Evening journal., 1913-02-08
CITY MAY
LOSE FIGHT
TO SAVE PORT
Congressman Heald Says Gov
ernment Has Practically
Made the COnSOIidat on
WILL APPEAL NOW
TO TIE PRESIDENT

port for Wilmington and prevent
with the Philadelphia
district may be hard one. In an in
ierview Congressman Heald said that
while every effort would be made by /
the Delaware delegation In Washing /
to TO prevent the merger he thought /
the proposed consolidation had al /
ready been practically accomplished |
and was now up for approval.
The situation Mr.. Heald said, lis /
this: A year ago a clause was tackled |
on to the sundry civil bill giving the |
President authority, on recommenda- |
tion OF the Secretary OF the Treas
ury, to consolidate the ports OF this |
country. doing away with such as
they might desire and making one
port do for a large district Acting
under authority of this bill, the Sec
retary of the Treasury has prepared a
plan which only awaits the approval
of the President 10 carry out the
provisions of the law Under the
plan which has been prepared VIII
mington the district in Delaware COW
cred by this port, and a portion OF
southern New Jersey is added to the
district of Philadelphia Wilmington
would lose its collector and deputy
collector and the Office here would be
abolished. except as sub-oflice.
Even this would not be necessary
under the plan. but on account Of the
Importance of Wilmington as a ship
ping center Il is probable that a sub
Office would be maintained
Il have consulted Senator dupont
and asked him to consult Senator
Richardson and arrange for us Joint
ly to call upon the President and
state our objections to the plan under
consideration and he will undoubt-
edly do So as both are Interested In
Wilmington and in Delaware We
will dc everything possible TO retain
the port, but the unfortunate part OF
( the affair Is that IL has practically
been done. and the plan wiping out
Wilmington is ready for approval.
Few knew anything about the law in
the case until this recent agitation
4 Was commenced Personally | knew
4 nothing of II until the letter Of w. ID.
Mullen, chairman of the Chamber of
! Commerce committee reached me aud
then ! got TO work to find out the real
situation and found It as ] have told
you ''
Mr. Heald said that the Fight would
now have to be made before the
President and this will be done.
The following dispatch dated Wash
ington was received today.
Opposition Gets Busy.
Wilmington will not be deprived
OF being a post OF entry if the Della
ware delegation in Congress can pre-
vent il. Steps have already been
taken by United States Senators du-
Pont and Richardson and Representa-
tive Heald TO block any change being
made along that line Aroused u
action by the purpose Of Representa-
tive Moore of Philadelphia and by the
entreaties OF the Wilmington busi-
ness men, the three members of the
Delaware delegation expect 10 see
Secretary Of the Treasury MacVeagh
on Monday and go thoroughly over
the question with him Following the
talk with Mr. MacVeagh a line OF cam
paign will be mapped out, and the
matter will not be allowed to rest
until it has been brought TO a fnal
settlement
There is a great deal more to the
question than the efforts of Mr.. Moor,
to consolidate the Wilmington dis.
trict with the Philadelphia district and
consequently bring them under on,
head. Congress has already passed
bill giving the President power Il
make any changes I'm the customs dis
tricts he thinks will be beneficial. an,
, il is generally understood al the
Capital that Mr. Taft has plans for
readjustment OF every custom dis
itrict in the country. To ascertain jus
how far those plans will effect VIII
mington is the main object of tn
visit on Monday TO Secreary Mac
, Veagh by the Delaware members o
Congress Learning TO what effect.
any. Wilmington will suffer. protes
will be made against a change for tn
present. at least. and arrangement
{ will probably be made for a delega
tion of Wilmington business men 4
: make a visit TO this city and explaiI
, TO Mr. MacVeagh why. in their Opin
, ion, the Wilmington district shoul
be allowed to remain as it now is.
The only thing that Representativ
Moore's bill could accomplish woul
be to make It compulsory on th
President to combine the Wilmingto
district with the Philadelphia dis
trict The President already has tn
power to go ahead and do so II h
considers Il ADVISABLE, but probabl
Mr. Moore wants to feel sure that
will be done before Mr.. Taft gives u
his Office on March A. Efforts will b
made 10 defeat the Moore bill. how
ever, for otherwise the consolidate
would be sure to take place.
Utilizing the authority conferre
on him by Congress, Mr., Taft has a
ready taken steps to combine some {
the districts on the Atlantic coas
Assistant Secretary Of the TreasuT
Curtis has submitted a plan to Seer
tary MaoVeagh, which must be al
prove by the President, combinir
the ports OF Georgetown, ID. c., Ale'
andria. Va. and Annapolis, Md, wit
j the Baltimore port and placing the
under the jurisdiction OF the collect'
in that city The same plan is TO nal
one Virginia district, composed
Norfolk, Newport News, Richmon
Cape Charles and Petersburg, wi
headquarters In Norfolk, Portsmou
and Newport News, the collector +
Norfolk having jurisdiction over Il
Continued on Second Page.