Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-02-08
4,..s* ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ON Jan. 20 the Council passed an or
der to have ut once removed "frOm side
walks all booths and stands and to on.
force the city ordinance which requires
occupants of buildings to keep within
three feet of the building line" and last
evening Supt. Of Police O'Ncill sent out
u general order ending: commanding
officers will sec to the strict enforce.
ment of this order. All booths and
stands must be removed by Feb. 10"
This is all very well In It's way. but
great deal depends upon how far the
police authorities will go in the enforce.
ment of the ordinance.
1t Is to be hoped that this movement
will not be confined to the booths and
flower and fruit stands. which are bad
enough in all conscience. but which as
ol,structiOns to pedestrians on our side
walks are not. In our opinion. as much
Of u nuisance as the goods piled up In
front of some of our big downtown
stores.
The Eagle admits the truth of the re-.
port of the Council judiciary Commit
| tee touching the occupancy of the side
walks by small dealers. II Is absolute
| ly true. as the report says. that 'the
owners of these little stands and booths
upon which are sold every conceivable
object of manufacture or growtm pay
neither taxes nor rent. contribute moth
ing to the support of the city and are
direct competitors of the useful citizen
who rents n store and pays taxes. If
the habit of occupying sidewalks with
booths IL permitted. what IL to become
| of the myriad of merchants who are
forced to fight this unfair cumpcti-
tong
All of this Is very sensible and logical.
and furnishes our literary chief of Po-
lice with an excellent opportunity to
write an editorial In the shape of u
general order.
| But we search In vain through Chief
ONeill's general order for any refer
cncc to that other portion of the Coun-
eli Committees report regarding the
obstruction Of the sidewalks by the big
stores, and upon which the ordinance
In question was In part founded. The
particular part of the report here rc-
fcrred to reads as follows:
Near the corner of state and Madi.
son streets u large establishment puts
/ more goods outside on the sidewalks
than most merchants have inside thell
stores. This show projects six or eight
feet out into the sidewalk space, and
makes the lOcomOtiOn of pedestrians
not only inconvenient but hazardous
1t may be repeated In passing that the
question Of compensation to the city
cannot excuse the right which 1t claim,
to hold to give any individual an ex
elusive ana private right In public
street."
We have no doubt that the particular
store In question IL used simply as M
illustration Of conditions prevailing
along most OF our principal downtown
thOrOughfares.
Now 1t Is the opinion OF The Eagle
and we believe that most citizens vii
concur in 1t, that II the sidewalks arr
To he cleared Of any distractions. the!
should he cleared Of all Obstructions
The report of the committee backs III
up In taking this position, and 1t IL t.
be hoped that Chief O'Neill may b'
disposed to take the same view In en
forcing the law.
The greatest nursery In the new
Z world is that of i. =. Peterson Il Son
( ut Lincoln and Peterson avenues. 1t Il
, visited annually by thousands Of stran
. gers. who admire ana wonder ut TIN
great collection Of fine trees. plants