Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-04

Chicago. April 4.-The city of Chicago
can acquire and control street railways.
but cannot operate them as a result OF
the vote at yesterday election Ia which
the question Of municipal ownership of
the street car lines was the vital issue
AZ tho same time the voters whilc dc-
Gliding that the city shall net proceed to
operate tho railways declared that as "a
question Of public policy it would bc de-
sirahle for the city to do so
Three propositions were submitted 20
the voters. the first Of which was:
"shal the city 81 Chicago proceed 10
operate street railways
This proposition required so per cent
ol The total vote cast in order 90 become
elective. The total vote cast WAS 23l .i7i.
on this number i209ll was cast in favor
Of Municipal operation aud no 2dO against
~ In order 10 become binding the propo-
siiIon 70 operate the railways should
have received l3s 703 votes II therefore
Tell short OF the required number by n .792
votes
The second proposition involved the ap-
proval oi an ordinance previously passed
by the City Council, providing for the
lssue Of street railway certificates in
4
purchase ownership and maintenance OF
the street railways This was carried by
a vote OF llOOOs. against lO6,669 The
third question which was simply on the
question OF public policy. and had no
legal effect whatever was
shall the City Council proceed with
out delay to secure the municipal owner
ship and operation of the street railwnvs
under the Mueller law, instead Of granting
franchises 10 private companies p"
This proposition WAS carried by vote
Of III S62 20 lOs.O25. The last two propo-
sitlons required majority vote TO win
Mayor Dunno construed the passage al
the SIS 5.0O0.OOO certificates and public
policy proposition as q victory ior mu.
nicipai ownership but expressed his dis.
appointment over the defeat az the promo.
sition for municipal operation He said
admit that am disappointed be.
cause the victory IS not complete. The
important proposition. however. at tn,
present time IS for the issuance Of tht
certificates, and this has been carried
regret very much that We did not get th,
necessary majority to enable us to legally
operate the street railway lines But thi.
will not prevent as from again going befor,
the people after we have the street rail
way lines and asking for the necessar,
authority % operate. The people vii
vote Tor operation with big maiorit,
~ the proper time.
Tho election was one Of the most inter
cstne to thirago voters that has been hel,
m many years. Tho vote wns much large
than had been expected, aud all day IN,
contest Tor and against municipal owner
ship vas bitterly fought Party line
we're largely ignored, and the eliEibilit,
OF candidates depended more upon thei
attitude toward municipal operation q
street ears and high licenses for saloon
than upon their party records.
OF the 35 Aldermen who were elected
Mayor Dunno asserts that 10 are avoNef
champions Of municipal ownership an,
hat he will have much less difficulty II
passing measures relating TO that doctrin,
through the City Council than heretofore
The faction opposed to municipal owner
chip declares that they still hold eontro
Df the Council and that Mayor Dunno viii
nave no greater success in the future thai
ne has had in the past
Besides the question of municipal
ownership, the issue was made in man,
Of the aldermanic contests OF whether tbs
saloon licenses of the city shall be $500 @
81 1000. The low figure was in existenc,
up to March 9TH, when the City Council
by a close vote. passed an ordinance rails
ing the amount TO 81 600 The number o
crimes which have lately been committee
In this city against women has caused
many persons 10 believe that the tragedie
indirectly are attributable to the larg,