Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-09-24
LARGEST
WEEKLY CIRCULATION
IN CHICAGO.
OBSTRUCTIVE CANAL COMMiS.
SHOWERS.

The sanitary trustees and the Illinois
and Michigan canal commissioners
ought not To put In their time lighting
each other. Both those bodies are ere
ated to serve the public interests ana
they cannot do that by wrangling. They
ought to work together for the common
good. The present trouble grows ont
of the control of water power NJ Joliet
ana II Is difficult to avoid suspccting
that the controversy Is due to the de.
sire of Gov. Tanners canal commits.
sioners to serve private interests NJ the
expense of the public.
The sanitary district act provides
that In crossing the Illinois and Michi.
gan canal the plans of construction
must be approved by the canal commits.
sioners. Accordingly u contract he.
tween the sanitary trustees AMI the
canal commissioners was made ana en-
ccuted under date of March II last GOV.
cring the points NJ issue. Among 9th.
er things II was provided that the rights
of the Economy Light and Power com.
pany to the use of water power under
lease with the canal commissioners
should be- respected. The plans of the
sanitary district provided for retention
by the company Of It's water power,
which Il less than l.OOO.hOrse power
Later the canal commissioners asked
for radical notifications of the contract
entered into for the purpose of enabling
them To make use of u much larger
amount of water power created by the
sanitary district. As the lease of the
Economy Light ana Power company
provides that II shall have the right Ia
Use any additional water power Of
which the canal commissioners come
into possession 1t will he seen that this
company would he the principal gamer
by u modified contract. as the price the
company pays TO the state for the use
of the power Il very small. The com
pany pays Sl.250 for the 1000 horse
power. ana would pay for the additions
nj power nj the same rate. while the
value of the power IL several times tina,
amount. The sanitary district trustees
refused TO agree to this alteration and
the canal commissioners have neglected
10 approve the plans for constructing
the sanitary channel acrcSS the lllinol.
ana Michigan canal. No fault has beef
found with the plans, which We're In
accordance with the contract entered
into. but the canal commissioners have
simply neglected either TO reject or Il
approve them and have refused TO carr,
out the terms of the contract In Other
respects. The position OF the sanitary
district trustees i that eventually III,
additional water power created above
that 10 which the Economy Light ant
Power company i entitled by virtue o'
It's lease shall he made use of 10y The
sanitary trustees for the benefit Of The
taxpayers who bear the cXcnsc of con
structing the channel ana thus make
possible the additional water power.
II cannot but impress the public N
unfortunate that the canal commission
ers. in disregard Of n contract entered
into by themselves, should pursue oh
structive tactics that have the "ifec
of delaying the completion of an i'm
portant public work. Gov, Tanner, !
he did not inspire this sudden change %
attitude on the part of his commission
ers. should use his Influence with then
10 change their policy from one of hos
tIlry to one OF helpful cooperation.