Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-02
THREE BIG MOVES
MADE TO AID PORT
Congress Asked for Money
to Deepen Schuylkill
and Delaware
r. r. ACTION SOUGHT

Three big developments occurred to-
phia into its own as great port.
Appropriations were recommended to
Congress that will make the Schuylkill
River available to deep draft vessels
and that will maintain the work Of
deepening the Delaware River channel
The matter of putting the port in its
rightful position was put squarely up
on the railroads by George r. Sproule,
secretary of the state board of COM
missioners of navigation. in a diagnosis
of the ports present status.
The part development committee de-
terfnined to procure new grain elevators
for this port with a total capacity of
from two to three million bushels
McAdoo Asks 100000
The 100000 appropriation recon-
mended to Congress for the Schuylkill
River by Secretary McAdoo today would
permit the deepening of that stream and
will make 1t available for a very heavy
| tonnage, of oil particularly.
The United States engineers engaged
on the Schuylkill River project are work.
ing up the river from it's mouth and
| plan to dredge 1t to depth of thirty
| feet to the Penrose Ferry bridge, and tc
| twenty-seven feet to Point Breeze. The
depth Is to decline in proportion tc
progress Up stream, the lowest depth Il
| be twenty-five feet.
| The 100000 recommended brings the
| total appropriations for that purpose III
! to 81 1000, 900, two sums of 100000 each
having already been set aside,
| For the maintenance and improve
ment Of the Delaware River from Allie.
gheny avenue to the sea, 100000 wal
asked Of Congress.
! Fifty per cent OF the work on the
! Delaware River has been accomplished
| There Is still an unexpended balance Of
a little more than 100000 for the
Delaware River project. The money
recommended today according TO thu
United States engineers Office, woult
be sufficient for the maintenance worl
for a year.
In the recommendations made toda,
there was an item of $4,000 for the
maintenance Of Cold Spring and Absecor
inlets, Absecon and Tuckerton creeks
and Toms River, n. J. For tn,
maintenance of Wilmington harbo
$50, 900 Is asked.
. Denies Lack OF Facilities
In putting Philadelphia's futur
growth as a port up to the railroads
Mr.. Sproule today denied there was an.
; lack Of port facilities here. but accuse
the railroads of economic waste in per
mitting shipments of freight throug
here to New York.
THE railroads should be required" h
said, ito recognize our claim for shir
ment direct from this port of all mate
: rials made and manufactured here o
tributary to this locality.
"Shipment to New York of goods mar
ufactured in Philadelphia for sale an
retransportation is an economic crime.
, If" he added, "our railroad facil
ties Are lacking. as has been claimed
then they should be built up TO the RI
: uuirements of the trade" ~
. The demand for new grain elevator
was crystailized at a meeting of pol
boomers this afternoon, when a specis
committee was appointed to ask, official
of the Reading Railway for constructio
of the elevators.
The visit will be made in conjunctio
: with committee from the Commercii
Exchange. Announcement of the sp,
cial committees formation was made
Director Webster, Of the Department
wharyes Docks and Ferries. The d
rector expressed himself as being higl
l ly gratlfed at the appropriations RI
: auested for the Delaware and the Schuy
l XIII Rivers He thought. however, ths
the amount asked for the Delawai
: River should have been 100000 ratht
than half that amount.