Wilmington
Terminal Company and its associates stew in their
own muddy water and to take immediate steps to upset
the bukhead law and to obtain that waterfront land
and the Government Improvements for the municipal
ity Il can be done and must be done because vii
mington needs that waterfront and there no longer Il
an obstacle in the way Of getting it,