The Detroit times., 1917-08-13
Therefore, Speaking of
New City Hall At
This Time, Forget 1t

council TO revive the project OF ne"
city hall
In the name Of common sense we rise
10 inquire WHAT FOR?
Right off the reel we can think Of
dozen things the municipality needs M
fnitely worse than new city hall.
A new Jail. for instance; county instr
tution. II is true but drawing rs
patronage" chiefly from the city.
County officials say that conditions there
are disgracefu
Built TO accommodate 172 inmates
nearly 400 are now herded there Ike
cattle in a stockyards pen.
Only the other day prisoner sleeping
on cot for want OF regulation buns
rolled off the cot in his sleep and frac-
tured his skull on the stone floor lie
died few hours later.
This condition seems to be unknown
to the supervisors Of Wayne county
whose business it is TO know about such
things.
Detroit's AZ aldermen are members OF
the board of supervisors. They have
done nothing looking to the relief OF the
almost unspeakable situation al the jail
They are deeply interested IN better
quarters for themselves.
There's the question OF our water sup
ply. Many of our citizens refuse 70
drink the chlorine-laden product their
own money has provided.
The aldermen themselves steer clear
of IT. when they have to drink water
they prefer the distilled variety, ION
tap" in the council chamber and COM
mittee rooms and all the city Offices.
So they should worry
A new Belle Isle bridge and modern
municipal lighting plant are among the
city's urgent wants, but pressing as
these needs are there is one that out
weighs in Importance all the others put
together.
That is an adequate transportation
system.
There is no need 70 recount Detroit 5
phenomenal development in the past de-
cade; that is fact almost as well known
as the European war.
1t is also patent 10 everyone who rides
in street cars or drives an automobile
that Detroit has risen to fourth place
among the cities Of the country with
scarcely thought as 70 how this excess
population was going TO be transported
to and from work.
Certainly our aldermen, whom we hire
to run our city for Us, have not been
losing any sleep over the proposition
From time to time there has been talk
Of subway.
A few months ago it shifted 70 an
elevated monorail proposition and a
working model was set up in the coun-
Gil chamber.
But neither proposition has ever pro-
ceeded beyond the talk stage, and since
the dog days came on US the weary city
dads have even ceased to talk about it.
In the meantime Miss Detroit, in spite
of herself, in spite Of the do-nothing pol
icy of her lethargic public servants, is
headed for the million mark with her
foot on the accelerator
Every day finds the street car com
pany, already unable to cope adequately
with the rush hour crowds, trying 20
find room for a few more.
Schedules are shot to pieces and
crowds Of indignant citizens are left
standing at every stop.
1t takes two years at least to build
subway. Where will Detroit be in the
population tables two years from now at
the present rate Of growth?
If our officials were awake to the sit
uation work would now be under way
either on a subway or an elevated rail-
way.
AS matter Of fact, no plans are be-
ing considered and the aldermen have
even ceased to talk about the transpor-
tation problem.
So what is the use Of putting UP
new city hall for a bunch Of officials
who never do anything?
Forget il.