The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-24
To the Editor:

lane has been handed down. The
people of Third street r to be
congratulated that they are now
relieved from further anxiety. In
all sincerely, we are delighted
with them. However, in all homes.
ty, we are not pleased with the
verdict which passes the hazard 70
US on Seventh street. 1t is not a
question of any street through the
city. Anything short Of going a.
round the city is no solution.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
company which means more to
the welfare Of Wilmington than
any other enterprise was made to
build its tracks around the city.
ALI that we of Seventh street ask
is that trucks with heavy cargoes
be made to use highways DUH
ard maintained for them out OF
the taxpayers money. Is it toe
much to ask that the oil compa-
MES use a little of their own fuel
to 60 around the city rather than
large quantities of the fuel be ex.
posed to burning on the streets OF
Wilmington? If the trucks are reg
ulated in speed commensurate
with safety, there should be very
little difference in the time to
travel either lane.
In his remarks at the hearing
or the subject. the commissioner
said that he had beea told that
the opposition on Third street was
to great-there were too many
beautiful trees and monuments.
All very true, we are glad that
these have been saved. AS to the
opposition, we regret that the
humble appearance of the streets
along the proposed lane did not
impress the commissioner as be-
ing of sufficient beauty as to
signify that opposition from the
humble jewellers would be impor.
tant enough to matter. "Be it ever
so humble, there's no place like
home" The fight is for homes.
The commissioner comes to Will
mington and tells us that trees
and monuments must stay but the
homes On Seventh street must 60.
That burning oil on the mid
reaches Of Third street would burn
too much Of commercial value.
Such a fire on Seventh street
would destroy only homes. Such a
catastrophe in the dead Of night
would command the fires OF
death to light the darkness Of her
scenery. A few lives more or less
is what the people Of Wilmington
must pay for the direct, rapid
transportation through its center
in keeping with progress. We ask,
what price progress?
This is not a Seventh street prob
lem alone. The accident record
of Seventh street with its ever
flowing taxicab traffic makes IN
happy reading for those for many
blocks around who contemplate
freedom from the hazard of burn
ing oil. We have to go no farther
than Fayetteville to find how fa1
reaching and destructive the burn
ing oil from a wrecked tanker car
be where the grade, like on Seven
tn street, is gentle and the burning
oils moves slowly. There will be
schools, churches. homes, and,
last but not exactly the least, hui
man lives in jeopardy.
I sat in the meeting which was
called to hear the commissioner.
I sat and listened with amazement
and awe at the callous Indifference
with which the commission dealt
with human values. If our homes
were made untenable and we
wished to sell to some enterprise,
sixteen feet back from the present
front would be the front of the new
builder. A goodly amount OF tax
able value would disappear from
the books OF New Hanover. / un-
derstand that there is q deficit
facing Us now.
As 1 sat and listened, I couldn't
help but have flashes OF anxiety.
The words of the commissioner
meant the homes of many.
Fanciful, you say? Maybe. The
verdict contains the implementing
of a program to widen the streets
to where living conditions will be
unbearable, to move would be IL
nancially impossible. Those homes
represent the greater portion OF
the life's savings Of the owners.
We have only recently, as a ma
ton, passed through the deepest
and darkest spots Of the valley OF
the shadow OF death in u life
grapple with armed theology OF
autocratic imperialism which is
repugnant to everyone whose
heart is truly wrapped up IN
things American. The only ism"
that fits into the scheme Of the
American way of life is Ameri.
canism. We have not passed en-
tirely through that valley OF death
at this writing. This is MENTIONED
only for the reason that tall oaks
from little acorns grow. From a
small beginning not so many years
ago.. there is now a tremendous
amount of control over the affairs
of the citizens Of state center
ed in Raleigh.
In a democracy, all authority
which is not delegated to others
remains In the people-the indivld-
ual is the important thing. There
are some whose philosophy Of life
says that the state is the thing.
If asked what is the greatest
danger to The ideals OF democracy
today, there would be a unan-
imous response. The heart OF
that danger is that the state is
the thing-its an 'isn' with lethal
power.
But this is a democracy and we
have duly elected stewards Of the
peoples rights, Dur city council.
In them is the hope OF not only
Seventh street but those Of every