Evening journal., 1919-01-16
PUBLIC Meeting TO
TALK ABOUT WHARF
VIII be Held Thursday
Evening Next in Council
Char Chan ber
TO HALT WORK
ON SOME GARAGES

Members OF llty council az meet
ing OF a committee Of the whole last
hight agreed 70 the proposition sub
United by the Board OF Harbor Com
missloners 20 hold a public meeting,
when the proposed new wharf and
river front project could be discussed
and citizens in general be given an op-
poraunity to speak. The Councllmen
agreed to hold the town meeting IN
Council chambers on Thursday even
ing Of next week. commencing at $50
o'clock
The Harbor Board sent letter 10
Council last night (which stated they
had received estimates Of the differ
ence in cost between rne concrete pro
duce wharf shown on their plans and
frame wharf, suggested by members Of
Council. from their consulting engineer.
John Meigs, Of Philadelphia.
Charles Warner. chairman OF the
Board Of Hsrbor Commissioners, in
response 20 Councils request for an
estimate Of how much would be saved
Il the produce wharf proposed should
have lumber instead Of concrete pillng
wrote that the city would not save
more than 5000 or 5000 by using
lumber, and such a wharf would wear
out and have 10 be rebuilt in ten or
fifteen years. while a concrete pilins
would last forty or flfty years.
The maximum cost Of concrete
wharf would be 81 10000. according to
Mr.. Warner, with a minimum cost OF
si,i00OoO as given In an estimate by
United states Engineer John Meiss.
Robert G. Harman, attorney for prop
erty owners in the vicinity Of Third snd
Rodney streets. appeared before The
Council committee and argued for The
revoking OF a building permit issued to
Agoslino Fortunate, a contractor who /
Is erecting seven garages in that Vi /
cinity While nothing definite was done I
last night. Il was hinted that the per- 1
nit will be revoked temporarily while .
an opinion is obtained as 70 the validity I
OF the city ordinance 10 the effect that I
no public garages shall be built with /
out the consent OF the owners Of prop /
erty within forty feet Of such struc-
lures.
Mr. Harman, who secured an opinion 4
from Chancellor Curtis, IN the Court 4
OF Chancery sometime ago 10 the effect /
that the law Is void, claims that since /
that decision was given. the Supreme /
Court has handed down a decision 10 1
the eject that the ordinance was valid |
In 9 hearing Of a case that was appeal /
ed from a Chicago court on the ques-
ton OF billboards, which is a parallel |
instance, he said Mr.. Harman said |
that the decision OF the Chancellor |
could not be taken as flnal law.
Mr.. Harman told OF the conditions
attending the building OF the garages
by Fortunate, telling OF appeals that
he not build them made by the prop
srty holders in the vicinity and Of
their offers 10 buy the property at what
they considered a fair margin OF proflt
10 the contractor.
Several OF the property owners told /
OF the decrease In prices the building I
project would cause Mr. Harman also /
had Colonel Weller z. Slower, president /
OF the City Board Of Assessment testify 4
10 the fact that the value OF the near
BY property would be noticeably d.
by the building OF the gar
ages.
William s. Prlckett. attorney for
Fortunate, stated that the decision Of
the Chancellor is fnal In this State. and
that, by that decision the law is void.
He also smoke 81 the expense of his
client IN the part Of the building opera
lion already completed. Fortunate told
the committee that the ofiers TO buy be-
fore he began operations were only
tentative and that he thought he was
justified TO so ahead with the building
on the permit issued him from the
building Inspectors ONCE