Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1905-09-23
LARGEST
WEEKLY CIRCULATION
IN CHICAGO.
Law AND PROPERTY INTERESTS
AS INVOLVED IN THE IRACTiON
QUESTION.

In another part of this edition of the
Eagle the condition of the traction
question. one of great Importance t.
the people of Chicago. has been given.
In this article we refer To IL because
we desire to impress upon our real
rrs editorially. not only our own opin.
ion. but those of lawyers. citizens and
taxpayers upon this subject. which is
now in Il condition that has reached Il
stage that il acute.
The people are confronted with
condition of affairs almost unparalleled
in the history Of municipalities In this
ar any other country.
\ subject involving the very exist
cnce of the city-its physical iinan.
cial and business growth--is placed in
position where all of those vital IN.
terests are put in jeopardy. The peo-
pie demand that this unfortunate con.
dition be removed and rcmclicd by
their official representatives.
We will show in one single instance
how the public is made to suffer
through the sword play of the railway
companies and the city officials. For
four years streets all over the city oc.
cupicd by the railway tracks have not
been improved. but. on the contrary.
have been allowed To lapse into II con-
dition that has made them impossible.
Why:
Because the property owners have
been forced by logical reasoning to op.
pose such Improvement on the ground
that the railway companies have re-
fused tn reset their tracks and To pave
the portion of the street occupied by
their tracks. and have almost in every
instance refused To put in what Is
known as the grooved rail-
Now the grooved rail question IS
the one that brings the property own
crs into line with the railway com
panies. The old rail meant the use
Of one rail by transfers and vehicle
drivers, the other wheel running along
the pavement. ana this means. rs has
been well demonstrated. the destruc-
ton of any pavement. however sun
stantial, within the space of five years.
The reason given by railway com
panies for refusing to reset their tracks
with the grooved rail, which would
compel the tcamsters To take their own
side Of the street, Is plain. The rail.
way companies have no guarantee,
particularly since n special Kind Of
municipal ownership has become the
fad. that they would ever realize the
% th,t NN,ntll l.n N.
vested in such an improvement
The result Is that hundreds of
streets In which railway tracks are
laid ana operated are In most mis-
cradle unsanitary and dangerous con-
dltion.
Property owners are M in arms
over these conditions and grumhing
over the depreciation In the value of
their property,
They find they cannot make any,
thing like adequate revenue from th"ll
property. and meantime taxes continu,
- 20 up.
The most vital interest concerned IN
this matter is the protection nf III,
ana property.
Compared To this the other questions
involved take secondary place.
The condition of the streets
when the efficiency of the Chicago Fir,
department is to be taken into con
sideration, Is supreme consideration
II i said that owing 10 the trlctln'
controversy there are sections OF TIN
city that cannot he reached 10y th'
tire apparatus on account of the con
dltlOn Of the streets, a condition pro
duced by the apparently intermlnabl'
discussion Of the traction question d!
dcmagogues, theorists and schcmers.
The question arises in this conncc
ton: Il Chicago to be deprived Of fir,
protection as well as proper street ca
service, and have its business inter
ests ruined by another eight years %
dernagogy and appeal 70 the ignor