The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-03-29
READY TO HAVE
FIGHT TO FINISH
Drainage Canal Experts
Tell Four States to
Bring Suit.
MERE WASTE OF MONEY
(By United PressI

by United PresSg
Chicago, III = Wisconsin's fight in
the federal supreme court to prevent
the city of Chicago from diverting
water from Lake Michigan through
her drainage canal is "a waste of the
taxpayers money" engineers of the
drainage district charged today.
Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota,
and Indiana, if they join in this suit
can have finish fight if they want
it, statement issued by G. H. Wis
ner, consulting engineer, E. J. Kelly,
chief engineer, and Langdon Pearse,
sanitary engineer, and approved by
w. j. Healy, president of the Chicago
Drainage District, declared.
Attorney General Herman Ekern,
Wisconsin, has closed his, mind to "en-
cheering facts" the statement
charges.
Michigan has definitely decided to
join in Wisconsin's suite the state
ment said.
Urges Common Sense.
Common sense cooperation be-
tween the states of the Great Lakes
region will restore lake levels lowered
by natural causes, aid navigation and
shipping and save the taxpayers of
the interested states hundreds of
thousands of dollars that Wisconsin
and her associates propose to waste
in what will be long-drawn-out bat
tie before the United States supreme
court to reduce the amount of water
Chicago is compelled to take from
Lake Michigan to take care properly
Of the sewage of the middle west
metropolis" the statement said.
The sanitary districts plan to pre-
vent the lowering of the lake-level
is mentioned in the statement as fol-
lows;
Defends Drainage Canal.
''We have the evidence to prove the
assertion that the time has long since
passed when the amount of water Chi
cago is taking for sewage purposes
has had any effect on the levels of
Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake St.
Claire and Lake Erie. We have shown
that the water taken at Chicago is
now small part of the water that
once flowed out, of the ST. Claire riv-
er before the drainage canal was
placed in operation at Chicago. The
district has offered to restore what it
has taken and more by paying for
compensating works in the St. Claire,
Niagara, and St. Lawrence rivers, a
feasible, practical plan and the real
remedy to the Great Dakes levels
question. These will not cost Wis
consin, Minnesota, Michigan, and In
diana a cent"
The statement denys that water is
being taken from the lakes for power
purposes by Chicago, giving the fol-
lowing explanation:
water is used by the sanitary dis
trict for power purposes, for electric
power that is sold to the city of Chi
cago and the parks at cost, is merely
wasted water from sewage disposal
Not an extra quart is taken because
the district operates a power plant"
Chicago will have the advantage in
the fight, the engineers said, because
Chicago's position is rooted in need
and Uncertain inalienable rights"
See Long Fight Ahead.
A light extending over several years
was seen by the engineers in the dec
laration that 'the engineering staff
Of the sanitary district has been in
effect for 20 years, and will continue
so long as there is a sanitary dis
trict."
Attorneys general of states hold
political~positions They come and go
as state administrations come and go.
Before a settlement of the lake level
controversy can be had in the courts,
it is not unlikely that the present
instigator, the attorney general Of
Wisconsin will have gone back to pri-
vate life apd new man will have
succeeded him."
1.-THE sanitary district offered the
attorneys general the facts, but their
own preconceived motions, in which
expert engineering knowledge played
not the slightest part, were all-suffi-
cient to them"