Evening journal., 1917-12-13
Peoples Column
THAT WHARF PROJECT.
10 The Editor OF THE EVENING Jol

NAL:
Sir.-I have been requested 10 make
a statement IN regard to the Front
street wharf over which there is now
some discussion.
deem II proper tina; the position, OF
the former Council. should be stated
IN regard 10 this proposition. While the
General Assembly was in session last
winter. Mr.. Bader, a contractor met
with the Council and was assured that
Council had decided TO improve this
wharf at a cost Of about $4,000. With
this assurance from Council Mr.. Bader
gave the writer an order to have a
bill pending in the Assembly With
drawn. This bill was to compel Council
to proceed with the work Of cOnstruc-
ton on the Front street wharf. C0un-
Gil acted In good faith and fully eX-
pected to appropriate the money for
this work. 70 became necessary however
on account Of living conditions TO In
crease the salaries Of city officials and
employees over $4,000. and the amount
received from the Building Commission
after the completion Of the new City
Hall and County Building, did not come
up to the amount that was expected
by large sum. Thus 10 was that when
the Budget was made up there was no
money available for wharf improve
ment.
The Board Of Education was asking
for more money. The Street and Sewer
Department did not get anywhere near
what they needed and the demand for
money was urgent in many directions
The proposition to improve Front street
aask, 49, IuI HrH
Council and not expecting additional
outlay, Il was thought, that, the money
sufficient for the work would be on
hand at the end Of the fiscal year. such
was not the case however. There Is
20 doubt but that aside from the bene-
nj that might be derived from the re-
duction Of the cost Of provisions about
which there Is a question: tho city
should have a public municipal wharf
for unloading Of materials. Mr. Bader,
as a contractor. felt this need and was
insistent that something should be
done. 10 Is a very trite saying yet never
fheless true, THAT you cannot make
bricks without straw" You cannot
build wharves without money. Never
was a proposition considered to inn
prove the Front street wharf that would
be ample to test out the value Of Inn
proved conditions there This PROPOSE
tion was TO drive row Of piles, out
side Of the present rough wharf front,
extending from the Diamond Ice Co.
property to Front street.
Between the piling and the present
structure stone and concrete were to
be filled In. Dredging was TO be done
TO II or "a feet depth Of water A gal
vanized building erected on the wharf
The cost for this work would be about
$4,000.
What / had in mind when I drafted
the bill 10 create the Harbor Commits
sion was to develop the Delaware River
Front and the Christlana up TO the
Cut-off Bridge. The city line was ex-
tended down the Delaware river front
TO the p. and R. pier with that in view.
Mr.. John Meigs was engaged for the
purpose Of directing our energies in
that direction. AS far as l can see the
money spent on Mr.. Meigs was thrown
away as his suggestions were In the
nature Of visions backed up by millions
which we do not possess. AS far as
Council Is concerned Council never saw
the plans anu Specifications Mr. Meigs
prepared and Council knows nothing
Of their value, although Council appro-
priated $1,000 for payment 10 him.
drew the bill to create a Harbor Com
mission from the statute that the City
Of New Orleans worked under.
II the harbor Of Wilmington Is deve-
loped along lines that other cities have
adopted ! am sure, in the end, that,
the cost to the city would be nothing.
There are two ways Of developing a
harbor-one Is 10 have the materials at |
hand TO ship out, the other is to i'm |
port what Is needed for local require
ments. To illustrate, the Newcastle-on- |
Tyne harbor was developed by the /
proximity Of coal mines and the neces- |
slty Of getting the Goals to market. |
Manchester, England, had been for
many years at the mercy OF Liverpool
In securing transportation Of cotton to
supply her manufacturing establish
ments. Manchester built a ship canal
up TO her factories and by that means
was relieved of the burden created by
the Liverpool charges. 1 might say that
the Liverpool charges were probably
not excessive as 1t requires enormous
sums TO build a harbor when you have
q tide Of 30 or 80 feet. All vessels com
ing into Liverpool are foated into in
side basins. at high tide, and locked
IN.
The basins have cost vast sums Of
money yet have no doubt but that,
the return on the money invested was
ample
We have no conditions Of this nature
70 contend with here and as Mr. Rich
ardson said to the writer, we have the
situation that would give us competi-