The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-05
Municipal Ownership in Chicago.

Municipal Ownership IN Chlcago'
The election in Chicago Tuesday was
the second step that city has taken to
shake off the intolcrabic street car con-
ditions. The real question at issue be-
fore the people was the adoption or re-
lection OF the Mueller law which au-
thorizes the Council to issue $15,0OO.O00
for the purpose of acquiring by purchase
construction, condemnation or otherwise.
Il street railway system. Under the
Mueller, law there Is distinction DC
tween municipal ownership and muni-
cipal operation, but its adoption. It's ratt-
ncatlon, even with municipal operation
left out, is a long step forward In the
| direction which the out-and-out. munich
| pal owners desire. AS the question OF
municipal operation failed to be carried
| 1t must bc submitted as a new PROPOSE
tion to the people and carried by Il three
nfths vote before the city can actually
| operate the street railway as It does tho
water department, and until this Is done
whatever lines may have been acquired
undcr the Mueller law will have been
! operated by board Of trustees under
tho so-called contract plan" The
greatest bitterness has been shown on
| both sides In this campaign, and without
approving municipal operation MS well
rs ownership, It Is worth while remark
ing that nothing can he much worse than
the condition which has heretofore ex-
listed In tho street car situation In Chi
cago. The Chicago Tribune, comment
ling OH this question before the election,
said:
VOTE mo"
| Vote against the proposition TO Issue
s75,ooo,0oo Of Mueller law certificates.
It Is the maddcst and the wickedest
project ever submitted to the people OF
this or any other community, 1t was
drafted BY Missionaries and put through
the Council BY the gray wolves
Thcttnxtpaycr who marks his ballot for
1t votcB to raise his taxes. lilo votes to
exempt from taxation the tens OF mil
lions Of dollars worth Of property now
held by the traction company and to do
pr.ve the city and tho schools OF the
revenue derived from that property, liz
will have to stand In tho gap and make
good the deficit.
! No man with grain OF sense win vote
to hand over to ,Ar Council $4,000, 900 If
certificates with no other instructions
than To buy street railroad lincs--with NJ
restrictions as to price, no safeguards
against hooding, and no requirement tina
the bargains struck by the Council shall
, he ratified by tho people. No business
man would give nm agoht IN whose hon
es,y and capacity he had confidence tina
unbounded power It is proposed TO con
fer on a Council whose makeup Is nm
certain, whose capacity has not bee,
$ tested, and whose honesty. when sub
1 iccled to the strain of S1h,000000, woul,
not stand the test,
Vote mo on the municipal operatio,
, proposition, Municipal ownership wo,
he bad enough, but municipal operation
would be worse, 1t would bring with !
halcYon days for the politicians. for !
Q would give them 1900 more city en-
ployes TO boss and plumber. The man
Ggcment Of the lines would be political
: that is to say. inefficient and cxtraya
: CANT. There would be no decent servic
e until tic system hankrnpted and the line
went into the hands Of private com
pany
J, Every voter who wishes 10 keep th