Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-01-22
WORKING
FOR CANAL
PURCHASE
Waterway Champions Will
Urge DeIawareanS in Con-
greSS to Urge Action
on Project
NO MENTION OF WATERWAY
IN THE PRESENT HARBOR BILL

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Jan &c.
Delaware members of Congress will
be called upon by the Atlantic Inland
Waterway champions in the National
Legislature. headed by Representative
John II. Small of North Carolina. to
help make a determined fight to have
the present session Of Congress ap-
prove preliminary steps looking to
the government purchase of the Della
ware and Chesapeake Canal and maxi
ing it a free waterway and a link IN
the proposed chain from Boston to
the Gulf
The Rivers and Harbors bill. re-
ported out Of the committee recently,
contained no reference 10 the govern
ment acquisition Of the canal con-
Meeting the Chesapeake and Delaware
Bays. Mr.. Moore and others in favor
Of the project made fight for a pro-
vision in the Rivers and Harbors
bill. which would have authorized the
Secretary Of War to purchase this
waterway. The committee turned
them down in the present bill.
When the Rivers and HarbOrs bill
is taken up by the House. probably
next week. Mr.. Moore will OFFER an
amendment author zing the Secretary
of War to enter into a contract fol-
the purchase of the canal If tn,
House turns him down the fight Will
be carried to the Senate and there
efforts will be made to have Sena-
tors DUPONT and Richardson. of Della
ware, and other sympathizers of the
inland waterway chain in that body,
take up the battle for the Moore
amendment
IL is believed a favorable sentiment
exists i'm the Senate toward the pro-
jcct and il the House turns down Mr.
MOore's amendment and the Senate
accepts it, there remains a good
chance Of getting recognition IN the
conference committee. which is COM
posed OF members of both houses
Mr.. NIoOre's amendment viii not
carry any appropriation. Its object
is to pave the way for the Federal ac-
quisition OF the canal in the future.
The resolution viii have the effect OF
sscertaining whether or not the gov
crnment can buy the canal and al
what figure. and if il cannot Com
gress can then take steps TO build
another canal across Delaware. il II
desires to build The Chesapeake
Delaware link in the inland water
way chain or resort to condemnation
proceedings. a most likely course.
The army engineers year or so
ago inspected the Delaware and
Chesapeake canal and appraised the
property at S2.S00,OO0 II has come
TO several members OF Congress. how
ever, that the canal company will not
accept that price for the property.
The Moore amendment. II adopted.
viii have the effect of obtaining this
information in a way that it can be
formally presented to Congress.
The widening. deepening and open
ing of the canal as a free waterway
viii prove Of great benefit to vii.
mington. is the belief. and will greatly
increase shipping to and from that
port II will give protected south
orn route to shipping. which is now
forced TO go TO sea. Government ac-
Quisition OF the canal is. one of the
objects of the Atlantic Inland Water
ways Association. Congress has al
ready appropriated in former bills
and the committee permitted 20 re-
main in the present bill. provision for
the expenditure OF hundreds of ;nou-
sands of dollars for canals connect
cd with the Atlantic Inland Waterway
chain.