Evening journal., 1912-04-05
FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1911
snIrr nnr MnIIoas T0 MILMINGTON-


IT HERE is a manifest lack of appreciation in GER
Il tain rural sections OF State Of the offer Of
General r. Coleman dupont to spend S2OOOOOO OF MS
private fortune TO build and give to the people
handsome boulevard 103 miles long. Certain per-
sons not only are opposing acceptance of the gift but
also impugning the motives of the giver and attack
ing the law under which the great gift TO be
constructed and turned tho State for the COM
mon benefit lt is extraordinary situation that
probably would not have developed in any other state
in the Union It also is one that reflects no credit
on those who have created It.
THE EVENING JOURNAL suggests to General du-
pont an alternative proposition. Wilmington is badly
in need of comprehensive harbor developments The
shore of the DolfS.iro river from the mouth of the
Christiana up ~ Gordon Heights presents splendid
hcld for su.A work. If General DUPONT will SHIFT from
tke sse..iat large to the city of Wilmington the 81
100000 he is willing oxpend for public benefit, this
city will hail him benefacor, and not as has
been the case in of the rural districts, dcride
him schcmor parading in the guisc of philan-
thropist
For many years wlmingtonians have been clam
orne for comprehensive harbor development that
their city may enjoy the great commercial benefits that
would from getting much OF the deep-sea and
coastwiso traffic that now goes TO Philadelphia and
Chester merely because they front the Delaware
river Heretofore nothing practical has been done
toward comprehensive development of the river front
hero because city officials could not their way
clear TO spend tho and private funds were lack
ing
Now that General DUPONT has S2OooooO which he
desires spend for the public good the situation is
different If tho people in the rural districts of our
State do not want that money for great boulevard,
tho people OF tho city of Wilmington IL for har-
Dor Improvement Nor will they insist that General
duPont give II to them. They will be well content
u he will buy up the lowlands lying between our
city and the Delaware river and develop them as he
and as private enterprise II certainly would
bring with IL great public good The building Of
docks suitable for such stretch of open water and
the establishment of a terminal such as the Bush
stores in Brooklyn for instance, would be great
thing for our city and We think, ultimately profta-
be 20 General DUPONT Unquestionably the establish
ment of such facilities for commerce would be fol-
lowed by shipyards and the many other things that
so with a harbor Nor is IL rash 20 predict that In
few years the lowlands between the piers and the
fast lands covered by tho city would be filled
with great manufacturing plants They would give
employment to thousands of men and women who
would pour into the local channels of trade the mil
Hons of dollars paid TO them in wages
As certain people in tho rural sections manifest such
nnappreciatye attitude toward the boulevard
would Il not be well for the Wilmington Board o
Tradt and the merchants here to be up and doing? Il
anything is to be done by city TO get the bene
dt of that S2,OOOOOO that is causing such disgrace
ful controversy in the rural sections. now is the op
perfume time 70 do t. The constitutionality Of tn,
Boulevard Corporations Law has been called ntC
question referred to the judges Of the State fo
decision work the boulevard has been stopped
and General DUPONT has said it will not be resumed
until he has positive assurance the people in the
rural districts want the road. Surely no better op
portunity present itself for the of public
spirited citizens of city negotiate With Genera
DUPONT shift his proposed big benefacon from th
rural districts of New Castle. Kent ard Sussex coun
ties 10 our city In view of the attitude certain
sections have maintained toward the boulevard ant
General DUPONT, through the operations Of an organ
lied conspiracy defeat the great goodroads project
the people living in those sections with goo
grace object to Wilmington getting the benefit Of tn
$2o0o000 that General dupont is willing TO spend
II Wilmington get for riverfront improvement
the millions the antibouevard agators say the pee
pie in the rural sections do want it will be tn
greatest bit Of work the Board of Trade and the
ness men in city have done The stron
point in their gument TO General dupont we'll Nigh
be that they do not want him give the money, bu
merely to spend it. he may IT. in the establish
of waterfront facilities that will put Wilmngo
in position TO compete something approximatn
equal terms. with Philadelphia and Chester for n
deep-sea and coastwise traffic that passes
I'D down the Delaware river