New-York tribune., 1901-10-21
TOPICS IN CHICAGO.
MAYOR HARRISONS POLITICAL AMBI-
TIONS-THE END OF THE WILD
FREIGHTERS" ON THE
GREAT LAKES.

Chicago, Oct. 20 tspeciaD-Mayor Harrison
has plainly decided taking a long look ahead
for the Presidency of the United States and is
laying his plans accordingly. The look ahead Is
long enough to include another term as Mayor
of Chicago after which he hopes to bring to
elimination plans set on foot this week to figure
him the foremost candidate for the Demo-
cratic nomination three years hence In order
that his plans may ripen according to schedule
he wishes a special session of the Illinois legis-
lature. a constitutional convention and plank
in the new State constitution that will include
provision for municipal ownership of public
utilities His desire for long distance work tow
ard public ownership of the traction. compa-
nirs, gas and other things now owned by pr-
vate corporations appears to be interfering with
the present work of the City Council, which de-
sires to map out some way of getting ready to
meet the traction issue some time before 1903,
when a large number of franchises expire. The
members of the Council were getting somewhat
exdspcrated at the failure of the Council COM
mittee transportation to do anything, when
the Mayor himself came into the field with his
new plan. which means still further delay. Many
of the Aldermen are so impatient at the delay
that they are disposed to take the matter up In
open council and override all the contemplated
plans of the transportation committee and of
the Mayor. According to Mr.. Harrisons plans,
the whole programme as he has mapped it out
can be disposed of by August, 1903, provided the
various committees and individuals Will act
promptly to bring about the needed action
If the legislature issues a call for a constitu-
tional convention and the latter adopts a new
constitution yor Harrison would have 1T in
Glide some city and county reforms. Among
these would be the consolidation of the various
taxing bodies in the county and the various
divisions of the city. He also wants the city
authorized to issue more bonds and the present
justice court system abolished.
There is vigorous opposition in the council to
the plans, concerning traction affairs in partic
ular, and it comes. too, from those who are dis
posed TO get a settlement with the companies.
One of the leaders of the plan for present action
said: THE people more interested in get
ting satisfactory service at from the trac-
tion companies than ia the execution of theo-
retical and visionary schemes. The city of Chi
cago is not now in position for municipal own
ership. 1t cannot meet its running expenses to
say nothing of buying great traction systems. I
doubt If the city of Chicago will be in position
for municipal ownership twenty years from
now
Indications are that the days of the so-caled
wild freighter' on the Great Lakes rapidly
drawing to an end. In the rapid development of
the lake marine this class of vessel which Is
sister OF the tramp freighter of the ocean,
has until recently or in times OF panic had a
fruitful field and fourished. With the appreci-
alton by transportation interests everywhere
that the Great Lakes furnish the cheapest and
most direct means OF moving the freight OF the
greatest producing sections of the continent, the
lines have tightened at such a rate that the Pc
riod is fast approaching when the wild freight
err will find itself out of il and all business
rallied by established lines with rail impor-
tant industrial connections. During the present
season the wild freighter'' has had sorry time
of it, Except for the fact that there was n de-
mand for an unlimited quantity OF iron ore, IL
would have had to tie up. Even at that II has
had to hang around the outside and wait for
the regular fleet of the United States Steel Com
pany to be loaded and unloaded The rate on the
ployed not been so great to cut the profit
down TO a minimum The regular lake and rail
lines Chose owned and operated by some rail-
road company have carried all OF the grain that
has been moving and had plenty of room for
more. There has been little coal to carry; first
because of the strike, and now because the rail-
roads are short of that they cannot
carry 1t from the mines to the Lake Erie ports
whence 1t is moved to the great Northwest The
lumber trade has been excellent, but none of
the steamers of the larger class are fitted 10
carry II prof1tably and its transportation Is left
TO the steam barges and the few remaining sail
ing vessels that have survived n outgrown era
In looking over the records of the lake marine
industry II will be found that more progress has
been made in the carrying of freight in the last
ten years than in all the previous history OF the
lakes. 1t could probably be easily shown that
there is now larger carrying capacity anOat on
the lakes built within that time than all OF the
tonnage ever before floated on the great inland
chain.