, 1879-06-29
RuMORED BOULEVARD VETO,

ABOUT IL!
i RUMORED BOULEVARD VETO.
The public has been under the impression
that the passage of the Michigan avenu
ordinance by the Council last Monday even
ing had finally disposed Of the matter, bu
now there is an intimation that Mayo
HARRISON proposes to postpone the desired
improvement still further by vetoing thai
ordinance. Any such action on his part vii
merely amount to ve1atious postponement
for, sooner or later, public sentiment will
force him to yield, or else it will secure the
passage of an ordinance by two-thlrds vote,
which will render his veto impotent. We
should give no credenoe to the rumor Of his
hostility if be had not withheld his approval
so many days, since he must be convinced,
unless he disregards considerations Of public
good, that the. boulevarting Of Michigan
avenue is demanded by all the people who
can possibly be affected by the proposed
transfer to the Park Commissioners. In
vetoing this ordinance Mayor HARRISON
would be really trying to play Governor
before being elected to that position,
1
veto Of the Inv possed by the Legislature,
which the Common Council has simply ap-
| piled in this caso. One of the reasons as
! signed for Mayor HARn1soE's threatened veto
! is, that he labors under preposterous ap-
| prehension that the Park Commissioners
might use their authority over the boulevard
to exclude trucks and business vehicles from
! crossing Michigan avenue at points where it
is intersected by other streets. No such
prohibition. even if the power existed, which
it does not, would be promulgated by any
Park Commissioners possessed Of grain of
common sense or Of an ordinary amount of
respect For public opinion. Nothing short
of pig-headed malice as to the interests Of
the community could prompt any such
action, and it Is scarcely less foolish to be-
ieve for moment that there is any likeli-
hood Of such an order. No such rule applies
to the regular boulevards and roadways under
jurisdiction Of the Park Commissioners and
outside the city limits, apd it is ridiculous to
assume that it would be attempted with spe-
cia1 reference to Michigan avenue within the
city limits. Moreover, the Park Commits
sioners would have no authority to make
such prohibition as to crossing the inter-
sections. Their jurisdiction would be con
fined to Michigan avenue, while these inter-
sections are parts Of the cross-streets, over
which they will have no more control under
the new condition Of things than they have
now. Their authority will be confined to
the new boulevard, and they cannot take any
action affecting other streets.
Another reported objection is, that if Nfichi- |
gan avenue is confined to light vehicles it will |
divert too much heavy traffic to other streets.
In answer to this objection it may be replied |
is exclusively private residence street. |
From Jackson to Thirty fifth there is not, We |
believe, a mandatory, shop, or Office On it,
and hence no heavy traffic that belongs to it |
will bs diverted from it. For the
uses Of commercial traffic there are
Market, Wells, LaSalle, CLARK, State,
and Wabash, The great business
thoroughfares are Clark and State, and, south
of Twenty second street, Cottage Grove
avenue. If Michigan avenue escapes the
heavy trucks that now cut it to pieces, it
will have to take more Of the light, vehicles.
So there is no merit in the second alleged
objection.
they will not be accepted by the public as
the real motives in case Mayor HARRISON
shall veto this ordinance. The public gen.
9raly will regard the veto as catering to the
Communists, WHO alone are opposing the
Of the avenue, as they oppose
IL Improvements in which they have not
;ome selfish interest. Many persons will
suspect that the veto will give certain class
# Aldermen another opportunity for de-
handing money which they failed to get for
he original passage Of the ordinance. Either
f these two theories will be highly discred- |
table to Mr.. HARRISON. Nor will he en-
ounter the opposition Of the South-Siders
lone. The veto of the Michigan avenue !
rdinance will compel him to veto similar Or
inances for boulevarding streets in the West
division leading to Central, Douglas, and {
humboldt Parks. If his veto should prevail, f
he operation Of the new law would be de- q
sated altogether, and Chicago would be as '
shut off as before from any decent
pproach to any Of it's parks, with the single il
zception Of Lincoln Park, which is now 4
:eessible by the Lake Shore drive from l.
le Water-Works. The people have millions
dol liars invested in these parks, and are =,
aying hundreds Of thousands every year for =
e maintenance aud improvement thereof. =
will be regarded as piece Of impartinence
/ the part Of Mayor HARRISON if he shall
10 his vetoato prevent or retard the scheme al
r making these parks accessible; and we
n scarcely imagine that he seriously con- N
mplates any such action
The chain Of cfrcumstantial evidence which so
E police Of New York we're weaving about the
ed Dr. HULL Nas almost cnmn1eted when the |