Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-01-11
TRACTION ISSUE CAN'T SAVE MN.

~
His failures in the line of duty as
Chief Magistrate of the city are too
numerous and too we'll understood by
the people to he mlnimizcd or put ont
" sight by any prc-cmincncc that he
may seek to give to the strcct.car fran.
chisc question.
The people Of Chicago are tired of
having their streets unpavcd and dirty.
They are sick Of rrcking alleyways.
they are Disguised with their rotten
water supply. the condition of which Is
such rs to cause the most serious alarm
for the public health.
Taxpayers and citizens generally are
ashamed of the appearance presented
Ivy our city to strangers and visitors.
Payroll patriots have dcvourcd the
public funds until such u condition has
now been arrived NJ rs has never been
witnessed In any frst-class city.
We are unable to maintain an atlc-
quatc police force IN Chicago because
the city has not sufficient funds with
which to do 1t.
l'ets of Harrison are too numerous:
there are too many Gunthers in conncc.
tion with the present city administra.
ton. There Is where the trouble lies.
Murders. burglaries and holdups are
Of daily occurrence because there are
not enough policemen to properly
guard the lives and property of our
citizens.
| In Chicago to walk on the public
thoroughfares means to run the risk of
losing ones life or money. and there
seems to he no hope of escape from this
intolerablc condition so long us the
present administration remains In
office.
There Is no escaping from the rot.
ten water supply until the long talked
of intercpptlng sewers are built, and
these seem to he as far away from
| completion as ever.
OWING To the wrctchcd condition of
our streets there Is the poorest kind of
protection for property In case of fire.
This Is not due to any defect or de.
ficiency In the fire department. which
IL the best In the world. nor to any
shortcomings on the part of its CHIEF.
who IL one of the bravcst and most
capable of fire fighters. but It IL due to
the fact that the streets are In such
bad repair that the fire apparatus can.
not be- conveyed to scenes of c0ntiu-
grafton except In certain territories.
Chief Musham, II he will bc frank,
Will admit that hours Of precious time
are daily lost In cases OF fires. invOlv.
Ing life and valuable property. through
the necessity experienced by the fire
department Of making long dctours
on their way to fires.
The result Of this Is that property
cannot be fully insured In Chicago.
Any member OF the Board of Under.
writer's of Chicago will tell you that.
| II Is u fact that the estimated value
of the property In the city Of Chicago
Is not more than one-hnlf covered by
fire Insurance, for the simple reason
that the condition of our streets rem
ders the great fire department of the
city Of Chicago In many Instances
practically impOtent
The Eagle IL Informed on excellent
authority that there are certain dis.
tricts In this city where the fire ins,,r.
ance companies will not place ins,ir-
ance owing tn the fact that the fire
department cannot reach them, and
that IN due to the further fact that
the streets are In such u condition rs
to render yehiculnr travel over them
IN Imlosslbillty.
The grandstand play about the truc.
tion question will not suffice to divert
public attention from these conditions.
Mayor Harrison realizes that 1t IL
the only card he has left to play for u
further tenure of Office.
He thinks 1t may be made to serve
for another campaign by dilly.dallylng
with II until 1t goes over for some ho-
Gus pocus in the Legislature on the
question of municipal ownership.
This he hopes To make such u popu-
lar fad as TO steer the public mind
away from the failures and shortcom-
ings Of his own administration.
lie will certainly De gricyously mis-.
taken this trip.
Chicago people know what the throw
ing of the question of municipal own
ership into the State Legislature
means.
II means nothing more nor less than
the creation of an opportunity for the
Legislature to repeat former perform.
anccs on similar matters.
II would be a good thing" for 1.-THE
boys" In the Forty-third General AS
sembly. There would be something
doing but nothing that would re-.
dound to the benefit OF the general
public.
Municipal ownership Is all very well
IN theory, but this city Is not yet ready
for the application of that theory TO
the manag cement of intraniural trac-
ton matters.
Even If 1t We're ready for 1t, the
overwhelming probability Is that it
could not obtain it through any act of
the Legislature.
Municipal ownership as n principle
was sought to be established by bill
introduced in the Forty-first General
Assembly by the then leader of the
Democratic minority, Hon. John +.
McGoOrty, but 1t was killed Off. 1t ex-
PRED with the slaughter of the limo