Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-25
Lake Water Diversion Ruling
Satisfactory to All Concerned

The United States Supreme Court de-
cision, handed down by Chief Justice
Taft, in the controversy over Chicago's
diversion of water from Lake Michigan
seems to have been accepted as salts
factory by all parties concerned.
AS the Flint Daily Journal explains 1t.
Chicago looks upon the decision of
Chief Justice Taft of the United States
Supreme Court in the water diversion
case as q victory. Other upper Lake
cities and States which opposed Chi
Cages diversion plan are likewise pleased
with the decision. Any decision which
is so pleasing to both sides of the con-
troversy must be more or less in the
nature of a compromise, and that Is
what this one seems to be.
The Chief Justice does not wish to
work any hardship upon Chicago, and
he warns the complaining States that
the relief from conditions must be more
or less gradual while at the same time
he scores Chicago severely for its I'M
warranted diversion of Lake Michigan
water and not providing sewage dis
posal plants more promptly"
Calling the action of the Supreme
Court IAN epochal decision" the Cleve-
and other Lake States, except Illinois,
have been contending for for 20 years is
substantially Endorsed by the court, "
thus sweeping away at one blow "all the
studied pretension of those who have
insisted that Chicago was permanent
ly entitled to the water she has
been extracting, regardless of lake levels
and the millions of dollars in loss in
f1icted on the shipping all along this
great natural waterway"
1.-THE decision is all that the Lake
Duluth Herald. ut fixes their right to
navigation channels unimpaired by a
Chicago diversion, and is a
vigorous rebuke to the amazing effront-
cry that has characterized ChicagoS at
titude toward this issue"
1.-The courts decree is of wide sig
nificance. 1t goes deeper than merely
diversion of water" the Philadelphia
Evening Bulletin states. as it contends
that 1.-The principles underlying it cannot
be ignored by any public or private body
which depends upon running water to
remove and purify its sewage or indus
trial waste" In simple terms. as the
Toledo Blade views it. "the Lakes be-
lOIlS VI dlL CLlC pCOPAC, dAIO OIA1CdsO IIuoG
pay Chicagos bill for Chicagos sewage
disposal"
The resentment that has been felt by
the previous action of Chicago is ex-
pressed by the Lafayette Journal and
Courier, which says: "It is irsufferable
and intolerable, of course, that any sim
gle community. through its own local
Encouragement of drainage and sewage
disposal, should make itself menace
to all the territory contiguous to the
Great Lakes" and, this paper rejoices
that machinery Is being set up "by
means of which the Windy City may
be induced to cease its destructive at
tack upon Lake Michigan"
X X
The condition that has been created
through the excessive diversion of water
from this important unit of the Great
Lakes is commented upon by the Buffalo
Evening News. which finds lake levels
lowered 6 inches, with consequent great
injury to commerce and great loss of
hydro electric power on the Niagara
and the st. Lawrence" and this paper
says further, with satisfaction, that "the
decision of the court appears to be q
thorough victory for the shipping inter-