The St. Louis Republic., 1903-06-01
IN THE HOUSE.
yet TO come,

Leaving the Worlds Fair out of the discussion,
St Louis must as a matter OF permanent commercial
facilities develop its terminals. And before many
years the necessity Will become acute If nothing Is
done to prepare for the Worlds Fair year.
This city lalors under disadvantage which
its merchants and manufacturers have long recoS-
nized-that, with many points of advantage over
competitors in other cities. they have handicap Of
inconvenient and expensive terminal arrangements
During the past few years the yards have been con-
stanty congested and the movement OF traffic SLOW.
But the Worlds Fair cannot be left out OF any
discussion whith affects transportation from the
heart of the city TO the Exposition grounds quick
and certain transportation must be assured OF the
Worlds Fair will have the volume of attendance
necessary to its financial success.
The Council has passed the Terminal loop ordi-
nance The changes made in that branch seem to
all public requirements. The House should not
be willing TO 20 record as less publicSprited than
the Council
4 certain amount of clamOr against the ordinance
has arisen but it is incomprehensible any theory
of public welfare. The Terminal Association is to
get little which it has not already The streets In
voved are for the most part mere names the streets
already being traversed by tracks. Few property
rights of individuals affected The Terminal AS
s1ciaon is ready enlarge its facilities for their
entire length IL the city will permit the improvement
of a short distance near the river front. If there
were Il possibility of a competing terminal system
The Republic would say: Sell the privilege TO the
highest bidder. There is no competition. What
The Republic fears is that delay will endanger the
success of the Worlds Fair and postpone the gen
eral development of terminals: the time leav
ing the city with alternative except to do several
years hence-probably at a greater disadvantage
what 1t might do now: losing in the interim not only
the success of the Exposition but the convenience of
all business
Intelligent members of the House might recall th,
experience that befell the movement to locate the
Public Library the park ground now occupied by
the Exposition and Coliseum building Delay that
hampered progress and benefited public private
interest the only outcome of the clamorous oh
lection to the proposed disposal of the Exposton's
property to the Library Board. similar outcome
would be all which the House would accomplish by
killing the Terminal project.
The difficulties that confronted the Library Board
were of the same kind. growing out of an exactly
similar spirit of unreasOning and undscrminating
opposition. There newspapers then there
are ready to serve the ends Of individuals who
| working for purely selfish purposes. Then, as
now, there occasion to suspect that the news
papers were in colsion with the schemers; but they
allowed bad information and spirit of opposition to
carry them to extremes before they realized the un
| fortunate effects of the policy.
| Suppose the House kills the ordinance What
! next? Has the House these newspapers any ter
| minal system to present, or any way Of providing
| steam transportation to the Worlds Fair?
No. Not even will they have the satisfaction OF
| furnishing the Terminal Association The associa
| ton will lose nothing except opportunity of en-
larging facilities which 1t already possesses The
city must commercially lose great deal by delay
| and it may lose all chance Of return to the World.
Fair stockholders; all for result except to raise
| public clamor four or five years hence in favor Of
revivng the very project which members of the
House, listening to baseless clamor. lightly pro
pose to strange. The Republic fails to the gooc
| sense pubic spirit of the opposition