Evening journal., 1913-03-19
WEDNESDAY. MAR. 10. 1918.
SAYE rHE MATTRFRONT.

THE Wilmington Waterfront Association which has
i enrolled membership OF $50 at an organza-
ton meeting last night adopted resolution urging
the Legislature to pass Representative Grantland's
bill to amend the Bulkhead Law OF 1901 in such
that It will be impossible for the Whining
ton Terminal Company and its associates to get
with the Wilmington Waterfront the Delaware river
from the mouth Of the Chrlstana river to Edge Moor
Il also adopted resolution urging City Council to
do everything possible aid in securing the passage
that bill. Both resolutions we're adopted by unani-
NOUS vote.
Those resolutions we're adopted before it was known
here that Representative Grantlands bill to repeal the
sections Of tho Bukhead Law OF 1901 which purport
to give the cty's waterfront on the Delaware TO
marsh-iand Spectators had been passed by the Demo-
cratic House OF Representatives by tho staggering
26 o. and to the Republican Senate for
currence.
The bill in question was drawn by City Solicitor
Hastings at the instance OF Councilman Stovor OF the
Seventh ward who now confesses frankly that he WAS
deceived with respect TO the agreement which the
Wilmington Terminal Company and its associates pro
posed to City Council last year Al that time no
earnest advocate of the acceptance by the city
Of that agreement Since then no has become con-
WINGED that IL would have been mistake for the city
have committed itself 70 H. Councilman Stovers
opinion now is that those sections of tho Bukhead
law through which the Wilmington Terminal Com
pany its associates hope TO get 500 OF state
land within the corporate limits of Wilmington and
all for nothing should be repealed at once, and that
II there is to be litigation with respect 10 the title to
the land that it should at once and be decided
There is only one real question involved in the
waterfront controversy That is. whether the peo-
pie of the city State OF the Wilmington Terminal
Company and its associates shall have that 60Oacre
tract OF land and the Federal bulkhead and fill.
City Solicitor Hastings. former judge who is the
legal advisor for the city, has advised that the State
still owns the land and that it is clearly within the
province OF the Legislature repeal those sections OF
the law by which the Wilmington Terminal Company
and its associates hope to get the land and thereby
restore the conditions with respect to the val
liable tract that existed in 1901 prior the enactment
OF the Bulkhead law
The it is important that the Legislature act
Is that in that Bukhead law It is provided that
when the littoral owners build bukhcad they shall
be in position 10 demand from the State the title
all the States land between high water mark and
that bulkhead, 600 The Federal Government
wishes TO build the bulkhead but It does desire
10 do it for the benefit OF private waterfront specu-
lators It wishes the public to have direct and sub
stantal interest in the be DONE and on the
eve OF letting dredging contracts which would pro-
vide the material for filling in behind the bulkhead
and making the 500 high and dry land extend
ing for distance Of approximately three miles along
the Delaware river and most OF It within the city
limits 3
That is the prize for which the Wilmington Ter
minal Company and its associates are working and
that is the prize which aroused citizenship the
city of Wilmington is endeavoring 10 prevent them
getting that 1t may be conserved and developed for
the public and not for the private benefit
Representative Grantland has splendid Kill. anC
II should be passed by the Republican Senate, b.
unanimous vote. With il passed the Federal Govern
ment may so ahead and build the bulkhead and max,
the MI for the State Of Delaware Afterward tn,
question whether the State shall deed that land [,
the city Of Wilmington for a public waterfront ma,
be decided The thing is to get it Of the gril
OF the marsh-and spectators by passing the Grant
land bill
The members OF the House, Democrats and Republi
have done their duty handsomely by the people
The Republican and Democratic members of the Sen
ate cannot afard to fail the people in this laudabl
effort that is being made by Representative Grantlan
and his colleagues in the House to right the great leg
aslatye wrong that committed 1901 by the pas
of the Bulkhead Law
In other words. the Democratic House has done Id
duty The Republican Senate should fail the PEG
pie in dealing with such important question.