Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-15
SAYS WILMINGTON
HAS BEEN ASLEEP IN
PORT DEVELOPMENT
Must Show IT Means Business TO
Get Congress Aid. General
Black Declares.
HARBOR PLANS ARE o. x.

Wilmington has been asleep Tor many
wears, regarding IT'S port, and uhth "
spends some ui IT'S money IN improving
the harbor showing that !, means bust
ness. il need not apply To Congress Tor
any appropriation
Tbis was "A statement by MAJOR Cen
,ral Black. chiet of engineers ot the War
Department following conference with
members 81 the Harbor COMMISSION
n tins city TODAY at which time the
General discussed plans made by Engineer
Nelgs tor the Improvement oi the port
This afternoon General Black W'th
Charles Warner and Willard Spcakman.
harbor commissioners. i making an
inspection ot the uvcr front which =
embraced IA the plans tor The produce
wharf and other port development
The general arrived ~ tins cltN short
lV after 10 clock accompanied hN
Captain Cristal hls uid, u, went ~
rrrtlv to III, uthcr ~ / & Warner diS-
tr,,t engineer tur this section m the old
Eelsral buldng. sixth and hing streets,
where hr met Ncssr> " arncf Spcahman
md James + Manchester the three
member 81 the llarhor Board The
group then went INTO executive confer
enec. discussing ri, plans made hy Mr.
Ncigs ~ dcfai
stAp t4lN I- NAkING Jr.
General BLACK told the commls
.iuners thai IT, Wu- glad - learn that
N Nllulngton had apparently awakened
nom is lctharg, -lrcp and that = va
Ilsunlug tn do something insofar Is The
port WIS concerned
Thcre Wcr some technical details
tat hc sugg, g,stcd should hg changed
N here there were plers ln some places
m q
~ bcheNcd aat THE plans should H.
made lutb more elastic Tins Was
necessary thc general considered tx
gause Il thu port rrall, should become
ulorr active changes might IT, necessary
and Il the plans made no arrangements
now. - that changes cuuld y, made
ltter. they would not ~ a> efficient as
might be
But thcr Va, NJ material objection
IA hls part 90 the plans
REiILSLs rItN- tHr onap.
Il think the IIafhor ConmIssloncrS
1avc made an excellent start hc >ad
i the conclusion III the conference
ID speaking 10 newspaper mon
u think they have lood plan, and
~ want to p them IN eVcn W, Ne
IN But Wilmington must show it,
md intentions by spending some mon
IN addition 20 the definite port i'm
movement plans, the general discussed
IA, future that might hc cNpcct}d fTom
-arh improvements tlnc oi these. and
Winch realty concerns The harbor dc-
,elopncnt ) the strengthening of the
laistmna rivcI Tins max later ~ nee
,~arN if tho commerce - and from
Ills city sh,Ald grow. and vessel, ot
E.rgc depth and longth should II brought
her
The General told the commissioners
that thcy should not make aiN attempt
+. tins time to AK Congress for an ap
propriatlon Tor such purpose lie
repeated that what they must do was
make a start and then perhaps Congress
might bc willing 20 encourage what had
fs.cn done with financial and But that
was prohlematIca and dependent upon
what action Wilmington should take
With the rtadu>tmcnts that might
he made N IA, plans, he considered
them suitable L. meet present and future
conditions Tor many Wears q comc
co>GKt~~ NoT - LIBIRAl.
lie emphasized the fac, that con-
tress was not a. liberal now. III thc matter
Il appropriations for harbor improve
fufNts a " hatf itT'i lil tti Itdri anu tlidl
here must he some good reason and
activity shown locally hcforc 1t could
bc expected 10 sid hnanciall,
The general sand he had been coming
- tins section slurc 1891 and that thl,
,ppcared 10 IL. hr trst definite effort
% boost IL, commerce
CITY Council, sitting a. a comnitl,, oi
IL, whole. viii have the MDgs plans
brought To their attention agaiE TIM
evening They Will bc asked by the
llarbor commissioners to name "a date
ior public meeting IN the Council
chamber, ~ which time cItlzcns desiring
10 learn more details Of the plans mal
appear and learn more Of tho proposed
improvements
Chairman " arncr of the HaTbor Board
Will also present to Council the figures
asked of hiu lasi week. for the construc-
fIon OF the proposed produce wharf out
Oi timber. rather han concrete
The cost ol th. proposed harboT inn
provemcnts. as proposed by the commIs-
Sioners. would bc between So 100000 and
8, 3,OO0,0oO. il al the details were executed