The record-union., 1894-08-14
Companies Erecting Them Said to
Have Violated the Law.
THE MATTER TO BE VENTILATED
IN THE COURTS.
Discouraging Outlook as to the Crop
Situation in Indiana-Forests, Or
chards, Buildings and Growing
Crops Devastated by Cyclone in
Ohio
special TO the REcoaD-UNIoS.

Special TO the REcoRD-UNIoN-
CHICAGO, Aug. 13.-The Pullman Com
pany is not the only concern which is to
be brought into court for the alleged vio-
lation of the powers conferred upon it by
the State of Illinois. The quo warranto
proceedings against the company are only
the beginning of a series of suits against
the interests. the aggregate Importance Of
which equals that of the Pullman Com
pany so far as Chicago is concerned.
These interests are the builders, which
have for years been engaged in erecting
sky-scraping structures, and they are to
be compelled to snow canse why they
should not be punished for alleged viola
ton of their charters, which, in the eases
Of the majority, provide for the building
of safe deposit vault or a structure de-
voted to the arts and sciences"
The announcement that this is to be
done is made by people close to the Attor-
ney-General, and it is coupled with the
statement that nine out of ten of the mod
ern high Office buildings in Chicago are
erected III violation of the statutes. In a
few exceptions, all are owned by corpora
tiOns or firms, organized as safe deposit
companies, bearing titles different from
those over their doors. The ROokery, Ri
alta, First National, Bank, National Bank
of Illinois. Chicago Opera house buiId-
lngs, the Unity building terected by Alt
geld. the Auditorium and dozen others
are examples. They are all built, as is
asserted, with the proceeds of stocks and
bonds issued upon the buildings and the
lease-hold for them, and in the majority
OF instances the ground is not owned, but
held under long leases. Probably $50. .000,-
=
these buildings.
The general law of Illinois permits any
legal number OF people to carry on al
most any kind of business. with a few
exceptions. One Of these, the most inn
portant, has to do with real estate. No
corporation, so it is stated, is permitted
by the statute 10 participate in the buy
ing or selling of real estate for rent as a
building.
70 evade this provision, says an au-
tnoriLy, the various corporations formed
to erect buildings in Chicago for Office
and store purposes have taken out char
ters for the erection Of safe deposit vaults
or of buildings devoted to the arts or a
theater.
Having secured the charter the COM
panies have proceeded to establish safe
deposit vault in the basement, and then
covered it with from eight TO nine stories.
In some instances, ii is stated the COM
pany have failed even to build the safe
deposit vaults, but have contented them
solves with constructing ordinary vaults,
dozen of which is considered sufficient
to comply with the law. Some of the
buildings are owned by associations
which have issued stocks and bonds.
This is declared to be in violation of the
law as interpreted by the late Chief u.s.
tiee Schofeld of the Supreme Court. In
decision rendered by him in 1888, he
could exercise the power of a corpora
ton. In short says the authority re-
ferred to, the high buildings Of Chicago
are to be handed into court.