New Britain herald., 1929-12-26
CHICAGO LEARNS LESSON OTHER CITIES WILL LEARN


 OTHER CITIES WILL LEARN
 Slowly and ineXorably, the Great Lakes are being saved for the ad- jacent territory and commerce. Chicago is steadily losing ground in it's attempt to divert water from Lake Michigan in sufficient quan- titles to menace the levels of tn" great inland oceans
 The report by Charles F.. Hughes, special master, to the |. s. Supreme" Court. would further reduce Chicago's seizure of the Great Lakes waters for sanitary purposes.
 To understand this remarkable litigation resume of it is essential.
 It was in 1900 that Chicago di- yerted the course of the Chicago river from instead of into Lake Michigan. The citys sewage, which previously had been dumped into Takc Michigan, was thus carried to the Mississippi river by way of a drainage canal. the Des Plaines river and the Illinois river
 The government entered the case in less than a year. In 1901 the secretary of war granted permission for m average flow of 4,1G7 cubic feet of water per second from Lake Michigan into the Chicago river.
 Chicago pctitioned for larger amount, was denied, and imme- diately contested the government $ legal authority to control the How. President Roosevelt in 1908 suggest ed a friendly suit to clarify the legal issuc, Next year the United States and Great Britain signed treaty limiting further diversion of water
 The friendly suit, heard in l9o9- If before Judge k. NJ. Landls' re- suited in a decision in 1920, which unheld the legal right of the tinted states to regulate the flow of the Chicago river Chicago's appeal tc the Supreme Court was dismissed III 1oo5 tho court holding that federal authority is superior to that Of q stato especially when q treaty Wltl il foreign government is invoiNed'
 Hut in the same year the secretary of war granted q permit 10 Chicago for an average flow of S,'oV cupl' f.nt nor second. effective until De- crmbor 31. 1929. and contngeh mon completion of improvements in the Chicago sewage dlSposa yystcm. Meanwhile states through out the Middle West took lssu' apainst polIution of the MisslSSipp l,. Chicago. while others thought 'h' diversion would be an aid 10 naVlga +ion on the Mississippi SlN state notitioncd for an injunction againS Chicago, and the Supreme Conr appointed Mir. Hughes as master u fake evidence and submit recon ,oenda,ions. Nr. Hughes finding were first submitted in November 1oo7. and the Supreme Court hand od down it's decree in January, l9-' The court directed that the hall rabIe capacity Of Lake Michigan D restored. but that diversion into tn Cbicaoo river be permitted for in time heinz. II continued Mr. luGI' os master. 10 report on how 500 Chicago could complete it's scWAs disposal system and thus dlscoh tinuo depending upon the Chlc"g river and the Mississippi for a se" ooe canal. It was thls latter repol which was made by Mr. Hugh' the other day.
 To date Chicago is still divertin $500 cubic feet a second. IhrouS combination of circumstances tlI lake levels the past year have bee high nevertheless. so that the Nlnd City claims the Chicago river q version has nothing to do with IT lake lcycls. Mr. Hughes has recon mendcd that the diversion b" r. duced 10 G.5Oo cubic feet by July
 l9$o. when the north side dispos;
 plant or tho Sanitary District
 completed. Mir. Hughes report cal for q steady decrease in divcrsio after that as tho sewage dispos' plants are finally all complete probably q matter of ninc years.
 Counsel for Chicago indicate the