Evening journal., 1913-02-20
SENATE ACTS WISELY.

- Y nasslng senator AndersOns bill providing that
ID the thousands OF OF state OceanIront land
between Cape Henlopen and Fenwics Island shall be
sur,eycd and plotted by commission, our S@te SEN
ate has done an exceedingly cOmmendabe thing. II Is
commendabe from two points OF view. One is that
n Is the only sane and sensible method for ascertain
Ing inst what land the State owns in the neghborhood
Of Lewes aud RehobotI and fixing definitely Its metes
and bounds The other Is that sounds the death-hhe
of the blackstone RehOboth Land-Grab bill That has
behind the who compose the corporation Of Pa-
mcr & Company.
By the passage OF the Anderson bill by unanimous
vote the Senator's. Republicans and Democrats. showed
clearly that they not in sympathy with the Palmer
Company scheme to have the State vote to handful
Of spectators. for $1,000 five miles of ocean front be-
longing TO the State; 500 500 af seaside land
belonging The state and the States land and riparian
rights the projected Assawoman canal, that is to
connect Rehoboth Bay and Delaware Bay. While the
Blackstone RehobOth Beach Land-Crab bill was not
reported b, the committee and formally killed. the fact
that the Senators as whole have declared themselves
in favor Of intelligent survey and not conscon-
less grab is ample indication Of what will he the late
Of the Blackstone bill II il reaches the oor In
anything like the form in which II was introduced In
fact senator Renhardt expressed the opinion, in open
debate. that tho passage Of the Anderson bill meant
the death Of the Blackstone LandCrnb bill in its pros
cnt form. He added that lie does not think single
member Of the senate will vote for the Lang-Grab bill
he reported by the committee that has II in charge
That statement is particularly gratifying. This is a
Republican newspaper, and senator Blackstone, who
introduced the Rehoboth Land-Grab hill Is Democrat
We have said repeatedly that regretted that Il had
fallen TO the LOT Of senator Blackstone TO he asked by
constituents introduce such reprehensble and in-
iegensble piece of legislation. II his first term in
he senate and IL was not friendly act for those who
trying to obtain that state land for private expoita
on nflict upon him the burden Of introducing such
bill and asking him TO father II. We desire TO say,
IN Justice to Senator Blackstone, that we do not think
he concerned personally in the schemes Of those
back Of the bill but that he consented to introduce Il
because Of a mistaken impression that il is the duty
Of member Of The Senate or the House TO stultify
himself in the public mind by introducing and accept
ing the parentage Of any piece Of pernciOus, selfish
foolish legislation that is taken to him by constit-
uent. His proper is 10 withdraw The Re-
hoboth Land-Grab bill to request the committee
to report II that It may be killed formally. II is such
maIodorous piece Of proposed legislation that Il
should not be Kept in the Senate chamber any longer
to disturb the minds Of the Senators and the general
public. There certain things that in weIl-regulaied
places, it not pleasant to have laying around The
Rehohoh Beach Land-crab bill of them at least
in IFS present form.
We have noticed that counsel TO Palmer Company
persistent in their that the d-gral
hill ~s not tainted That is relative term. II tbey
by that that money is not being nsed to obtaiT
votes for il, cheerfulIy accept such assurances
Taken by the broad. however, wish TO say that II
point Of speculative selhshness there is no hill in tn
Legislature that Is worse tainted than this same Re
hoboth Reach Iand-Grab bill.
Robert HinckIe,. the leading spirit In Palmer
Co. asserts that part the "flat sands- he and hi
associates desire 10 acquire is washed over by storm
tide IN ten years. vi adds that Charles T. Gree
the flat sands "not worth % cents an acre.
We wish TO say 70 Mr. Hinckley and his associate
that authorized 10 ofer the Stale ten time
that much FOR each acre Of nat-sand waterfront Ian
between Rehoobh and Cape Henlopen light and ths
the person making that oner Is willing 10 take 10
200 OF II al that teu-fOd price, and purely ia
speculative purposes. lie wishes II 10 he understoo
clearly. however. that he thinks the State would
making sorry bargain by irttering away its rparia
aud land rights the oceanfront by entering into
such deal aud that The only proner TO puhsr
Is TO survey the land. plot il and dispose OF Il
small parcels 10 the highest bidders. the State
ing material part for It's riparian rights both Il
cceaniront and the canal In that way both the ri,
and the poor would have opportunity 10 partcipa
in the sale
Now that the Senate has shown it, wisdom by passiI
the Anderson bill and putting the seal OF death q
Rehoboth Beach LandGrab bill, let hope that Il
House. without regard for party Ines will put its'
record as iat0ring the SenRte's sound cOnserva'
policy II is TO be hoped, however. that, until Il
commission provided for the Anderson bill has ma
IFS survey and report elort will be made to tu
any Of this State to spectators the grou
that two years is long time TO wait Nor should 4
commission that is to make the survey be authorized
make any sales Of the peoples land Let the commi
sion make its survey and report the people OF q
State may take account OF stock and what tn
and decide what they want TO sell and what tn
want TO ieep. 1t would he unwse to appoint such
commission and then have IFS work interrupted. II n
scandalzed. by opportunities aud pressure Of Ian
srshbers. All the people want from the commissi
nnser the Anderson hill is fair and true survey a
report when selling the land. that shou
be done in the broad light Of day. with the parc'