Evening journal., 1912-05-30
TAXPAYERS RFFoRE TAX DoDGERs.

II RiENDs Of the wilmington Terminal Company and
it's associates would lead the public to think that
the only question involved in this riverfront expoita-
ton proposition is whether the State the riparian
owners hold title to the land under water from low
water mark to the line Of the proposed bulkhead
That is far from true and the taxpayers should
give their Counclmen to understand that they must
take broader view OF II than that Even II City
Solicitor Hastings or the courts or both should de-
eide that the land under water is owned by the marsh
owners and by the State. no action should be
taken by City Council 20 ratify the agreement pro-
posed by the Wilmington Terminal Company, the
Edge Moor Iron Company and the National Dredging
Company unless greater concessions be made to tie
city than are embodied IN that proposed agreement
The concensus Of opinion among the taxpayers Is
that the ctys influence is to be used 10 induce the
Federal Government to build the 10O00-foot bulkhead
and to create 500 500 Of land out on the
Delaware riverfront. and IT, additinon to that the
city s to pledge itself to use the taxpayers money 10
build 2oo-foot boulevard and a system of wide
streets through untaxed marsh land the city certainly
should get much more in return than the ptlfu little
pieces Of waterfront that are provided for in the
agreement that now is pending before City Council
City Couhcilmen may reconcile themselves to the
broad fact that II they ratlfy that agreement in its
present form and deliver TO the Wilmington Terminal
Company and it's associates the city's influence and
the credit Of the taxpayers cheaply those same
taxpayers will see that day Of reckoning comes 10
those who betray the public interest so shsmefuy.
The feeling is general that II Wilmington is to play
any part whatever in the plan to Federal funds
TO develop that waterfront that work must be done
largely for the public and the private benefit
This plan TO give less ;han one-sxth Of the water
front to the city and fve-sxtbs 10 the untaxed wa
terfront exploers is repugnsnt TO the pubic
It also may be said that Wilmington taxpayers nre
not In favor Of City Council pedeng the city to spend
hundreds OF thousand Of dollars collected from taxpay-
ers to build magnificent system Of boulevards and
streets through marsh lands that pay one cent OF
city taxes There arc too many neglected streets in
our city that run through taxed property 10 warrant
any such pledge that for the improvement and en-
hancement OF untaxed property There are certain
Councilmen who have demeaned themselves in this
controversy as II they think that their duty is to
the ax-dodgers and that their second duty is to the
taxpayers They must abandon that policy and adopt
the right one which is that the interests of the tax
payers shall take precedence OF all others
II may be that the lawyers and the courts Will
decide that the riparian hold title to that land
under water II they do then the taxpayers certainly
should demand that the city have more Of that water
front than Is embraced in that proposed agreement
and that its share shall extend from the bulkhead line
back TO the marsh bank