Evening journal., 1917-08-17
AGAIN WRANCLE over
SPRUCE Street Land
Application TO Build on
Property Brings About
Probe of Lease
PUSEY & JONES
co. IS BLOCKED

The controversy between the Pussy
and Jones Company and City Council.
regarding the plot OF land adjoining
the property Of the former, east OK
Spruce street, and continuing to the
Christiana river, bObbed up again at
the meeting of Council last evening,
when Andrew Spiegelhalter. chief en-
gineer of the Pussy and Jones Com
pany appeared before tho members, in
committee OF the whole, and asked
Tor permission to use the land for the
erection Of temporary buildings TO
shelter an enormous quantity Of cleo
trical and other equipment and sup
plies required in the construction Of
nine sweepers and other emergency
work.
Mr.. Spiegelhalter stated that the
company had forty-six carloads OF
such equipment. valued at over $780,
900. somewhere between the West
Yard and the company's plant, and
hat It was imperative that some place
be secured TO house Il within the next
couple of days. He stated, in reply
to an inquiry Of Mr. Kane as to Why
they could not store this material on
he property they already own, that
even now they have thousands and
thousands OF dollars worth of ma
'erial for the erection OF a large
building, on the Site OF the proposed
structure, with no other place 20
store It, and are prevented from build
Ing the new shop because they have
TO store the material on the site, and
cannot both store material and erect
buildings on the same ground. He
said that the company was about to
erect a large foundry 10 feet by 8S2
FEET, on its property, and that another
building, almost the same size was
20 be erected on the site he had just
mentioned as being tied up by its own
material.
Mr.. Spiegelhalter was informed by
the Councilmen that his company
sould secure the lease they desired in
1ve minutes, If they included in Il
the bed Of Spruce street, which their
own attorney had recommended, but
he refrained from discussing this
phase OF the situation. The city
claims that the bed OF Spruce street
Is its property. and the Pussy and
Jones Company contends It owns that
bed, according &c statements made
last night.
Mr. Kane informed the other mem
bers that he understood Mr.. Spiegel-
halter to say. earlier in the evening.
that the company proposed TO build
on that land lease or no lease. and
he informed their visitor that this
would be prevented by Injunction
proceedings II attempted. Finally,
after half an hour OF argument
which resulted in getting no farther
than they were when they started, be.
cause Mr.. Spiegelhalter was not
authorized TO enter into the Spruce
street end OF the situation the com
mittee arose. and the matter was
transferred to the formal meeting OF
Council.
When that body reconvened from
the recess. Mr.. Kane moved that IN
view of the trouble the Council had
had and still was having. with the
Pusey and Jones Company regarding
the land south Of Front street and
east OF Spruce street the chair APP
pointed a committee Of three mem
bers OF the Council to investigate the
action Of the Pusey and Jones Com
pany I'm cOniscating land belonging
10 the city for It's own purposes anc
hat this committee also be directed
TO investigate the Board of Harbol
Commissioners action In attemptinl
to lease land Of the city over which
they exercised no control.
This action was adopted unani
mously and Messrs. Kane, Mearnl