Evening journal., 1912-05-02
THURSDAY, MAY 2. 1912
ALIVE no rHE sITUATIoN.p

Terminal Company to the Wilmingonians.
"The riparian owners, at least, alive TO
the situation, and do not wish to lose more
time. Such opportunity will probably not
arise again within the next generation"
Surely there a franker confession of the
eagerness of private interests put through pub
lie expense project that will tho taxpayers Of
city nation hundreds thousands of dollars
and ultimately result in the putting of millions Of
dollars into the pockets OF the owners of Cherry Is
land marsh lands besides giving them practically
monopolistic control OF publicly built waterfront
We frankly admit that Star Chamber developments
have shown that the riparian are truly alive
to the situation, and do not wish TO lose time.
We also admit that such an opportunity probably will
arise again within the next generation
If the officials Of the state and city government had
been alive to the situation therripauan owners
have been. the legislation supposedly confirming to
those marsh owners title to the lands under water
between the marsh bank and the proposed bulkhead
never would have been passed If the ofscals of our
State and city had been alive to the situation as
the riparian owners have been. the legislation
empting the Wilmington Terminal Companys prop
erty from city taxation, would have been pioried
and voted down. We also admit that If the county
officials bad been alive the situation the
riparian have been the assessments that APP
pear the county tax books that Cherry Island
marsh property would not have been kept out
ragcousy low to constitute public scandal Nor
be denied that IL the members of City Council
bad been koeny alive TO the situation the RI
present rivorfron exploitation scheme turned those
riparian and said:
III you want these improvements made you will
have to do three things; First-Pay your fair share
Of city and county taxes TO the end that other tax
payers in the city and county shall not be compelled
TO pay any proportion of for you Second
Give to the city in exchange for its good Offices in
obtaining and contributing this waterfront devel-
opment Tor which you arc SO eager onohalf of that
waterfront and onehaf Of the new land that viii be
made by the Federal Government in filling in back
OF this proposed bulkhead Third--pay your proper
tlonae share filling grading and paving the
system through waterfront and marsh lands for
the development of those lands and the enrichment Of
those who own them"
II those things had been done this waterfront OK
plotation scheme would have been put on a different
and respectable footing. It would not have
heen the sordid selfish, outrageous thing it IS.
nor would it have been shocking to the taxpayers
OF our city.
We print elsewhere a long statement from the wa
terfron owners in attempted justification of this pro-
posed waterfront development deal for the carrying
out of which every Wilmington taxpayer would be
PEELED TO pay his share while the Wilmington Ter
minal Company and its allies would reap most of
the profits. We advise the taxpayers to read that
statement from start to finish and il they do not
understand IT, TO read 1t again. We started out in
this fight for the taxpayers with demand for pub
city. We forced open the doors Of the Star Chamber
in City Hall, that had been closed this PROPOSE
Wilmington Terminal Company and it's allies to come
out before tho public and in tho open their hsht
for their hoped-for riches
Our great hope now is that at the meeting
Of City Council tonight those members of City Coun-
Gil who were eager 20 lam this waterfront scheme
through without the public being made acquainted
With its provision, viii stand up and fight for t. We
want their constituents TO know What sort of men
they are and TO ask them why they eager to
have the Federal Government and the taxpayers Of
rf.
ing this waterfront and the land back of it and then
turn tho development TO private interests for
speculative purposes The proposed agreement Is out
in the OPEN and the Wilmington Terminal Company
and It's allies out in the daylight Now. if those
Councilmen who had in mind the iamming through
Of this proposition feel like facing their constituents
in their respective wards and the taxpayers of the
city let them. too come out The people want 10 see
them. to size them up and to know their motives
Let take into consideration the statement issued
by the ts1-dodgng Wilmington Terminal Company
and its allies They would lead the public to under
stand that this waterfront proposition emanaed from
the city and from them. In refutation of that
call attention TO the caption Of the full text of the
proposed agreement That proposed agreement was
made public last Monday night by the members OF
City Council and published in the newspapers Of this
city last Tuesday. Here is the exact text OF that
caption, and anyone who doubts it may go news
paper columns or TO the records Of City Council TO
verify what say
Proposition from Edge Moor Iron Company. Will
mington Terminal Company and National Dredging
Company TO the City OF Wilmington"
We urge the taxpayers to pay particular heed to
those words. They mean if they anything at all
that the proposition made by the Wilmington Ter
minal Company aud its allies TO the city Of Whining
ton and not that it made by the city Of Whining
ton 10 the Wilmington Terminal Company and its al
lies If it was the original purpose put the city
the position of being supplicant for waterfront
favors that caption TO the proposed agreement shows
that someone made blunder or was too honest to
practice such deception the taxpayers
We admit that the original plans 10 provide water
front facilities Wilmington were not promoted for
private interest We admit that they we're promoted
By those who desired them the benefit of Whining
tonans and not for the benefit Of a Waterfront Trust
thst might be too too impecunous to pay its
taxes to defray the expenses of its own de-