Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-28
MUCH ACCOMPLISHED
BY THE CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE IN 1920
Years Work Reviewed by the
Officers at the Annual
Meeting.
PROGRAM ALSO SUGGESTED

du Pont last night. Ihls report, presented
by President Alfred d. Warner, Jr, and
Secretary William T. Budd, set forth the
following accomplishments during the
year:
The securing Of the passage Of the act
authorizing tho Levy Court to issue
bonds for the purpose of remodeling the
old b. & O. r. r. bridge, now known as
the Augustine Bridge, and making it
available for pedestrian and vehiculnr
traffic; the sale Of these bonds at par,
through the efforts Of your committee.
The assistance given in solving the
problem which confronted the Council
: Of Wilmington at the time of the contro-
versv regarding the renewal of the con-
tracts for fire service.
The work of the conservation and
fire prevention committee In it's
campaign for the prevention Of fire Losses,
and the development of rapidly grow
ing public sentiment demanding a fire
marshal and a modern, full-paid fire
department for this city
Securing the location in Wilmington
Of large sugar refining. plant, now in
course Of develop ment and construction.
The assistance given in promoting and
organizing the Prisoners Aid Society by
arranging meetings addressed by Thomas
Mott Osborne and DR.. George W. Kirch-
way.
Secured contributions of IS, 75o-thanks
to the generosity of our members-for
the fund for the erection in Washington
of a perma ncnt headquarters for the
Chamber cf Commerce cf the United
States, Tho Home of Ameri ican Business.
This sum includes the contribution of
this organization.
The assistance given the State Board
cf Health by securing Through our MEM
beys, the sum Of S92l 70 enable the Bureau
of Vencreal Disease Contrpl to continue
the work of stamping out this disease in
this city
HARBoB DEVELOPMENT.
The development of OF Jr harbor and
the construction Of de9p-sea terminal
fo- coastwisa and forcigV commerce is 8
project long advocateV by your organ
izqtion, and we a.c pleased TO report that
plans are now IN course of preparation,
and the Board Of Harbor Commissioners
expect to ask for bids for the actual con-
struction of the work in the early spring.
The cooperation Of the Federal gov
ernment IN this work. by strengthening,
widening and deepening the lower
stretches of the Chri>tlana river IS being
sought, and surveys and estimates of
costs have been ordered. The enti matter
is in a very satisfactory state of progress.
The new municipal produce wharf has
been completed and is in use.
HOUSING.
While the housing situation is not IS
acute st this time as il was year ago. the
condition is still far from satisfactory.
Rents are high and houses scarce, and
with the return Of prosperity we viii be |
IN need OF MANY additional houses. It .
= - &c
costs, many new houses viii be built, and |
that the problem of adequately housing |
o'T ever-incT easing population will be |
met.
INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS. FACTORIES AND |
WAREHOUSES;.
While the demand for industrial build !
ings, factories and warehouses has not |
been as great as Il was in the year pre- |
vious there still IS a considerable number |
Of inquiries, and with the general revival |
CT business throughout the country, which |
we hope viii be in the near future. the |
demand undoubtedly viii greatly in
crease.
During the wear your officers cooper
a-ed and assisted in the following cam
paigns Thrift week, Salvation Amy Home
Service Fund Community Service Play
gound Fund, Mayor Housing Com
mittee. Committee on Wilmington Trade
School, Fire Prevention Week, Hoover
Relief Campaign
Gathered statistics for the United |
States engineers Office in connection with
the commerce Of Wilmington harbor.
Conferred with the Levy Court in re-
lation to the needs for new bridges across
the Brandywlne river.
Arranged. In cooperation with the
I
the newlv-naturalized American citizens
Assisted the Department Of Commerce,
" Washington n connection with the census
Of manufactures.
CONVENTIONS.
Your organization, cooperating with
the alumni Of the University Of Pennsyi-
vania extended Invitations to members
Oi that organization 10 visit Wilmington
or the occasion Of the fifth conference Of
tho Associated PENNSYLVANIA Clubs. which :
hid a highly successful meeting IL this
{ on February IS, 19, 1920.
We invited the Peninsula Horticultural :
Society to hold its 1920 convention and :
exhibit IN this city. and co-operated with
aid assisted its officers IL making the
affair one OF the most pleasant and sue !
cessful it ever has held u
TOUR organization WIS represented bv II
to the following conventions
and conferences during the year: Annual Il
meeting Of the Chamber Of Commerce Of II
the United States; annual meeting Of the \
american Academy of Political and Social II
Science; summer meeting Of the National II
Industrial Traffic League; various meet Il
ngs of the Delaware State Bankers As Il
sociation; an-ual convention of the II
Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association; \
annual meeting Of the National Rivers Il
ard HarboTs Congress; hearings before | II
government engineers relative to Chesa- Il
peake d Delaware canal IN ,rovenents; |!
advocating the necessity Of promptly Il
building q ship canal across the State of II
New Jersey; the resurvey and improve II
nent of the Chrlstiana river In CON II
fection with the local harbor project. Il
! -Four Referendums involving % oues
tons relating 10 national policies sub II
nitsed hv the Chamber of Commerce Of \
-he United states. and pertaining to the Il
subjects, were acted LDon. Il
-reation of a Department Of Public /
n orks; employment relations industrial. H
employment relations public utilities:
public utilities.
Contributed 81 900 toward the estab- H
ishnent of the Wilmington Trade School. u
Recommended that the Interstate Com X
nerce Committee enable the railroads to II
their credits and place them Il
n q position 10 render adequate service X
% the shippers and the public by author
zing an increase In freight rates /