The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-20
An Unfortunate City.

The Chicago game Of false pretences. Of
the Government is only the latest move.
those who read the news columns OF the
Chicago newspapers. Those columns con-
tain evidence on evidence and confession
after confession that Chicago at present
Dies not furnish anything like adequate
facilities Of transportation to her own peo-
pie. Her water supply is insufficient for her
present population. The citizens Of the
South Side and Lake View have been get
ting their water'-we quote from the Chi
.cago Globe" through tho agency Of Sene-
gambian. mule. q barrel. and cart for
several months past" A citizen Of Chicago.
who begs US not to publish his name lest
he "should be ridden out Of town on
a rail-" writes us that cit Is notorious
mat the Lake View folks have been for
weeks at time without any city water.
while south Of Twenty-second street on the
South Side. water can only be had below the
third floors. and then only before In the
morning and after 8 in the evening"
Finally. the sanitary condition Of the city
depends upon the ingenuity Of the Drainage
Board. and nobody knows whether that
Board will be able to provide satisfactory
system OF drainage. and whether there Is
time. II such q system is practicable. to get
1t into working order during the Fair.
At a meeting Of the special committee ap-
pointed by the Mayor to consider "intra-
mural transportation and problems related
to it," Alderman SEXTON said:
"Chicago 10 growing at the rate Of 1000 . week.
The Worlds Fair will be here If can't handle
tho people now. what going to do In few years
when the Exposition opensi Our deliberations re-
Quire haste"
Mr.. WASHINGTON HEsINa. one of the rep
resentatives of the citizens on the commit.
tee. said:
I'VE confronted with three important and al
most unsolved propositions In this city The nrst is
tho water supply. which hope viii be ample when the
tunnels done The second Is the sanitary condition.
which the Drainage Board IL to provide and the
Ad 10 the transportation problem. While the drst
two pertain to life than the other the last
almost a. important. In considering the problem be-
fore us II would be well to divide It into three head
"First: temporary relief. Under this head should be
considered only surface roads but steam railroads
doing suburban business.
Secondly: permanent relief. The trouble has been
THAT no has even realized how Chicago grow
In the OF time proved too small often before the
Improvement was Anished. This COMMITTEES can lay
the groundwork for system that will last.
Thirdly: transportation by elevated roads and
steam railroads.
at will not do to let every crank before the commit
tee who has scheme. but think we should be liberal
In permitting the public to appear before and make
suggestions. Possibly We should appoint some sub
committees. The important question now isrelier."
It will be observed that Mr.. HEsINa mere
ly hopes THAT the water supply problem
will be solved" He assumes that the sani-
tary problem will be solved. In other
words. Chicago is trusting to luck in
both cases. As to the transportation
problem. no plan even for temporary relief
has been decided upon. With the Worlds
Fair only sfew months of. Chicago has not
the faintest Idea how she is to provide
sufficient transportation facilities for her
present population. What the present IA
cilities are may be judged from the asser-
ton quoted in the Chicago Post. as made by
smember of the City Council. that children
trying to reach night school along the route
of the South Side Street Car Company.
shave to start from their homes an hour In
advance Of the usual time to reach their
destination on time" correspondent of
the same journal writes to 1t complaining
of the service on the Van Buren, street line i:
I've inviting people hsro to attend Worlds
Fair when the actual residents here have 10 wait
an hour In the cold and sush every evening to get
tsme. when there 10 no reason on earth why they
should walt At all except the and cupdity Of
the street car sompanisA"
That conservative newspaper. the Chicago
Journal. seems to expect little from the de-
alterations OF the Mayors Commission:
~In Wow OF the fact that It Is for tho best
interest Of the street railway corporations to render
che public the very best service possible and the
managers OF these corporations all practical and
ingenious men. with command Of ample resources. 1t
tSdidicut " $50 how plans BIO matured better than
Nvsy could frans and carry Into effect But tho meet
kSs Of thS Commission the chance for everybody to
BE- heard and the general discussion will act somewhat
NJ safety valve tor the popular discomfort aud that
yJu ~ relied. evan nos the kisd that 70 seughL
saHhah II NO saw. cha lpfoblein of trans.