New-York tribune., 1902-02-09
TOPICS IN CHICAGO.
rpf sKYSCRAPER HEIGHT LIMIT RE-
MOVAL TO BE FOLLOWED By
BUILDING BOOM
BUILDING BOOM

rticapo Feb The building limit is off
| -. the Chicago skvscrapers AS a result of
| - action Of the City Council in removing
.,s restrictions as to the height of hreproof
s,rdings a mammoth building boom, involving
| :. eynenditure within the next eighteen months
| = something like S25,000,0G0, is under way in
ne Windy city The pressure upon the alder
/ -sn for the repeal Of the ordinance restricting
/ ace structures 70 ten stories, 130 feet.
II : s,-o-r and the accumulated evidence that
L c.,caao's development was blocked effectuay
/ = the restriction was heavy that the act
| as repealed by the extraordinary vote of % to
| d The position taken by the opponents Of the
| ,eaIirg ordinance that the building of tall
| .+rnctures in the downtown district, with the
| ..s.lring congestion Of trade. hindered the de-
/ tonrnent Of the outlying sections, had 10 be
| bordoned as it was plainly seen that unless
.-tt.ltsts could put their money where it paid,
| nat is in the skyscrapers of the business sec
.,a,-i- would not he invested at all Conse-
/ til, tbe city was standing in its own light
! - tlorkjng the growth Of the tall building.
THAT the immense amount Of capital which is
- ready 10 &c into the tall buildings Will not
rn+ into use during the coming spring and
.,'r,er is entirely due to the dilatory tactics
.nlore5 bv the council in dealing with the
-.'st,c ordinance The most serious drawback
~. .be structural iron and steel required
| -. ~. had unless ordered from nine months
| :. ,.esr in advance. Enough material. how
- ie +, sight 20 warrant one Of the largest
| ...o,,i,,- firms in the city predicting that the
| -. If canital in tall buildings within the
- ..,,,-s months will reach nearly 10000
ocn Aside from the dozen skyscrapers which
-. r,roiacted. the general real estate situation
4, excellent. ard outside work costing from
= o,o ooo - s6O00H0O may be added 10 the
-.1y7F-, 70 Ip err. tod INN
dstey.
| recent decision Of the United States Su-
r,rna Court has settled the nineteen-year-old
e,,rroversy between the State of Illinois and the
+ ,1rnois Central Railroad. The decision which
/ r.s n favor Of the railroad company. involved
bs ownership of large tract Of built up
1 "a IN the lake front. The railroad company
| :: confirmed in the possession of such property
| +ob.e sc il attained under the Lake Front
! o., of 1869 which was repealed in 1873. While
,te car1panv retains the land in question, ii has
ro ripa7ian rights now. and has had none since
! 1s73 The ownership Of the lake front is now
,ested in the city Of Chicago, and the company
is nerpetuaIly enjoined from erecting any new
riers and making new land for its benefit. This
/ ,oint Justice Harlan makes plain in his decision,
| ,d bv 81 doing removes for all time the neces-
si,y of further vexatious legal struggles over
| ,be-titIe 10 lake front accretions.
Should man be dragged out and shot when
he has reached the age Of forty-five? This is
the question that has been agitating the minds
of local labor leaders. The age limit estab-
Bsbed by a number of railroads brought up the
question at recent meeting of the Chicago
| Federation Of Labor. Some of the speakers
said that they were forced to dye their hair.
shave their boards and put away spectacles in
( order to look young and obtain work. In many
cases they were forced to lie about their ages.
| As climax to the discussion, one speaker
offered the following solution Of the difficulty:
u suggest that law be drafted. and sub
mitted TO the legislature for passage, which
| shall provide that all persons be shot at the
age Of forty-fve unless they show that they
! have enough property to maintain them for the
| rest Of their natural lives
/ The purpose Of the discussion to draw out
| ideas which might be crystallized into law
that will enable every workman, whether under
or ever the age Of forty-fve, TO follow his
craft In the public discussion which followed
the meeting il was by means the prevailing
| sentiment that the workman of forty-fiYe is dead
timber in the pathway of progress under mod
ern Industrial conditions. The federation, how
ever, considered the question Of so much impor-
tarce that il was made special order Of busi-
ness for the next meeting.
4 Tammanv for Chicago. The consummation
Of present plans of the Cook County Democracy
offers to Chicago this pleasant prospect. In
tn appointment Of a committee on political
ton which was ordered at the last meeting Of
the County Democracy. lies the germ of the
close political organization by means Of which
local Democratic leaders hope to gather in the
loose ends Of political power md centralize them
IN a local Tammany. The appointment of the
committee on political action means that the
County Democracy purposes to secure control
Of party conventions and make the nominations.
hitherto the Cook County Democracy has taken
no part as an organization in the handling of
conventions and the selection OF candidates. In
iuture. however, the organization. through the
committee viii unite all the influence of the
members of the club 50 as TO control conven-
uohs so that when its candidates find their
way INTO office the organization may have the
'onTollng voice in the distribution Of patron
age President John Powers and Secretary
hooert f. Burke will name the committee which
70 become the nucleus of the Chicago Tam
many
81 Mabilleau the noted French sociologfst and
ec'urer is In Chicago for the purpose of study
"s the city the location for school 10
"Hich the French Government will send gradu-
= Students 70 study American methods. Phil
.e-PNla Is making a strong contest for the
s'hooi. but Professor Mabilleau has made it
Aao"n that his report will favor Chicago. Pro
~ssor Mabilleau. in lecture at Chicago Uni
Is.'y' said that France had been compelled to |
iy three races to become a homogeneous /
-Suon, and that the United States had the same /
.'OeIn Robert lie Baudy, the rich French
'h who is expected to provide a part of the !
,aaas for the proposed School Of Commerce and |
ohieago