Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-11
HAReoR BOARD REPORTS
SUCCESS TO COUNCIL
Continued From Page

government agrees to spend ss5. .ovo
annually on the maintenance of INC
channel. OF any sum over f6S,ooo ine
city agreed tn pay one half of ihe
difference up TO 100000 II - esti-
mated II will require an expenditure
Of between $4,000 and 100000 an-
uuaIly TO keep the channel clear. This
would bring tho city's annual payment
up to sf7, 800 or one half Of t55.00o, the
difference between $4,000 and lOVs-
900 The city has been paying 10 Der
cent of all government expended Tor
dredging in the local harbor.
In connection with this upkeep. how
ever. the government agreed 20 assume
all OF 1t, leaving nothing for the city
to pay. when the terminal had demon
strated it's utility to the tributary
country. This Will leave u up to the
people OF the city to make the harbor
project success for by 80 doing the
city viii be avoiding the necessity for
defraying any part Of the annual cost
OF npkeep ofs the local harbor channel
| This maintenance expense in any
event could not be assessed against the
lcity before the year 1924 at the earliest,
In securing these reconlme ndations
that wilmington VIII benefit to the
extent OF about 800 900 which is what
! the government engineers estimate il
will cost them 10 DO all the dredging
they have agreed TO do. This. prac-
/ tically Is the fun extent of the conoe9-
sIons the Harbor Board managed to
get from the engineering board at
/ their conference on Tuesday in Wash
ington and when this fact was made
clear to the councilmen last night
they were more than graifed and
ploassd for they realized to what ex-
/ tent the harbor board had been sue
/ cesfui. They did not hesitate TO voice
their satisfaction and approval and It
was evident that a spirit Of complete
harmony and thorough accord exists
between the Council and the b9rboT
i board members on this project.
i The du Pont Engineering Co. sub
/ nitted bid Of y1,372,570 for the en-
i tire harbor work and agreed TO have
| IL all completed within twelve months
1 time. officials Of the company have
stated that they are ready TO start
i active work just az soon as they are
/ advised by the harbor board that they
i can proceed. Should the board decide
| today or tomorrow 10 tell the company
i to go ahead. work will be started on
Monday next. Wilmington workmfn
and wilmington supplies dealers will
Il be given the preference and il fs esti-
i mated at least 500 men will be en-
gagged on the job.
willard S. Speakman. chairman Of
the Harbor Board, said they were
much grafifed with the results of
their conference In Washington He
said nothing now stands in the way
Of the harbor work He and Mr. War
ner said they had the hearty support
lof Senator Ball and Congressman
| Layton In Washington and that the
influences Of Senator du Pont also was
felt.
| IT was pointed out that with the
consf ruction by the government Of
the new retaining wall or dyke and
the immense amount of dredging in
the channel an area Of about 50 acres
Of land will be reclaimed on the river
front back of this new wall for the
material dredged from the channel
will be dumped there by the govern
uent.
To Reclaim Bowians.
This new land viii become the prop
erty of the city without cost to it. The
: present site cost Approximately $4,000
! an acre so that the newly made land
on the river front will be vastly more
, valuable after the dredging has been
completed. The government is willing
to create this new tract free Of cos;
to Wilmington because it viii AFFORD
! a convenient place for depositing ths
. dredgings.
The city eventually would have I,
reciaim all this area anyhow and tn.
!. work would cost a vast sum Of money
: Under the present agreement the har
! Dor board succeeded in getting it don.
for nothing.
@The sum total Of their trip to Wash
ington therefore is the purpose Il
have dredging to cost upwards o
100000 performed by the governmen
without cost TO the city and the crea.
ton of an area Of at least 35 acres o
< nigh and dry land on the DeIawar,
river front which property will becom,
the property of Wilmington wlthou
! the expenditure of one cent.
The commissioners when they frs
) went into conference in Washington
: We're confronted with the new ruling
/, IN the. War Department contempIa.
/ ting improvements of river or harbol
pay one half the cost. The commits.
: sIoners We're quick 70 show the army
. engineers that Wilmington is not :
] new port in fact a very old one thai
is being revived and consequently i
: could not be placed in the same class
i las an entirely new project. The govern.
/ ment engineers expressed their belief
2 that the city had an excellent projeci
. in hand.