Evening journal., 1912-04-30
TUESDAY, APRIL so, 1912
TAxrAYrRs MIN yICTOnY.

vAT ITMfNGTON taxpayers have won a great victory
w over star-chamber methods The members of
City Council and the Board of street and Sewer Di-
rectors have made public the terms Of The agreement
which proposed. the city shall enter into with
the Wilmington Terminal Company, the Edge Moor
Iron Company and the National Dredging Company
for the development Of the Delaware river water
front They not only have made IL public as they
should have done long ago, but they have made it
public before signing and making it binding upon
the people of the city of Wilmington. Il is the
duty OF the taxpayers of Wilmington to study that
proposed agreement and to reach decision whether
it is good bad for them, the city and the Federal
Government II to give to Wmingtonans ample
opportunity to do this that THE EVENING JOURNAL
made its two-day fight against star-chamber agree
mcnt being iammed through City Council and its
terms made public afterward when there would be no
redress for the taxpayers That proposed agreement
was not iammed through City Council last night as
had heen planned, and il will not be iammed through
City Council Thursday night The many ques-
involved far important not only to this
but to succeeding generations of Wimingtonians, to
permit interested corporations 10 put the jack screws
back the agreement force IL through before The
public ascertains just what 1t all means
Now that THE EVENING JOURNAL has assisted the
taxpayers in winning the fight for the open door full
publicity and widespread discussion, it has a few
words advice give TO those taxpayers relative to
their duty The text of the proposed agreement is
before them in this issue of our paper They should
not permit themselves to be blinded by prejudice
against the plan or be fooled by a lot OF nub-dub
about the glorious possibilities Of great waterfront
IL the deal be put through. Those who have great
financial interest in putting this thing through would
like to load the taxpayers up with glittorng general
ties and keep them busy considering them that
they will fail 40 consider the fundamental quostians in
volved. This is cold business proposition II
should be approached with the prudence and
wisdom that would characterize citizen of Whining
if he were about 70 buy sell a house. In
fidcrng this proposed pan bear in mind at all times
these great fundamental facts n relation TO it,
Frst-That tho city Of Wilmington needs water
front on the Delaware river and that il ought to
have IT,
second-That the bulk of waterfront property there
is owned or controlled by the Wilmington Terminal
Company
Third-That the Wilmington Terminal Company is
corporation that acuatod by such patriotic interest
IN the city of Wilmington and the people thereof that
sends its representatives TO Dover and obtains legis-
lst0u eNompting all It's holdings from city taxation
Thereby that corporation unoads its burden of taxation
for municipal purposes on tho other taxpayers OF
tas city. Part OF that corporations just burden Of
taxation being borne by every taxpayer The
manufacturer, the merchant, the poor who IS
trying 70 pay for his modest little home and
the widow who is trying 70 keep roof over her
head. contributing TO make up tho amount that
the Wilmington Terminal Company ought to pay
and fails TO pay. That corporation also is paying
grossly inadequate taxes into the county treasury aud
what it fails to pay the other taxpayers in New Cas-
tie county. regardless of whether they be rich or
poor, have to pay toward the upkeep of the county
government The taxpayers should consider whether
IL would be wise for them develop with funds con-
tributed by tho city and the Federal Government
waterfront 10000 feet long, and assist in making
mn that would create between and 1000 acres Of
land and receive return less than one-hfth
of that waterfront tnrnns the remainder 10 this
tax-dodging corporation
Fourth-The taxpayers, while admitting that the
notwithstanding and malaria-producing holdings on
Cherry Island Marsh should filled in and utilized
also should consider whether their money should be
used TO build a 2OO-oot boulevard the length of the
entire waterfront system of intersectng streets
in return for such sop as is offered in the way OF
marsh land TO permit Of the building of that boule-
ward and those streets
Fifth-The taxpayers should bear in mind at all
times that the Wilmington Terminal Company and its
allies cannot get a foot of that 10000 bukhead
built by the Federal Government and not an acre OF
the land between the marsh bank and the proposed
bukhead filled in, without the aid of the influence
OF the city OF Wilmington and taking il in as a part
in the development enterprise
And in conclusion, the taxpayers should ask them
selves these questions:
Would it be right for the Federal Government to b
asked to build boulevard 10000 feet long and max,
I'll back Of it that viii create 500 and 1905
acres Of new land, when the city. through whose in