Evening journal., 1917-09-25
$4,000
WHARF TO LOWER
COST OF living
lcontInued won FIrst Page.l

be ready to handle business during
the early part Of the coming year,
1T can be reasonably expected"
says Mr. Richardson. that II the city
provides tho contemplated public
wharf facilities at point under dis
cussion that It will develop business
along all lines of general merchandise
TO points on both shores Of the Della
ware to the south of the city open
ing up many new avenues or trade
transportation between these points
and the c'ty. both by the establish
ment Of regular lines Of freight boats
or by irregular boats from points not
touched by the regular limos. The
merchants OF Wilmington will be
quick to avail themselves Of these
new opportunities as soon as they
are available.
Several trips have been made 10
Philadelphia 10 investigate the
methods I'm effect al that city for
handling produce and vegetables In
vessels of small tonnage.
The wharves and dock department
of the city of Philadelphia makes a
charge OF SO for landing. per day for
each boat. The charge made At
Chester for the same service is 81.
"On Saturday last / had conference
with Mr.. John Meigs. @. f., Philadel-
phia, on the approximate cost of the
improvements as outlined. with the fol
lowing results;
CONSTRUCTION Of concrete bulkhead,
with depth Of 10 feet Of water, at meau
low tide, along 535 feet frontage, in
cluding dredging in front of and hlling
behind bulkhead with landing steps
about every } feet, leading TO the street
level concrete paving, about 35 feet in
width along this frontage, will cost ap-
proximately 500, 500, which includes %
per cent. for contingencies TO this
possibly should be added from $4,000
20 $4,000 to provide shed covering with
open sides TO afford protection In wet
weather, making in al. say about
$4,000. An average Of five TO six YES
sells Cay on the basis Of the charges
made In Philadelphia for such facilities
would produce sufficient revenue 20 pay
the interest on the above investment.
II Is not at all unrea sonable TO expect
that such an amount Of business could
be worked up
1.-THE real merit, however, I'm the city
constructing and operating such wharf
facilities, lies In this larger and more
Vital fact. The present Increased cost
to the consumer Of food products Of The
class that could and would pass over
such a wharf under progressive busi-
ness management, on account of the
lack OF these facilities, cannot be less
than an average Of from 81 to SO per
| capita, per annum. If, however, we cut
| this to only 81 per capital, per annum,
the citizens OF Wilmington are annually
suffering a loss of over 100000. or moro
than the whole cost OF tho suggested
wharf Improvement, including she'd
dlng."
In the early part Of his report, Mr..
Richardson, In discussing conditions m
oident to the wharf project, says.
Il have conferred with about half g
dozen Of the largest wholesale fruit anC
produce commission men Of this city
with regard TO the proposed dock de.
, volopment at Front and Church street.
for the purpose Of handling fruits anC
! produce from points down the PENN
sula and Jersey shores, and without ex-
cention they state that they would
heartily welcome such facilities anC
would cooperate with us 10 SECURE
them, as we'll as cooperate with the
producers at the points named Nearly
all Of them stated that a large proper.
tlon of their produce was bought II
philadelphia from wholesale dealers
That much Of II had been carried pas
Wilmington to Philadelphia from point.
on the Peninsula and tho Jersey coast
Their cost price was therefore ma
terially increased by the fact that IN,
goods thoy purchased had 20 bear thl
freight charges TO Philadelphia anl
back, as we'll as a profit TO the whole
sale dealer In Philadelphia. As a cOnse
quence the retail storekeepers OF VIII
mlngtOn, who buy their produce almos
exclusively from the wholesale com
mission men OF this city, have TO pa!
considerably higher prices than the re
tail merchants Of Philadelphia have 4
pay 90 tho wholesale commission mel
OF that city.
"The result OF my correspondence
with steam and gasoline power boa
owners, operating on the Delaware
River from points on the New JERSEY
coast and the Peninsula, Indicate
that these people would also welcome
! the construction Of modern and ade.
} quate facilities on the Christians
River I'm the heart of the city. al
which their vessels could make regu.
lar landing
Mr.. Richardson se,s forth extracts
from letters written by boat owners
favoring OF such wharf and stating
they would be glad 70 land there wifi
farm products, and also quotes news
paper editors and editorials fayorinl
such a wharf
Mr.. Richardson sets forth com
parative wholesale prices OF farm
products IN Wilmington and Phila
delphiS, and says;
'From the figures shown, II viii b,
seen that wholesale prices in Whining
ton on some items. run from five Il
sixty per cent. higher than on the SAINT
! commodities in Philadelphia on th'
: same day, with an average on all thl
, different items for the four days, o.
7 about thirty per cent One reason foi
r this Is doubtless found ia The fact tha
3 In most cases the goods have had q
d stand a double freight rate. as well a.
a profit TO the Philadelphia WHOLESALE
% dealer. Many OF these goods were pro
"a duced by the farmers Of our own Stat
I and the New Jersey shore 20 the souil
y oi us, but they passed our doors 4
~ philadelphia on account OF The lack O
'9 proper Wharfage facilities to handle
tnefn, or any inducemonf for. tho f,rc