Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-29
HOPE TO GET NAME
. OF PORT PULL-BACK
Business Men Eager to Learn
Identity of "ThrottIer" Hinted
by Board of Trade
LUNCHEON TOPIC TODAY

Business men attended the Board
| OF Trade luncheon in the Bellevue =
| Stratford today in the hope that the
! name of Il financial potcntatc. who
| is said to be- throttliDg the port devcl-
opmcnt of Philadelphia, will be re
! vcalcd
The luncheon followed a charge made
! Saturday by the Board of Trade that
| the development of the port had been
''thrOttlcd by "A sinister authority that
| appears to preside over the dcstinies of
Philadelphia
At the luncheon today nn appeal was
made for popular support Of Il move
mcnt to combat this rctarding influence.
The subject Of the discussion was
"Our Imperative Nccd of Drydocks." :"
Among those who will speak are John
Gillcn. Of the United States shipping
board Mayor elect Moore and Con
gresham George W Fdmonds. The
discussion will be n sequel to the Sensa =
tional charges made on Saturday.
Board of Trade Statement
In n public statement the Board Of
Trade said that ''it should be a matter
Of prime interest to Philadelphians to
determine whence comes the mysterious
hand which throttles each successive at -
N'llpI dl STPul'l IoIl u'N'lpDlH'uJ lOT
Philadelphia. especially as this regards
establishment of drydock and adequate
ship repair facilities"
Tho statement pointed out that the
mysterious hand" had been success
ful in blocking seven attempts on the
part Of responsible and public spirited
men to construct adequate drydocks and
ship repair plants.
Yesterday the charges were up
held by George $. Webster, director
Of wharves. docks and ferries: John
Meigs. former incumbent of that office,
Hnd George f. Sproule, who will head
the department in the next admins
tratlon. All of those men intimated
that they knew the identity of "thp
financial potcntatc' referred to in the
board statement, but seemed disin-
rlincd to bring tho name into the open.
They agreed that the construction Of q
large drydock, generally recognized az
essential to the development of the port
had been thwarted "for selfish reasons
by financial authority"
According to Director Webster, a
1000 foot drydock is essential if the
port is to be developed fully. So long
as the port lacks such a dock. together
with ship repair facilities, Mr.. Webster
says, larger vessels will either avoid this
port or make their repairs as best they
can pending their return to the other
| side of the Atlantic.
Mr.. Meigs, now a consulting engineer,
said he knew OF six responsible at
| tcmpts to build a drydock that had
| been tbwarted by mysterious financial
influence.
Plans Collapsed
| 1.-THE enterprises TO which ! make
reference were all put forward bv re-
sponsible and substantial men," he
said. Sites were selected, plans made
and a certain amount of capital was
raised. But for some inexplicable
reason all collapsed when it came to the
| point of getting full financial support
| What the influence was that throttled
have my own opinion, but ] do not
care to state that opinion now.
Mr.. Sproule, who will become direc-
tor of wharves. docks and ferries jan
uary 5, said the absence of adequate
drydock and ship repair facilities in
Philadelphia was "a crime and a
shame" He also said he knew of
enterprises in that direction that had
been thwarted mysteriously.
''The port of Philadelphia cannot be
developed to the full extent of its pos,
| NlDlIlNltS NllHOul a lulBN HlSub'h anu
adequate ship repair facilities. Recent
ly ship damaged by fire at Point
Breeze was tOwed to New York for
repairs. ! recall another instance where
an Italian firm sent tug all the way
from Holland to Philadelphia to tow a
ship to Genoa for repairs. There was
time when drydocks were not needed
in American ports so badly. That was
when the majority of foreign shipping
was carried under foreign flags. The
ships then would go back to their home
ports as best they could for all repairs.
But all that is changed. The American
merchant marine has increased i'm
mensely, and if Philadelphia is going
to capture some of the business it is
doing we will have to furnish needed
facilities. 1t is a crime and shame
that we haven't been able to provide
those facilities before this. Any move
ment toward the construction of n large
drydock, whether by popular stock
subscription or by private enterprise,
will have my hearty approval and en-
couragCment.'
Mr.. Webster also told of the need
of large drydock and adequate ship
repair facilities to go with it. and also
declared that attempts to construct then
had been mysteriOusly put aside.
I'VE need a 100O-f foot drydock and
real ship repair facilities, and need then
badly" said Mr.. Webster. Il am glat
that some one has brought this need
| prominently before the neODle.p