Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-02-22
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP" Bush.

MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP" BOSH.
Now that there Is such n great ado
over the so.called referendum" propo.
stion in the Council. it is well that
there should he n little light thrown on
the subject. so that we may. in the fa.
nous language of the long forgotten
Washington statesman. find out. If pos.
siblc. just ''wllcrc we are at"
1t il curious to note that In the minds
of most citizens who express any opin.
ions on the subject. the idea seems To
prevail that the matter which is to bc
referred to the Judgment of the citi.
zens and upon which they will bc called
to vote Is whether or not there shall bc
municipal ownership of the street rail.
ways.
Now The Eagle believes this to he u
most mistaken idea. Judging by all the
signs and tokens visible IN recent SEES.
sions of the City Council at which the
traction question has been discussed.
there Is no disposition on the part of
the city lawmakers to monkey will,
municipal ownership ut least so far rs
the present generation IL concerned.
From the Mayor down. possession by
the people of public utilities seems to
now he n gllttcring theory. hut the put.
ting of this theory into practice. IN the
proposed settlement of the traction
problem just now. Is evidently ont of
the question.
n study of the discussion at the spr.
clnl session Of the City Council the
other day. In which the referendum
proposition was adopted. will convince
any thoughtful person that the minicl.
pal ownership issue Is u dead duck.
All OF Mayor Iarrison's friends spoke
against It: some even snccrcd at II as
an idle dream.
AID. Hermann, for instance, "voiccd
the claim" We are told, that munici.
pal ownership could not yet he real.
lied"
ALL. Goldzler. one of Mayor IIarri.
sons rlght.hand men In the Council.
went on record once more MS opposc,l
to the Idea. AID. Jackson. another of
the Mayors llcntenants and u lender
on the Republican side, took the same
position: so did AID. Frank I. Bennett.
AID. William Brennan. AID. MavOr and.
In fact. all Of the sO.called reform"
element which has 80 long been sun.
posed to be the particular custodian of
the municipal ownership theory.
To sum up the situation on this pont.
we will simply quote Il portion of the
speech Of Aid. Hermann, which Is rc.
garded as the cOncensus of opinion in
the Council rs to municipal ownership
ana rs clearly indicating the fate await.
Ing that idea. Aid. Hermann, the
Mayors trusty lieutenant. said:
I'VE are confronted with the promo.
siti0n with relation to municipal own.
ership. l favor municipal ownership
as much as any man does. but after
giving the matter considerable study
and taking everything that has a bear
Ing upon the question into c6nsldera-
ton ! cannot see how anybody can fig.
IRE II that 1t Is within the range of
possibility, no matter how viewed, to
'"'' N'th'i HIuuI'iIVti oWHeTSllD OF
municipal operation now or within the
next few years.
I'VE have not got the legislation. II
we had the legislation. we have not got
the finances: IL we had the finances
we would be confronted with the fact
that part of the lines have franchise
grants, which expire In 1908. ana we
would have n whole multitude of diff
cultlcs to meet which 1t would take
time to remove and time to solve"
Thus 1t will he seen that municipal
ownership Is defunct. Those who care
to read between the lines will see In
the words of Aid. Hermann the May
or's attitude on the question clearly
outlined, ana will find therein confirma-
ton OF an important part of the an
noincemcnt made In the last edition
of The Eagle In reference to the proba-
BILE future of Mayor Harrison.
And finally such good citizens as may
have imagined that in some way they
would in this referendum business lind
a chance to express their views on the
desirablllty or the contrary of munich
pal ownership, will be disillusioncd.
As for the merits of the action of the
Council In reference to the policy of tie
Gliding upon the referendum in this
case-wcll, that is another question.