Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-02-01
TEACHERS WAN BLOOD.

Miss Margaret Haley. of Teachers
Federation notoricty. has finally taken
the war path In good earnest.
She has recently donncd paint and
feathers ana armed with metaphorical
tomahawk ana scalping knife. fills the
atmosphere with war cries.
Miss Iialcy's latest whoop was emit.
ted last Wednesday evening at u Hull
House mass meeting.
This Ii how the event was recorded
10y our esteemed contemporary. the
Chicago Tribune, on the following
morning:
Miss Margaret Haley, In an address
before about 800 residents of the Hull
House neighborhood last night. prophc-
sled that II the people of Chicago did
not make the traction and other fran
chise questions q battle mt the ballot
box soon the questions would cause u
battle In which guns and bullets would
he used"
This blOOdthirsty declaration would
he indeed alarming. were II not for
the fact that Miss Haley IL really not
To bc taken seriously when she goes
into one of these tantrums.
As u matter of fact there IL rarely
to be found nowadays u rational citi.
zen who has given the subject serious
thought who Is not of the opinion that
municipal ownership of our public util-
tiles would he u curse instead of u
blessing IN tho IN xnuyprs
Let us endeavor to point out to the
bloodthirsty "Fcdcratlonist" u few of
the things that would happen to Chi.
cago II municipal ownership of the
railroads prevailed.
I. The public funds would be- tie
plctcd because they would bc deprived
of the enormous taxes now paid into
them by the railroads, taxes so large In
amount that the city IL enabled by
means Of them to maintain u large
army of public servants. Even Miss
Haley Will admit this. because it will
bc readily understood that IL the rail.
ways are made part Of the municipal
system ana government the city could
hardly expect to tax them.
=. The small taxpayers would bc the
first sufferers as n result of the cOndl-
ton above outlined. They would III
simply overwhelmed In the effort to
make up the enormous slirinkagc In the
public taxes. and the ultimate effect
would be u raise In the taxes of the
property owners of from 300 to 800 per
cent.
3. The acquisition of the street rail.
ways by the city would entail ilnan.
cinl loss, because their management
would be In the hands of nOvlces. II
requires economical ana generally up.
tO-dntc business methods to make them
pay, ana everybody who knows any
thing OF the history OF the city Of Chi.
cago knows that this Is not to be OK.
pected of any city administration. past.
present or future.
4. The service would he less efficient,
because II would be In the hands of
political heelcrs. who would net ms they
pleased so long rs their pull protect
cd them In their jobs. We would have
primary shoulder hltters ana ward
husuglleS Tor street car conductors and
motor men, and the public knows the
kind of courteous treatment they might
expect from such sources.
.. The city would be crushed under
an enormous load of personal injury
suits, ana instead OF having to meet n
burden of about $4.OOO.OOO In judg-
mcnts rs ut present, II would have to
meet, perhaps, $20,OO0,000 or even
more.
These are II few of the ''blcssngs'
that would befall Chicago If the mu.
nicipal ownership advocates were to
have their way.
1t Is matter for thankfulness. how.
ever, that there is not much likelihood
of 1t.