Evening star., 1921-10-03
J. MAURY DOVE COMPANY
TAKES, UP WHARF DISPUTE
Writes to D. G. Commissioners.
I1o Letter Referred to Wharf
IEmOW -
ridsnexi Committee.

In a. letter sent today to the District
Commissioners the J. Maury Dove
Company takes issue with the city
heads on several phases Of the wharf
controversy as outlined in the COM
munication sent by the Commission
ers to the National Rivers and Har-
bors Congress and published Friday
in The STAR E
Commissioner Rudolph said today the
letter had been received and considered
by the board Of Commissioners, and
had been referred, without comment, to
the wharf committee, for later report
and Recommendation. Commissioner Ru-
dolph declined to comment on the con-
tents Of the communication pending the
wharf committees report.
Text Of ComDany's Letter.
The letter Of the company. signed
by j. Maury Dove. jr, Its vice presi-
dent, follows:
assuming that your letter to the
national rivers and harbors congress.
date of September 80, was typo
graphically correct. we are at loss
to understand your reasons for evad-
ing an issue SO clearly and concisely
determined.
Reference to correspondence be-
that never have you heretofore even
intimated to US that our wharf was
unsafe. Your position has been that
you would not permit the storage OF
cord wood on the Washington chan
mel, taking the position that the same
was unsightly and therefore 3 com
modify upon which the eye of the
visitor to Potomac Park should not
be permitted to rest.
1--WE take direct issue with you with
respect to the condition Of this wharf
and deny that the same Is unsafe for
the purpose to which 1t is put. You
must know that cord wood is not
stored upon the wharf. but it is stored
upon a fill Immediately adjoining the
same in the rear. There is only one
spot on the wharf where the fill has
started to cave and this cave has
been stopped by us and the wood is
not stored thereon. We have had
prominent wharf builder examine
this wharf today and he confirms all
that 1 have said above. 1t would
therefore seem that there is some
other underlying cause, not yet dis
closed by you. for your refusal to
lease this property to US. for GER
not be at issue. and even if it were 1t
would be q simple matter to repair 1t.
Alleged Effect Of Method.
I'VE would further call your atten-
tion to the fact that you have stated
that it is not your intention to inter-
fere with water-borne commerce, but
that it is your intention to foster this
commerce by permitting the use Of
these wharves for transshipment pur-
poses. Right here let us say that
your express desire to foster COM
merce and your method Of fostering
the same are inconsistent. and the ef-
feet of applying your method would
be to destroy such commerce. Bulky
commodities, such as cord wood, lum-
ber. etc, cannot be handled over
wharves in this manner. The whole
process Is economically unsound. The
storage of such commodities must
be at the point of discharge. and 1t is
impractical to handle these in any
other manner. beg leave to remind
you of the fact that you yourselves
have recognized the wisdom OF han
ding brick. sand. ETC.. in this manner,
and we note that you are storing
these commodities on your wharf at
the foot of 9Th street. and are not
simply landing the same there and
hauling them to some other point Of
storage. No commerce. other than
lumber. cord wood and similar mate
rials. can be expected. and IL wharves
for the reception and storage of these
commodities be denied, the necessity