The Wilmington morning star., 1947-06-28
Other Side of Construction

argument. No fair appraisal OF the
true state of affairs can be made until
both sides have been heard.
A case in point is the repeated dec
]aration that Wilmington has been get
ting a raw deal in Greensboro on con-
struction. Greensboro is the district
headquarters of the Office Of Housing
Expediter. All applications for construc-
ton here have to be sanctioned there.
For the most part Wilmington appll-
cations have passed through the hands
of John H. Farrell, the city's industrial
agent. It has frequently happened that
either through trips to Greensboro or
by mail Mr.. Farrell has reported that
Greensboro was openly antagonistic to
Wilmington.
Now comes Mr.. Chester o. Ensign,
manager of the Greensboro office, who
says without equivocation that every
idustrial application received by his Of
flee from Wilmington has been approx
ed. At a meeting held in the American
Legion home yesterday, MIR. Ensign
not only made this statement but pro-
duced the records of his office to SUBJ
stantiate his claim.
The total industrial applications ap-
proved is sixty-one. Applications of all
classes total seventy-seven, of which
sixteen have been denied as non-essen-
tial. The percentage of approval is far
ahead of those granted in North Caro-
lima and the United States, Mr.. Ensign
declared.
Although it had been believed that
Mr.. Ensign's visit to Wilmington yes
terday was inspired by Mr.. Farrell
(who was not present at the meetlng)
the actual invitation went from the
American Legion and the Veterans of
Foreign Wars posts. In his prepared
statement, which he read at the meet
ing, and we quote at length because it
bears directly on the case, Mr.. Ensign
said:
II am more than pleased to come
to Wilmington to sit down and dis
cuss your problems with you. 1t will
give me an opportunity to give you
first hand information concerning con-
struction applications handled through
the Greensboro office. l have brought
with me all applications received in
my office from the beginning of WHIP
on March 26, 1916. | can truthfully tell
you in the outset that every industrial
application received from the city of
Wilmington has been approved. Not one
industrial application has been denied.
"Our office recognized the unusual
reconversion problems that confronted
the city Of Wilmington and on October
81, 1916, I made a special trip to the
city of Wilmington and discussed the
matter with Mr.. John H. Farrell, your
industrial agent. l explained to Mr.. Far
rell how industrial applications based
on alienation of permanent unemploy-
ment were handled by our office. Mr..
Farrell told me at the time that plans
were on foot to bring to Wilmington a
large number of industrial plants,
among which were a sugar refinery, a
box shook factory and a plastic eye
glass frame manufacturer. | stated
that if such applications were received
IN the Greensboro office | would reco-
mmend approval to the Washington Of
flee. To date none of these applications
have materialized."
Evidence that the fault has not
lodged in Greensboro, to the extent re-
ported here, is found in the experience
OF one automobile agency which made
application for the construction of a
building at a $4,000 cost. The head of
the firm reports he was told by Mr..
Farrell that Greensboro would not CO.
operate, whereupon he drove to Green's
boro and returned with his application
approved.
This summarizes both sides of the
argument. On the evidence Mr.. Ensign
produces-79.2 per cent of all applica-
lions, involving investments amounting
to Sl,174,389, approved-it is difficult
indeed to find where Wilmington has