The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-28
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The controversy over the three ordinances Of the
ST. Louis Terminal Railroad Association now pending
in the Municipal Assembly threatens serious injury
to public interests of the greatest Importance Delay
which prevents the completion of the proposed inn
provements in time for the installation of an adequate
transportation service during the Worlds Fair period
next year will be lamitou in its results. The calanl-
ity 1t will precipitate will affect the whole city and all
Its people. no matter what the business or avocation in
which they may be engaged.
There is nothing Of exaggeration in this statement.
The failure of st. Louis to take proper care Of the
crowds that will throng into the city next year would
work incalcuiable harm. 1t would be calamitous in Il
literal and not a tigurative sense, since it would nullify
every good effect the millions invested in the Worlds
Fair Were expected to produce. 1t is uncomfortable
that any one can contemplate such a situation with in
difference.
1t was more than fortunate that the weather dis
couraged attendance at the Dedication ceremonies
April 80. The transportation facilities were made
Quate for the comfortable handling of the moderate
crowd that did visit the Fair Grounds, although. day
and night attendance both counted, the recorded adj
missions were very slightly in excess of 100000. Fully
twenty five per cent of these walked to the Fair
Grounds, SO that such crowding of the street cars rs
was experienced on that day grew out of the move
ment of less than 100000 people. Put against this the
significant fact that the Fair must have a daily ay-
erage attendance of more than 100000, if the attend
ance at the Columbian Exposition of 1899 is to be
equaled. and some idea may be had of the grave prob
lem st. Louis is facing.
No sane person can doubt that the success of the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition absolutely requires
steam railway transportation. Yet an average attend
ance of 10000 daily implies many high-water marks
considerably above 100000. There will he few such,
days. however. if there is no steam railway transpor-
tation system in operation from the city to the Fair
Grounds.
say the temporary needs of the Worlds Fair should
not be permitted to influence the decision upon a ques-
ton affecting the permanent welfare of the city. The
declaration is true enough to be trite. but 1t should not
be put forward as an excuse for opposition which ig-
nores equally the present and the future interests Of
the community. The necessities of the Fair year can
not be overlooked. They are the necessities of the
city itself and not the demands of the particular lor
of enterprising citizens who happen to be associated
together as stockholders of the Exposition company
They have rights which should have consideration. but
their rights are trivial beside the greater rights of the
community at large, whose welfare is deeply and ir-
retrieyably associated with the success or failure of
the Exposition.
To people outside of ST. Louis the Exposition is a
part of st. Louis and they will be wholly right in hold
ing st. Louis to account if inexcusable blunders bring
should be solicitous about the future effect of all pro-
jected legislation, but solieitude for the future must
not make us stone blind to the present.