Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-01-26
REAL ANARCHISTS THE VEAL
THY.
So Patterson Declares He Finds as
Chicago's Commissioner of
Public Works.

Public Works.
Certain capitalists of Chicago are
anarchists. | say they are, and with
emphasis | believe men are anarch-
! lists, no matter how big their bank &C.
counts, who take the attitude that law
does not exist for them and that they
are exempt from obeying 1t.
Millions of dollars worth of prop
erty is illegally occupied at the pre-
sent moment in Chicago by rich in
| dividuals and corporations who have
not a vestige of right to it, and many
| OF whom give arrogant defiance to the
law. II that is not anarchy, what ISL"
This was the reply of Commission
er of Public Works Joseph Medill Pat
terson, when questioned concerning a
| speech made by him in the University
of Chicago, when he put the real an
archists' in the ranks of the wealthy
Mr.. Patterson amplified his views
then expressed and said some very
strong things about his experiences
since assuming office with wealthy
anarchists" and their representatives
Since | have been trying to make
people obey the laws" said the COM
missioner. "and trying to get them
| to do the legal, the right and the
fair thing, l have been brought in
contact with a brazen defiance of law
in this city which is amazing.
why, it is an absolute fact that
many do not say all, by any means
but many, of the wealthy men and
| firms of the city actually believe they
are above the law. The law may exist
but it certainly does not exist for
them. That is their position. They
defy the law, ignore the law, laugh
at the law, all with an arrogance that
makes my blood boil.
Wealthy firms occupy city land
both on sidewalks and underneath
sidewalks, without paying one cent of
compensation and without an atom of
title. They do not pay taxes on the
! land thus illegally occupied. Again,
land belonging to the city in the shape
of stub ends of streets abutting on the
river is occupied by business men
without compensation, title or right.
Yet again, made land is grabbed by
private persons, who have no title to
it. They give no consideration to
laws.
still, again, wealthy firms in this
city are in the habit of stealing wat
er-it is stealing, and nothing else
The water costs the city pumping and
| labor, and that these firms take out
right. Sometimes they steal the wat
er by means OF their own pipes, and
sometimes by changing the meters.
81 am now trying to insist that such
firms as we have found acting in this
way shall pay the city what is due.
have told some of these firms that ex-
posture will certainly follow their
| further refusal to settle. At present
| will not mention names Two of the
companies, however, who have been
stealing water are large brewing
companies.
still, again, may mention the rail
roads which refuse to install gates at
! grade crossings. The law says they
shall install such gates, but they do
not care what the law says"
What is the value of all the prop
erty which is illegally grabbed in one
way or another?" Mr.. Patterson was
asked.
1T is very difficult to make close
estimate" he answered, "but the sum
will certainly run up in the millions.
In the loop alone, for instance, 1900
600 square feet of property is illegally
occupied by bay windows and other
sidewalk encroachments and in 9TH
err ways Two hundred thousand dol
lars should come to the city in the
way of compensation each year.
These men, who are acting illegal
ly, are preventing the people from
having the amount in their public
treasury that should be there. Proper
| compensation paid to the city for its
property which is being illegally
used means to the city and to its peo-
pie more police. better fire protection
and generally more money for crying
civic needs New York Herald.