Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-13
CONTROVERSY OVER
DELAWARE CITY PIER
Some of the Companies Using II
Said to Have "Duckcd"
the Wharfage.
Special Correspondence to Every Evening

| Special Correspondence TO Every Evening
Delaware City, Jan. 13.---Tbe local
authorities havca white elephant ontheir
| har dis III the form Of the municipal pier
at the foot of Clinton street, over which
| there was cor siderable discussion some
years ago between the Chcsapeake d
| Delaware Canal Co. and tho town nu-
| thorities as TO the ownership. For many
years the canal company kept the wharf
in repair for the Use Of the pier by vessels
passlI through the canal. " hen the gov
ernment took over the canal, however,
this plan could not be continued, ~ tho
government ls not authori zed to mai ntain
any projects, urlese they are government
owned " hon the town authorities took
over the pier. il was decided TO improve
it and charge wharfage. An ordinace was
passed establishing the various rates to
| be- charged The various companies usirg
the pier were billed for the amounts and
the peculiar feature Of II all is that the
larger towing companies have not paid
orc cent of wharfage while most OF the
smaller shippers have been paying regu-
larly
When the canal was privately owned
the shipping companies had TO pay
the toll rates through the canal, and now
when relieved Of ths heavy toll, sore
try 20 avoid the payment of the small
Wharfage fees This wharfage fee Ia in
tended for the purpose Of securing funds
for the Improvement Of tho pier, which
at present il in bad shape. The taxpay-
ers declare that they will not permit
an increase in taxes for the purpose Of
repairing the pier. which IN turn will he
used by the vessels passing through the
canal, some Of which do not pay the
wharfage The mnyor has informed some
Of the delinquent shippers that unless
their whorfsge charges are paid IN
short time the United States marshal will
I've asked to take action for the recovery
If the amounts involved
II is even charged that some of the
shippers have been using tho pier 90
assemble their tuws before passing them
south, az IL ie much more cxpersive to
keep the bsrFce tied up ~ pier either 81
Nilmir gton OF Philadelphia than nj
the local pier In one cese recently, II is
said. ore tow Of harres was deliberately
held in the canal for several hourP, while
canal traffic was DELAYED. in order that
the vessels would not have 80 t,e w AZ the
pier a1d have Wharfage charges Other
craft are now auchoring IN midstreamin IN
order 20 avoid tho payment II the wharf
age
For some time there has been some
llacussion as 20 tho sale of tho pier 10 tho
government but there have been So Kany
views expressed about this that II is
difficult TO determine what the final
vicws on the matter wilhe One member
of Council favors the sale 81 the pier at
$4,000. ono favora its sale At 10000
vhlle ono = undecided as TO his views on
the question ~ tho salo Of the pier 1c-
fore the pier could he disposed Of, the
plan would first have 20 he approved by
the voters An act of the Legislature would
also have e. hc secured before tho trans
fer would DO valid
Tho government authorities have not
expressed their vlews relative f. tho FRie
of tho pier and II ~ doubtful as - what
thcig attitude vil he