Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-30
CAMDEN WILL PUSH
DEEPER CHANNEL FIGHT
DESPITE SETBACK
r,;tv officials and Manufacturers
will Resume Battle for I'm
provement Denied by Fed
eral Board
WILL ASK FOR HEARING

reouest for a public hearing before the
,,adarai BOARD of Engineers for Rivers and
tssrborH TO show the necessity OF deepen
,nS Inc Delaware at that point, will be
wade by Mayor Charles II. Ellis backed by
ana Industrial and business interests OF
Camden
This step was decided upon today follow
tre the report of the board dlsapprovihg
the project The board said IL was not
sanvnced that any Improvement was neces-
sary ut tho present time, for the reason
shat exieting depths In the main channel
east Of Petty's Island appeared TO he fairly
sdeouaTe for the traiflc making use Of the
channel
Discussing the matter. Mayor ELLIS said :
awhue deeply regret tho action OF the
Board of Engineers, I think tho improve
!, n,ent will come in time and that the board
may be convinced Of the necessity of this
undertaking by public hearing. The mat
Ter has been turned over to City Solicitor
feakly, who will prepare more data and
ask for a hearing nt washington"
snoe the agitation for the deepening Of
che river at this point started, the Mayor
added, Petty's Island was bought by Crew
faylck G. Co., who subsequently sold 100
acres to the Crarnp Shlpbuilding Company
Roth of these concerns will build plants
and will require an additional outlet on the
Camden side of the island, The Mayor also
pointed out that the city owned a public
wharf at Pavonla, which will be improved
and brought UP to meet present require
ments, II the Government will cooperate.
The position of the board is set forth in
the following statement:
The Federal Board, after a long fight
made by Camden, still regards present river
improvements as adequate and the channel
east of Petty's Island as ample. The
engineers, however, are open to conviction
and will arrange for a hearing when Cam
den is prepared to reopen the fight. The
position OF the board is set forth in the
following statment:
'"The river and harbor act approved
March 4, 1918, contained provision for a
preliminary examination OF Delaware River
from mouth of Cooper River to Fishers
Point Dyke on the New Jersey Shore in
cluding consideration of any proposition
for cooperation on the part of local in
terests The required examination was
made by the district officer, and pursuant
10 favorable recommendations thereon a
survey was authorized. The report of the
district officer on the survey Is favorable
for the improvement of the locality to the
extent of recommending q channel 10 feet
deep and 800 feet wide with an opening in
the dyke 500 feet wide. the channel to fol-
low generally the present line of deepest
water, at a total estimated cost of s72,S75,
and $4,000 annually for maintenance, no
work to be done by the United States until
the city has actually secured and opened to
public use for freight transfer purposes
wharf within the boundaries OF the pro-
posed channel.
"In accordance with law. the report has
been referred to the Board of Engineers for
River and Harbors for consideration and
recommendation. From the information pre-
sented, the board is not convinced of the
advisabilty of the United States undertake
Ing any Improvement at this locality at
the present time for the reason that the
existing depths in the main channel east of
Petty's Island appear to be fairly adequate
for the traffic making use of this channel.
The difficulties that exist are mainly due to
shoal water at the wharves in the ap-
proaches thereto but these conditions are
customarily left to the care of local inter
ests. To provide another channel along the
front of the wharves would apparently in
volve excessive cost as compared with the
commercial benefits resulting to the gen.
sral public.
"All parties interested in the proposed
Improvement are invited to submit. within
period Of 80 days from the date of this
notice. statements and arguments bearing
upon the necessity for the Improvement in
the interests of commerce and navigation
Such statements should be addressed TO
The Board of Engineers for Rivers and
Harbors Southern Building, Washington
d. C. Should a hearing be desired this can
be arranged by correspondence with the
board"