Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-22
GOVERNMENT AID
IN DEVELOPING
PORT FACILITIES
It is Offered. Contingent, However,
on Local Authorities Doing
Their Part.
WILMINGTON AWAKE
TO THE SITUATION

Nhile lt IL evident. from an anaiy sls
ot the act of Congress approved March
=. 1919. that It Is the desire OF the govern
meut. rs pointed out by United States
Engineer J y .lervey, ON saturday, To
nelp local authorities IN the development
~ port facilities ~ u well that Winning
ton has launched INTO a determined move
20 provide a municIpally owned terminal
otherwise 70 would b. possible To with
draw oven already specifically authorized
Federal sdppcr, for harhor improvements.
Nnalvsis oi the act referred 20 IS convlnc-
70 proof 1T this On the same subject
i,e-, Evening has received the follow
.1,, letter from Lieut. COL " Il I.adue,
) engineer ~ Philadelphia. who is in
sarce 81 the Delaware rivcr. so far as
tne government Is concerned.
The Federal River aud ilaTbor act
approved Iarch ,. 1919. contained the
following tenn
1t Is hereby declared - bC the policy
~ the Congress that water terminals are
csSoutial IL All cities and towns located
upon harhorS or navlcabic waterways
and thai a. least ono public terminal
should exist, constructed owned and
regulated hy the municipality, or other
public agency nf the State and open 70
he use 81 All on equal terms, and with
D. Wow of carrying ont this policy 70 the
nlltSf possible extent tho Sccrptarv Of
Var IS hereby vested with the discretion
II withhold unless the public interests
vt nd seriously suffer by delay. MONIES
appropriated in this act for now projects
tdpptsd hcrrm. or for the further I'M
.ruVemcnt nt EXISTING projects II, in hiS
spinpn uo water terminals exist adequate
u thc traffic and open 70 all On equal
rms ~ unless satisfactory assurances
lre received that local or other interests
VlH nrnNidc slch adequate terminal
tf CRIMINALS The Secretary 81 War.
t-ogrb the Chef ~ Engineers shall
g3,, ..H publicity as far as ma- bc
nrs,fieaLlc, - thus provision.
ia earrNing out the purposes % tins
~ 4 viii y, necessary for compc tent
ufhoutN e. pass upon thc plans of local
authorities Tor terminal IMPROVEMENTS
u order e. determine their adequacy
indor the particular conditions existing
IL the locality To meet the needs Of the
tuation tho Chief ~ Enignecrs, IT, ;
krrnN has assigned 70 the Board of
Lnglnccr~ Tor Rivers ard Harbors the duty
II ADVISING and asslstlng local port
uiboFtlcs Ia planning the layout and
Equipment ~ terminal facilities, with q
,leW IL assisting them 10 avoid. on the
sur hand. the construction Of facilities
nadcluate 70 handle the traffic efficiently,
,ad on the other hand, the adoption Of
nl4Es which will involved cost N excess I
n the value and amount of the commerce
affected with the result of hurdcning
he trtfc with unduly heavy charges for
,vcrhead and for maintenance and opera .
non 81 unnecessarily expensive machinery.
fhc Board Wlll employ ~ this work the
..ectssarv expert assistance n enable II 70
II ~.
sirah.e. ln the planning of terminals
and port facilities, including JOINT rail
nd water terminals, taking over the
lnties of this character heretofore per
ormed by The Port Facilities Commits
i8n - the shipping Board The War
III partuCnt desires 70 make this work
Z the greatest bencht 70 al localities
,antemplating tcrInlnal improvements.
ain therefore directed by the Chef
y LnlEneers 70 8dvlsc The proper local
uthorlles 50 each locality contemplat-
ng further terminal improvements, Of the
.ril!lngness u the Var Department
o coop rate with them IN pannlng i'm
of thus character In any
,ase IL which the advo. Of the Board OF
Engineers Is desired respecting the lay
1ut or equipment 81 terminals. or the
adcquacy 81 proposed terminals, It Is
.uggestsd that the situation be pre-
.ented ID letter to the Chief Of Engi-
lcers. L. :. Army through tins office.
accompanied by such maps and drawings /
ls AT necessary to q full understanding
Il The situation Any proposition so I
7rcsentod VIII b. promptly forwarded for
be sctlou Of the Board
Very respectfully,
" b. Iadue,
Laeut. Col Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. /