Evening journal., 1918-07-25
|hDS TO PAY FOR
THESE improvements
Council and Emergency
Fleet Corporation Agree
on New City Plans
ALL DIFFICULTIES
NOW ELIMINATED

meetlng as a cOmmlttee OF tne Wlol
hast night to determine as to how muc
Of the expense of paving, water an
uewage for the colony Of houses bein
erected by the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration at Front and Union street:
and extending outside the city limits
should be born by the city, member
OF the City Council reached a satisfac
tory agreement with the corporation
discussion lasting almost tw'
hours, during which the whole proiec
was thoroughly thrashed out from
every standpoint, was entered into be
tween the Council and representative:
Of the Emergency Fleet Corporation
particularly Harold G. Aron, public
service negotiator for the corporation
before the agreement was affected.
OF the project under development
three-eights OF the territory lies inside
the city limits. while the remainder is
outside the city limits. The colony
however. will be taken into the city
limits. it Is proposed at the 1919 ses-
sion OF the state Legislature, while the
city Is allowed ten Jears In which to
pay their part Of the cost OF the ser
vices extended to tle ground. What
seemed to disturb the Councilmen was
what will be done with the sewage
sffer tho houses are taken over by the
CITY. The sewage overflow would be
dumped into Elsmere which would
probably make this city liable TO dam
ages to the town.
The finances Of the government will
be used for the work, the city having
10 pay nothing until after the land is
taken into the city limits. The rate OF
interest to be paid by the city on the
money spent by the Fleet Corporation
into the project win be i've per cent,
although Council at first was inclined
to pay only 4ib per cent. the same
Interest as paid by the government on
its bonds. After an .explanstion by
Mr. Aron the Councilmen agreed on
five per cent
According to the agreement affected
the city Will provide for the Issuance
Of bonds for the payment Of the work;
to pay for the water supply, estimated
TO cost s2s.i25. the city's proportion
being fixed by the portion Of the tract
living within the city, TO pay one-third
Of the cost of paving the tract, and
the entire cost OF paving the street in
tersections, estimated at s26,250, the
city's proportion being fixed by the
amount OF land within the city limits
to provide police protection. The\ex-
pense for other phases Of the work will
be met by the city.
Councilmen Robertson. Forwood anS
McDonough were appointed a committee
to negotiate with City Solicitor Bayari
TO draft the agreement.
Discussion Of the proposed trunk lin
sewer, which will lie wholly outsld
the city limits, was first taken up.
The ground. with It's houses. vii
eventually be taken into the city lin
its. Then Is when trouble would face
Wilmington, the Councilmen thought,
and it was only after a stubborn and
lengthy argument as 10 the dumping OF
the sewage from the land into Elsmere,
Councilmen held. which would prob
ably make this city liable to damages
to Elsmere, that the members OF the
Council finally reached the agreement.
Mr.. Aron for the Emergency Fleet
Corporation was the main spirit for
the seekers Of the appropriation Of
money by the clty In the argument. Bal |
llnger and Parrot, architects, of Phil |
adelphia. who drew the plans for the
housing project. were represented at
the meeting by Joseph H. Smith. Mayor |
Lawson George W. Sparks. president
OF the directors Of the Street and Sew
or Department. City Engineer Edgar NJ. |
Hoopes. Jr., George w. Shuster and o. |
]. Swinson, engineers for the corpora |
ton, and A. P. Hartman, representing
the Lynch Construction Company, at
tended the meeting.
The transactions between the street
and sewer directors with the Emer-
genoy Fleet Corporation were set out
before the Councilmen in detail by Mr..
Sparks. reading the minutes OF the
meetings at which subjects relating to
the housing project and to the sewage
and paving. He said that the city
Is not permitted 20 enter into
a contract for any such work for which
an appropriation Is not made by the
City Council. He explained that most
Of the territory is outside the city lin
Its and that he could not ask the Coun-
Gil TO lay a sewage trunk line for the
drainage OF land outside the city. The
whole OF the proposed sewage system
Of the land would lie wiisout this city,
he pointed out.
Councilman Robertson brought up
the point as to the dumping OF the
sewage into Elsmere. He declared that
n the government should withdraw
from the ground. leaving It to the in
terests OF Wilmington. then Elsmere,
where the sewage overflow OF the land
would be dumped, could bring suit
against this city for damages. The
overflow from the land will be dumped
into Elsmere lust like throwing my
slop into my neighbor's yard as one
Councilman explained.
The agreement between the city and
the Emergency Fleet Corporation fol
lows:
Whereas, the United States Shipping
Board Emergency Fleet Corporation. a
government agency, has authorized the
immediate erection Of houses and build
ings in the city OF Wilmington for the
purpose Of providing suitable hous-
ing accommodations for the workers
engaged in the construction OF ships
end other occupations. and
Whereas, certain public spirited citi-
zens OF the city Of Wilmington have
organized the Liberty Land Company
and have provided, at their own ex.
pense, the land necessary for the con-
struction Of said buildings, and through
said company have agreed to dedicate
streets and highways to the public use
within the property upon which SAID
buildings and houses are 10 be erected
and
Whereas. it is the desire OF the city