Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-04-13

due them by the investigation now nm.
der way. If the amount as determined
Is greater than the city can settle in
cash. by this method citizens will bp
enabled Ia obtain an evidence of I'm.
debt"dil"ss. which. bearing the legal
rate of interest. may bc converted into
cash AT the will of the holder"
! Pnv"mcnls were next discussed tb,
Mayor saying:
/ AFTER four years experience In my
| present office am convinced that the
problem of providing suitable city
Wircin"nts has not yet reached solu.
ton. or all kinds of pavcmcnts now
III use In this city but one is even fairly
satisfactory the dressed granite block
pavement. AMI the cost of this as well
ns the difficulty of securing u sufficient
supply Tor the Use of n great city may
properly br urged as II reasonable OBJ
lection To It,"
III" pointed out that cedar block. brick
ana macadnm were all objectionable
while even asphalt was to some extent
subject To objections. Then he con
tinucd:
"Th" tendency of the times runs to
excessive loading. aid for this reason
no pavement except the dressed granite
block can bc called thoroughly durable
for Chicago use.
This fact brings your honorable
body face tO face witt, one of two con.
tsI INN .,tt I..,s
loads should bc restricted or that n
| wide tire ordinance should he pnss,,l
at once. This latter would probably
hc the better way out of the difficulty.
| The width OF the tire should be made
to depend upon the size of the load. In
this way business men would not he
.hampcrcd IN their work. while the
lnvcmcnls paid for by our property
owners would last at least for u rea.
sonablc length of time
In regard To the ImvcIncnts between
street car rails asphalt az brick was ad-
vorntrd In light traffic streets where
he rest of the paving was one of these
kinds hut for heavy traffic streets II
was said that the street ear companies
should lay granite blocks.
The need of new department of
water was told us follows:
"'rhc Department of Public Works
has grown 80 enormously IN the last
few years that at present one man ns
commissioner should not and cannot
be expected to give all of the various
n.,li of uly I,t "a
ti0n careful scrutiny. II has been IN
my mind for some time to advise the
separation of work In this departing
| and the establishment of two new de-
larlments In place of the one general
department of public works. ! would
recommend that IN appropriate com
mlticc of your honorable body take up
this question ut nm early date. II
seems 10 me the proper method by
which the division should br made
would be To take all matters connected
with the water service of Chicago from
the Department of Public Works and
establish n new department of water.
This department would include not
only the water office proper. hut also
the operation of existing pumping sta
ll0ns, as well as the construction of
new pumping stations. new tunnels.
aud the extension of water mains and
water service pipes. In other words.
everything connected with the drink
Ing water of the city would be- placed
In the care of this new department.
tn" work remaining in the Department
of Public Works would bc sufficient
fully to employ the time Of any one
man, especially unless n new special
assessment law he passed by the Legls.
latul" constituting new board of
local improvements and relieving the
Commissioner of Public Works from
duty on ihis board
After these matters the street rail
way franchise problem was reached.
I'll" Mayor said in fun
In all probability your honorable
body viii be called upon in the coming
year 10 take up consider and settle the
mnch-rcXcd question OF the extension
Of existing street railroad franchises
Nor il II unreasonable TO say that the
i'FliIS ol'it'i ellNcr by inns or the sue
c"cllmg Council must of stern necessity
be- accepted by the street railroad com
pnnIcs. There has been much talk of
the rights of the companies under the
so'cnllrd nincty-nine-year act, as well
ms of their determination ms resort to
fall back upon this act and settle the
question Of their rights and privileges
under il by appeal 10 the courts,
There is nothing in the ninety nine
year act, however 10 prevent the city
from granting franchises 10 competing
companies To duplicate every mile of
rail now laid in the city. Moreover,
the nincty-nlneycar act does not apply
10 all the old lines.
wabash avenue Is notably excluded
from the opration of its terms, as are
also Wells street Dearborn street,