The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-14
4 SERIOUS PERIL.

DISCUSSING inc ill'
GlobeDemocrat says: The joke of the thing is that
The Republic quiverS with alarm lest the city he de-
prved of the opportunity give away throw away
its valuable property" And the Globe has uninten-
tionay told half truth. And that is unusual in its
columns.
The Republic does actually culver with alarm over
the possibility that the pending ordinances may fail
of enactment in time to meet grave public necessity.
Every intelligent resident of st. Louis who has given
serious thought the gravity of the present situation
fees the same alarm.
There is nothing in the situation that threatens Il
sacrifice of the citys property. however The loop
ordinance it passed the Council requires the Ter
mina Association 10 pay the city a cash compensation
of S15n.0oo and the other ordinances not at all
likely TO pass either house without provisions of SINH
lar character 1t IS willful Misrepresentation say
the city is in danger of giving its property away with
out receiving any consideration.
The danger that threatens is of another kind There
is serious danger the consideration of these ordinances
may be delayed that the work of putting the rail-
way terminals in proper condition for the business of
the Worlds Fair year cannot he finished in time 1t is
that danger that stirs The Republics alarm. and it
should stir the alarm of every who has the vel
fare of this community at heart
Existing contracts with the American Bridge Com
pany require the work of erecting the superstucture
OF the loop elevated track 10 DeSln on July IL. y
large fierce of bridge builders must be brought here
to do the work and the arrangements for gathering
them together must be made well in advance of the
time their work in St Louis is begin If the failure
of legislation prev their starting work at the con-
date they Will be scattered to other points and
put other jobs which, being started. must continue
until finished Indefinite and costly delay of the st.
Louis work will thus be unavoidable. Completion of
the loop in time meet the rush of business next year
will obviously be absolutely impossible. If anything
is to be done help out next year it is absolutely
necessary that it begin at once. \ delay of weeks
will mean loss of millions.
1t may be we'll to state few facts to make plain
how serious is the occasion alarm this situ
ton That the present terminal facilities of st. Louis
are inadequate for the expeditions and proper han
ding of the present passenger and freight business Of
its railroads all merchants understand. Even those
residents who not engaged in mercantile business
are reasonably conversant with the annoying delays
that frequently in East ST Louis and at the
entrance to the Eads bridge tunnel They know also
something of the grave discomfort of ride through
the tunnel in hot weather. And everybody knows
that the whole city has been and is camorng for re-
lief from these grevous evils of our terminal system
TEN.
In large part compelled to act by insstent and
urgent public demand the Terminal Association
uely no purpose except to expedite the movements
of trains the Eads bridge, to obviae passenger
transit through the tunnel and permit the establish
mcnt of toublerack belt passenger line around the
city. All of these things Of immense public i'm
porace but the loop carries no new privileges TO the
Terminal Association and benefits 1t only in respect
those very things in which the public benefits still
more the expcditing traffic and the relief of exist
ing discomfort TO passengers.
The stupid and criminal folly of obtrudng needless
issues and pressing impossible demands when the rail
ways constituting the Terminal Association have come
forward with request do the very thing the public
have been long and so persistently demanding
cannot be vigorously condemned. 1t is insisted
that the pending loop ordinance must carry rider
providing for the abolition of the bridge arbitrary.
yet no who knows aught of that important bust
reform is ignorant of the fact that it is
picited and difficult railroad problem affecting rates
from St Paul TO St Louis. and could not if all
the railroads were willing, be adjusted and disposed
of in time to start work the loop the middle of
next month. 1t is not question the Terminal Rail
way Association of itself decide. 1t is amazing
that any sane person should think the railways that
concerned. when forced choose within short
month whether they will drop the loop project alb
sorb the bridge arbitrary would be likely to take the
latter alternative The Republic wants to get rid of
the bridge arbitrary and has continuously laborcd
the accomplishment of that end for quarter of
fury. 1t would not ignore the opportunity 10
achieve an object for which it has persistcny and
zealously struggled if that opportunity were big
enough TO be discernible with microscope.
Crying, like children for the moon, those who
clamor for abolition of the bridge arbitrary in con-
necon with the pending ordinances should be forced
consciousness of the peril in which they involve the
CITY, The Worlds Fair will be foredoomed TO Imam
cia failure if these ordinances fail If the attendance
equals that the Chicago Exposition it must aver
age not less than 10000 day. yet the street railways
We're overtaxed Dedication Day carrying not over
half that number Is it the Worlds Fair Company
alone that will suffer If st. Louis fails 70 add steam
transit It's transportation facilities for the EXPOSE
ton period? Would the collapse of The Exposition
and the closing of its gates before the fixed time in
jurc only those enterpriSinG citizens who have SUI
scribed its stock: Would the harm done the city
and lis business be Il thing OF enc year of many
years:
These are not idle questions Nor are they induces
o: all the injury this fatal delay now would cause.
We must give thought also TO the increased con.es-
,ion c. the railway terminals if they not enlarged
and improved. which the Increased freight and ras-