Evening journal., 1913-02-25
URGE TAFT
TO SAVE The
STATE PORT

William Howard Taft, Presi-
dent Of the United States. Wash
ington, d. c.
At meeting held today one
hundred business men present,
representing the commercial and
manufacturing interests of the
city, passed a resolution re-
spectfully requesting you not to
consider consolidation of Will
mington with either Philadelphia
or Baltimore customs district. but
as sovereign state urge that you
allow present status to continue
undisturbed
Wilmington Chamber of Com
merce,
Josiah Marvel President,
This telegram was sent to President
Taft by the Chamber of Commerce to-
day at a noon day luncheon following
a short debate between John j. Ras-
kob, of the E. l. DUPONT Powder Com
pany and George w. Sparks and Al
fred ID. Warner after which 81 of the
100 members of the Chamber OF Com
merce who we're present voted to con-
tinue the fight to save tn pUlt Of
Wilmington on the ground th8t Della
ware was a sovereign state arI had
right to be represented by port
The luncheon was attended by 100
representative citizens of Wilmington,
and was given in the main salon of
the Hotel DUPONT It was presided
over by Josiah Marvel president of
the Chamber Of Commerce.
After the luncheon, Mr. Marvel made
a short address in which he discussed
the child labor law and said that in re-
cent conferences with the supporters
of that bill, the amendments suggested
by the Chamber Of Commerce had been
practically agreed upon and that the
bill would probably be passed in the
amended form.
c. d. Garrettson. of the Electric
Hose and Rubber Company has been
appointed chairman of a committee to
wait upon contractors and urge them
to build factory buildings for which
the Chamber of Commerce will find
tenants.
A committee consisting of Alfred d.
Warner, John j. Raskob and George
W. CUdi NO Alas U0tn dUDOiNANu W $50
the owners of river front property and
the members we're urged to make sug-
gestions to the committee regarding a
river front for Wilmington.
William d. Mullen, who has had sew
eral conferences with President Taft
and Secretary Of the Treasury Mac
Veagh, made his report today and ask
ed whether the members wanted to
continue the fight 10 save tie port of
Wilmington It was at this point that
Mr. Raskob said that the DUPONT Com
pany through its representatives at
Washington. had found that the con-
dition existed as Mr. Mullen had stated
but as the goverls,nent was trying to
save money and that the only thing
Wilmington could lose was its identity
and that the port service would prob
ably be better than It now is that the
DUPONT Company had sent telegram
to President Taft, saying that it had no
objection to the merger of the ports
provided the people of Wilmington
we're handled as we'll or better than
they had been After further discus
sion of the subject the telegram was
sent.
Frank O'Donnell. the Market street
business man, suggested to the Cham
Der an idea for the commercial man.
ufacturing and industrial development
OF the city. His idea was that union
station for all utility companies in the
city be erected at the foot of Market
street, occupying the space between
Shipley and King, Front street and
the Cnristlana river. Mr. UDonneil
suggested that a commission be ap-
pointed 10 consider the plan.