Evening journal., 1913-10-07
CITY BUILDERS
In CONVENTION
GET WELCOME
Both Governor and Mayor
Welcome Delegates to the
City
DOWN 10 BUSINESS
CITIES WANT CONVENTION

With delegates present from all |
over the United States the convention !
of the American Society of Munich
pal Improvements convened in the
ball room of the Hotel DUPONT at IL
o'clock this mroning. The conven-
ton is the largest that Wilmington
has ever entertained and elaborate
preparations have been made for the
delegates. The society boasts of hav-
ing some of the greatest engineers
in the world among its members and
they viii discuss various topics of
interest to the public.
The convention was presided over
this morning by the president, B. E.
Briggs, of Erie, Pa.
Mr. Briggs called the convention
to order shortly after II o'clock and
introduced Governor Charles R. Mil
ler who delivered the welcoming ad-
dress.
4 The governor said:
"The citizens of the State of Della
ware are deeply sensible Of the honor
you have conferred in selecting the
city OF Wilmington as the place in
which to hold your twentieth annual
convention.
81 am here to perform the very
pleasant duty of extending to you, on
behalf of the people of Delaware,
the heartiest possible welcome, and
appreciate the privilege as well as
the honor of having this opportunity
Of greeting so many distinguished
representatives from our sister
States.
"You gentlemen represent the
power and present day constructive
force behind municipal progress and
improvement. The time was, within
the memory of many here present,
that a gathering of this character
would have been impossible. Those
were the days when the roads in the
rural districts we're built by the
, farmer according 10 his idea. Now
our highways are constructed under
the direction and supervision Of COM
/ petent engineers. Those were the
days when the gutter was the natur-
al channel by which the city disposed
, OF its sewage. and bitulithic brick
wood pavements and concrete side
walks, and the conservation of health,
by proper sanitary methods, we're un-
known.
Travel abroad today and we OBJ
-
.stowns with miles of magnificent
boulevards, modern light. water and
sewage systems abundant, and spac-
ious parks, splendid public buildings
and bridges,-the product Of your en-.
gineering skill and energy.
within the past few years th'
growth of the cities and towns of oui
= country has been phenomenal. II
f. A 81 he
? ltry's population resided in this city
!, while as late as 1850 it had no
n reached 5 per cent. Today 1t is fas
2 approaching 40 per cent
: What you have accomplished Il
d the past one can observe,-what yol
h will be able to do in the future witt
j. continuing and rapid increase o
. population is a problem for your pro
e lfession to solve,-that you will b.
e equal to any requirements does no
s admit of argument
The annual conventions wherein 20
S hold discussions and exchange ideas o.
T. various subjects, serve to strengthe
= your organization and benefit your en-
tire country.
:, 4 will ask your ind ilgence for a fey
moments, TO say very briefly somethin
/, concerning the early history of GU
State.
+ Delaware. though small in arei
when compared with the states fror
u which YOU came. is accorded the frs
IS place in that galaxy Of states designai
s ed as the original thirteen; her earl
S history is replete with incidents whic
moulded the destiny of the America
= people and laid the foundation upo
E which this Republic was constructe
D Until 1908. we were attached to I'll
Province of Pennsylvania, and know
ir as the three lower counties on the De
of aware: the people OF this section r.
le belled and exhibited such dissatisfactio
be with this condition that Penn acqu
s. esced in separation and in 1904 the fir
as separate assembly was formed. An a
is fliation, however, was continued wii
H. the provincial government until lIl6.
IN Delaware took a most prominel
az part in all the activities which led up
ed the Declaration of Independence. Whe
n. however. the time arrived to adopt th
IN instrument some of those present hes
- tated to vote, and the possibility
IS, failure became apparent; then IT w
ur that Caesar Rodney OF Delaware a
" peared upon the scene and courageous
e. cast the first vote for the Declaratr
It its adoption quickly followed. and tn
us the first step in the establishment
liberty in America was accomplished
on Delaware was continuous in h'
py loyalty to the Revolutionary cause
w her troops fought from the oegi
la ming to the end and ter remail
lai we're strewn from Connecticut
ne, Georgia. The American flag wi
ae first unfurled in battle upon Del
.al ware soil, at Cooches' Bridge. a fe
l1s miles below this city. at which poi
"a there has been erected a monume
pc to commemorate that event.
az After the independence of the &C
ma onies had been acknowledged by En-
oi land, there gathered together a 7
oy markablo body of men to devise
va form os government for the new n
yan ton. f~he measure of their succe
oi has been established by the fact tn
OF the constitution they framed to GOV
the necessities OF a population of
uo- 000, 900, has stood the test OF ce
IS tury and a quarter, and still st1n
en- as the fundamental instrument a
vas covers the requirement of neai
cry 100000 people.
and THE uncompromising stand
ac- proper representation for the sma
in er States, assumed by John Dick
son, one Of Delaware's delegat
the caused Franklin to abandon his i'd
by of a Congress with a single hou
'ws and establish the plan for two bod
hat -one the Senate, wherein each ST
the