Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-27
SATURDAY, s JULY -, 1918.
Whv Was the Change Made?

Many good citizens Of Delaware arc
considerably mystIijcd over recent
proceeding IN respect Of some Fedora
government work in thclr state the
transfer Of engineering control OF Del
aware river and hav foTtIiIcaiionS from
tho War Department office IN Whining
ton IN charge Of L q Warner 10 the
PhiIadclphla office of the department. ~
charge Of l.. - Shuman The transfer
is not due 10 any complaint against the
efficiency of Mr. Warner. who took tins
work under charge on request, N addition
to his regular river and hathor improve
mont work. in which hc has long hccn
engaged. with good record Il IS SIMPLY
change but tho reason for tho change
is not apparent on fhc surface, and many
citizens arc naturally curious
This is not the FIRST hmc ouI state has
suffered through constellation with out
side districts for tho detail ~ lcdcraI
administration once Delaware was ,
separate informal revenue distinct, but
consolidation with Maryland robbed uS
Of our identify in this service For years
Delaware was separate customs col
lection district. but several wears aF" We
were consolidated with Philadelphia Md
now another branch of Federal work s
taken away from our state and thc
headquarters moved from Wilmington ~
Philadelphia
This latest changr, this additional den
rivation Of supervision of govrnwout
work that had hccn entrusted to our
State. is not merely a blow a our prestige
il may prove Of some injury y our ma
torial interests In the prosecution If
fortifications work IN this state, large
quantities Of materials are needed. ami
with headquarters III o'ir city and dHcct
surcrylsion conducted within our State.
these materials. as iar as possible, were
purchased here. in Wilmington and ~ thc
vanots towns With thc trsrstcr n
headquarters and active supervision .to
Philadelphia these needed materials Will
To a considerable extent 10 du'!ht. M
~, chased IN the latter city. and Del
aware viii lose tins business
Fur; hernorc, i Is not unreasonable
that We should ask some explanation 81
this somewhat surprising change Their
was ne complaint ihat the work was SUI
ferlng in any way by tho fact Of head
quarters beng located IN this city On
the contrary. il has bccn progressing IN
8 satisfactory manner But now comes
a summary change OF headquarters 70 i
citv OF another State, when every practical
business consideration should have dictat-
cd To the contrary BY tfIs change, the
headquarters for Notifications work IN
Delaware are moved thirty miles farther
from the scene OF active operations.
and possibly tha; distance added to the
item Of the transportation Of materials
while. as We have SAID, our merchants may
lose the trade they have th,ls far enjoyed
in furnishing many Of These materials
This seems to bc a matter for our
Senators and Representative N Congress
TO look INTO Also, for our Chamber
of Commerce 1t IS a move distinctly
against the interests OF our State, III
addition TO bring blow AT MS prestige
II was bad enough 70 have our state
swallowed by one neichbor as an internal
revenue district and 10y another neghbor
as a customs district; but to deprive j.
of the very proper and practical location
il afforded as headquarters for fortifca-
tions work along the lower Delaware
seems like move devoid Of sound reason,
and like n further indIgnty upon our
standing as 3 State OF the Federal mon
Delaware Is small, in territory and popula-
tion, but that Is no reason why she should
be imposed upon.