The Penn's Grove record., 1907-04-05
CHICAGO ELECTS F. A. BUSsE
City Wins Control of the Trac.
ton Franchises.
Republican Defeats Dunno, Advocate
of Immediate Ownership-Street
Car Ordinances Passed.

Chicago.-Frederick A. Busse, the
Republican candidate for Mayor, was
elected, defeating Mayor Edward f.
Dunno, the Democratic candidate, by
a plurality OF 1921.
The new Mayor will have the City
Council with him. The makeup of
this body shows thirty-fve Republi-
cans, thirty-four Democrats and one
Independent Democrat. The ordi-
nances settling the street car ques-
ton were carried by a good majority.
The vote on this question was 1867
846 for and 1920 against.
The election followed the most in
tense campaign in municipal politics
that Chicago has experienced in
many years. William R. Hearst and
his papers were strong supporters of
Mayor Dunno.
The issues in the campaign have
been largely based upon the improve
ment of the local traction systems.
Both parties agreed that present con-
ditions were intolerable, but differed
as to the best method of revising
them. The Democratic party, head
ed by Mayor Dunno, stood for imme-
date municipal ownership through
condemnation of the street car
obtained in any other way. The Re-
publican party favored the ordinances
can party favored the ordinances
which were recently passed by a
Democratic City Council over the
veto of Mayor Dunno.
These ordinances provide for twen-
ty-year franchises for the street car
companies, the city retaining the
right to purchase the systems for
$4,000, 600, plus the amount to be
spent for immediate rehabilitation
of the lines, six months notice being
necessary of the city's intention to
acquire the property. The ordinances
also provide for universal transfers
throughout the city, a five-cent fare
and f1fty-1ve per cent. of the net
profit of the companies to be paid to
the city.
The vote generally showed a de-
cided reversal of public opinion on
municipal ownership since the Mayor
atty campaign two years ago. At
that time Dunno received .163,189
votes, against 1851 for John NJ.
Harlan, the Republican leader. The
Prohibitionist ticket received 1924
votes and the Socialist 23,O34. This
year the Republican vote was 1884,
S39 and that of the Democrats 49,
718. The Prohibition vote ran slight
ly above that of two years ago, while
the Socialist vote fell off heavily, be-
ing 13,459.
The campaign has been one Of the
most vicious the city has ever known.
Charges and counter charges have
been hurled, the personal lives of the
candidates have been discussed and
speakers on both sides have INDUCED
in TRADES filled with invective and
abuse.
Chicago will now speedily settle its
street a problem which has been
banded back and forth for eleven
years as a political asset, the service
growing more wretched and anti
qUated every year. Within ninety
days the traction companies must &C
cept the ordinances or lose their fran
chises.
1t is expected the Chicago City
Railway Company will at once COM
mence the work of reconstruction of
its lines and put into service as quick
ly as possible $50 cars of the up-to-
date type specified in the ordinances.
Within a year the Union Traction
interests must put into service 225 OF
such cars. Rebuilding of the tracks
is to go on as rapidly as practicable.