Evening journal., 1912-05-16

y
you may have no uncertainty or hesita-
tion as to what is desired of you, or what
course of conduct will meet the wishes OF
those whom you represent and whom you
wish to represent. That New York has
found it expedient to own her water
front is a fact that it is not necessary
for me to enlarge upon, nor that oui
neighboring city, Philadelphia, realizes
that if she is TO play her part in the COM
merce of the world, she must handle her
water front as a municipal proposition,
and that the cost at this late day will be
staggering one.
Here in Wilmington we are at tho
beginning of things, and the opportunity
that is offered to you is such a one as
comes to but few men in lifetime. 10
is in your power to so direct and stimu-
late the spirit OF citizenship that WI
mington, the we'll beloved, will be indeed
the queen of Delaware, so that. equal to
any city in the country, will be her power
to attract to herself the brains, the en-.
terprise and the capital that will make
her pre-eminent. ] am aware that today,
Wilmington has not the power to acquire
the water front by condemnation, ana
paw the owners thereof a fair valuation.
am also aware that where there is
will there is a way.
q urge you to consider the opportun-
ity With the requirement of the present
water front would follow the acquisition
of the 500 acres yet TO be created. With
this land as the property of the city,
leased upon such terms as would compei
the attention of every manufactures who
desired place where he might employ
labor. there would be the beginning OF
municipal income. the beginning or
such municipal life, that future Coun-
ellis, instead OF discussing the possibility
of increased taxes. might debate the pos
sibility of increased dividends Things
are now commonly done that seemed as
| Utopian as that when they were first
considered Gentlemen, Join in this
dream of future greatness for this fair
city, and Governor, Legislature and
United States Government may be in.
duced alike to combine and make pos
sible the desire Of a united, eager ana
ambitious municipality. and yours will
be the undving honor of having founded
city where a town once stood"
COL. NIELDS DEFENDS AGREEMENT
Colonel Benjamin Nields. member of
the New Castle Bar Association, spoke
in favor of the agreement. He said he
did not think the city was acting hastily
in entering into the proposed agreement
with the riparian owners. He said he
remembered sixty years ago when he,
among others, advocated the laying out
of streets to the river front and opening
up that section.
He said there was no question in his
mind as to the ownership of the land be.
tween the high and lower water mark
and that the land belonged to the ripar-
ian owners. but that the latter have no
right to interfere with navigation. He
said it made no difference to him who got
the lands made by the fll-in, so long as
the improvement brought commerce tC
Wilmington.
Colonel Nields did not consider that
it mattered two cents TO any one present
at the meeting as to who got the land
He said it would be impossible to ge
out to the navigable stream withou
the bulkhead and said it would be penn.
wise and a pound foolish to oppose IN
present proposition. He called attention
to Chester half the size of Wilmington
which can and is receiving raw materia
at its wharves, and shipping manufac
tured goods by water. He spoke of tn
time when vessels from France. German,
and England might dock at Wilmington
wharves to discharge their csrgoes. A
present. he said, consignments of import
ed goods billed for this city, are takei
to Philadelphia and even Chester AM
, sent by railroad freight to Wilmington
He said that he remembered the tim
when Joseph Tatnall once offered to sci
the city all the land along the Brandy
. wine for $4,000 and two men who dii
not pay more than SIS taxes betweei
them, instituted injunction proceedings
The city later purchased the sam
ground for S5O.000 He said that he hop
ed that day had gone and that the peo
pie would see the wisdom of taking ad
, vantage of the present opportunity l.
get a river front.
"If the law is unconstitutional" Nj
Nields said Tets build the bulkhea
! and decide that question afterward." II
said he wanted to see Wilmington max
place in the commerce of the world"
I CROWD SURPRISES DOCTOR.
DIR. Evan G.. Shortlidge, president Q
the Board of Education, followed Colcn'
: Nields. He said that he had to coufe-
n that he was agreeably surprised at th
: large attendance at the meeting, whio
: showed an interest, he said, in the prop'
sition. IL is one of the biggest NEE
: ings on public question have ever see
y in years." he said. DIR. Shortlidge said
: was opposed TO hasty action on the pa
of Council signing the agreement wit
:, the riparian owners. He said the rivl
! front has kept for sixty years and wou
y keep for a little while longer.
\ At this point the question of the 60
. ernment filling in behind the bullShe.
y was brought up. Colonel Stover reptile
:. in answer to a question asked by l.
Shortlidge that something would have
!, be done shortly in order to insure 4
y, filling in behind the bulkhead, with riv
dredgngs by the government.
John. ID. Thompson, Jr., an archite
and a member of the Wilmington Boa
IS of Trade. explained that the contrac
iO for dredging in the Delaware River h
P already been let by the government /
low Philadelphia and below WilmingtC
10 and that the government was holdi
N back the contract for dredging betwe
+ these points, waiting for the city TO Ia
4 some action on the bulkhead propositiC
D. MR.. GALLAGHER ASKS QUESTION.
A. Evan w. Gallagher, a member of {
II Central Labor Uuion, asked what Z
d. government would do in the event
rs Council not signing the proposed agr'
n ment with the riparian owners.
Y President Benson informed Mr. Gala
p her that if he wanted to discuss the qu'
ld tion he had the privilege. Mr.. Gallagl
IL, insisted ON an answer to his questi,
rs and President Benson told him to ask
r. attorney.
y Thomas H. Melvin, answered the qu