The Wilmington morning star., 1947-06-17
County Right and Wrong

| eTS Yesterday dllS w NV O
in it's vote on the proposed dredging
of Ranks channel and acted wisely. IN
refusing to 20 on record in the matter
of State Air Lines petition for a re-
hearing before the CAB.
The document setting forth the rea-
sons for opposing the Banks n
dredging project was to be passed on
to the Government Engineers with a
recommendation that it be given care
full study before final action is taken.
This is a compromise. The situation
has been so carefully studied and the
threat of closing Banks channel, which
is one of the greatest assets OF Wrlghts-
Vile Beach and Harbor Island, so we'll
known that further consideration would
appear to be unnecessary.
The need is for the free flow OF
water through the channel. This can
be effected by maintaining an ample
culvert undlr the causeway. This, as
is generally known, was a stipulation
in the original agreement for construc-
ton of the causeway. If it is not done,
and the present plan to dredge a great
quantity of material is carried out,
engineers say that it will be only a
matter of time-and a very short time,
at that until Banks channel becomes
m%arshland. AS it is, there has been
heavy shoaling in the channel, so that
boats which once sailed without him
drance on wide stretches of the chan
mel now ground.
The petition read before the board
yesterday, and signed by some forty
property owners of Wrightsville Beach
and Harbor Island, made it clear that
the anticipated development of the af-
fected beach land is desirable, and to
be encouraged. The complaint is
against the damage to the channel. AS
one speaker said at the commission
meeting, the project itself would bene-
fit only a few whose capital would be
invested in the development whereas
the damage to the channel would ad-
versely affect the entire community,
not only the resorts themselves, but
residents of Wilmington and other
cities and towns who spend their sum-
mers or briefer vacation periods there.
It is obvious that a flow Of water
through Banks channel, even the re-
opening of Moore Inlet, if that is the
best way, is necessary if Wrightsville
Beach and Harbor Island are to retain
their cherished channel.
The commissioners, we believe,
would have done better to send the
petition to the engineers with their ap-
proval of the protest therein embodied,
instead of merely recommending fur
Their study.
When John Farrell, Wilmington's
industrial agent, had finished reading
a prepared statement concerning State
Air Lines petition for CAB rehearing,
H. K. Gilbert, Jr., president of the
company, explained at great length why
he and his directors oppose the certifi-
cate granted tentatively to Piedmont
Aviation corporation to make Whining
ton the southern terminal of it's pro-
posed four-leg service to Louisville and
Cincinniti.
1t was Commissioner Gardner who
pointed out that he could not endorse
States petition, Or paragraphs there
in, in which it was stated that CAB
had erred in issuing the certificate to
Piedmont, not only because proof was
lacking but because Wilmington would
have occasion in the future to call on
CAB and could not well do so with the
impression existing that the city be-
lieved the board was making mistakes
in it's decisions.
Furthermore, Mr.. Gardner declared
that if the County Commission en-
dorsed States petition on the grounds
that State would set up it's headquarters
at Bluethenthal airport, CAB would
justly decide that Wilmington was
more interested in possible revenue
from facility rentals at Bluethenthal
than in improved air service, and the