Evening journal., 1913-03-05
WEDNESDAY. MAR. 5. 1918.
nnnGlNe ANn mAIn.srIlrrINe.

rTOWELL S England. formerly "a potential factor n
the old Wilmington Bourd OF Trade bat wbc
shifted hs activities to the Wilmington Mercantile As
soration when he learned that he was TO be permitted
60 play only an inconspouous part in the affairs of The
Wilmington Chamber OF Commerce, is peaNcd. The
cause OF his peeyshnesa lis that THE EVENING
IOURNAL criticzod him and Oscar C. Purdy. iormcrl.
president OF tho old Board of Trade for the effort they
made last week 70 jam through the Mercantile Associa
ton cut ddred rcsoltiou committinb the associa
ton the policy of delivering the Wilmington water
front on the Dclowafczto the marsh land spectators
represented by the wimn ngton Terminal Company and
its associates.
We have printed al the request of Mr. England a
letter IN which he socks justify the position OF hm
self and his co-iahorer Nlr purdy. and the heated
energy they displaying in their efforts TO make this
delivery Of valuable public land 10 speculative interests
His letter represents clumsy effort to dodge the facts
split hairs with respect to those facts which
amount Of dodgng conceal from the public mind and
understanding. Unfortunately for the Wilmington Ter
minal Company and its associates Mr. England is
neither artful dodger expert hair-sptor
The fact of the matter Is that when both these
dominant In the affairs of the old Wilmington
Board OF Trade, they committed It to such extent
TO support of tho selfish and sclf-seeking purposes Of
the Wilmington Terminal Company and its associates
that the organization became stuhed in the public
mind and looked upon as something that had
degonoaied from being of public interests
TO that of being coneer,ator private interests such
the Wilmington Terminal Company and its associates
represented In short. under the management Of Mr..
England Mr.. purdy the old Board Of Trade sank
low IN public confidence and esteem that IL
sary for IT out OF business and for Mr. England
TO retire from control The Chamber Of Commerce
was organized Mr.. purdy went into IT, but Mr.. Eng
land realizing that his day OF potency in that direction
at ah end. manifested a sudden and jealous
interest In the Mercantile Association Mr. Purdy de-
cided hold membership in both organizations There
fore, find Mr. England and Mr.. Purdy. who once ran
the old Board of Trade. still working a pair i'm the
Mercantile Association and trying to Il in behalf
OF the Wilmington Terminal Company and It's associates
they previously had attempted to the ola Board
OF Trade for that purpose. il lay Us death-bed
and the OF final dissolution And in this
connection wish to make this prediction in cold
blood and with high appreciation OF what that Mer
camille Association might do for its members and the
community it used to promote the public interests
and not such interests represented by the Will
mington Terminal Company and its associates that il
Mr England and Mr. Purdy be permitted to run the
Wilmington Mercantile Association as they the old
Wilmington Board OF Trade. it will not be long before
it, too will be its death-bed and with few mourners
present it's last moments
There is nothing that is deadly to a commercial
organization than the public knowledge or even the
suspicion that il is serving private interests and
public interests II matters whether that organi1a-
ton be Chamber Of Commerce Board Of Trade or a
Mercantile Association. the instant the public becomes
satisfied that it's actions governed by the representa-
tYcs of selfish private interests and not by uusehsh
ended and the days Of its existence are numbered
Our Wilmington Mercantile Association too good an
organization for it TO permit Mr.. England who is moi
and a merchant. and Mr. purdy who
only a merchant in tho broad that represents
Standard Oil interests 10 IT this waterfront
question any other question IN which public interests
and private interests being weighed in the balance
We said in editorial that Mr.. England went tC
that meeting last week with cut-aud dried typewriter
resolution which could not have been friendl,
the Wilmington Terminal Company IFS associates
had il been drawn by their paid counsel We said
in editorial that Mr.. England the president
OF the association had represented that the specia
meeting was to be pro-rverfront in its action And W,
added that the efforts Mr. England Mr. Purdy tC
jam their resolutions through frustrated by GER
tain menbers OF the association who sensed the game
and realized its disastrous import There was one fact
did not in this connection. however. and that
that Thomas S. Doherty formerly member Of the
old Board Of Trade and a member of the new
Chamber Of Commerce, but in a member OF
the Mercantile Association, this meeting with
Mr. England and Mr. Purdy When IL came to appoint
ing a commmttee TO take under consideration the
waterfront question. the chairman appointed Mr.
Dohery an associate or his friends England and
Purdy That carrying the thing little too far
aud Danie~P. DuRoss objected successfully to man