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| Organize to Fight
Subway
Merchants Beyond Loop See Business Wreck if Deal Succeeds. Ask Lorimer to Aid Them. Plans Formulated in Secret Now Ready to Be Submitted to People. Source: Chicago Daily Tribune, 3 June 1909, pg. 1. Opposition to Chicago's proposed subway and underground passenger traffic system, plans and specifications for which have already been drawn, is to be made by more than 5,000 retail merchants outside the loop district. A unanimous effort is to be put forth by these business men to defeat the proposition when a referendum vote is taken in the city on the $15,000,000 bond issue. Quietly and as secretly as possible the movement was started more than six months ago by the West Side Commercial league, which objected strenuously to having the subway extended west of Canal street. Since then a "campaign of education" has been under way in every part of the city outside the loop district. Three weeks ago the subway protest came to a head when the Chicago Retail Merchants' Association "Outside the Loop" was formed. Even the organization of this association was not ostensibly a subway opposition movement. It was said at the time that the merchants had organized for the purpose of getting together to fight the Jones bill. This measure came up recently in the legislature. It was an eight hour day law for business houses and stores. It was advocated by the loop merchants and opposed by the "Outside the Loop" association. The latter organization succeeded in having the bill amended. Plans Are Well Measured. A committee from the association went to Springfield and secured the desired amendment with ease. But the 5,000 or more members of the organization were not interested entirely in the Jones bill. It is said their plans for opposing the subway are so well matured that at a meeting which is to be held next week an open campaign against the proposition will be started. So far secrecy has been the plan of the opposition, and even yesterday the officials of the association were reticent about discussing the matter. John M. Smyth, one of the leading members of the opposition, declared that the merchants were not ready to make known their plans for the fight on the subway. "It is true," said he, "that we are preparing to put up a fight. We do not believe that a subway is the thing that is wanted by Chicago. We believe that it would be a detriment to business and would vitally injure the merchants who are outside the loop. As it is Chicago is too much like a small village, where every one comes in to town and ties his horse to the hitching post on the square. Good for All Within Loop. "While the business men inside the loop will undoubtedly advocate the subway, there will be thousands outside the loop that will protest against it. I am strongly opposed to the proposition. It would mean a big thing to the downtown merchants. But what would it do to the business men on the outside? "This thing of centering the business of Chicago in one small district is against the best interests of the city. We want Chicago to grow. We have room in abundance and undoubtedly we have the business. But we can't compress the proposition in a few blocks, bounded by the loop, and owned by a few men. We must spread out if we want to prosper, and for that reason I am against the subway." R.J. Carroll, head of the Milwaukee avenue mercantile house, is president of the "Outside the Loop" organization of merchants. Putting It Up to People. "I cannot find words strong enough to express myself on the subway proposition," said he. "While the organization of which I am president has taken no official action in the matter so far. I think we will start the battle at a meeting to be held next week. I am not at liberty to say what out plans are. But this much I will say, and that is, we are going after this subway deal just as hard as we possibly can, and I think that when we put it up to the people in the proper light we will win. "The movement started on the west side, but now almost every merchant outside of the loop district has announced his intention of fighting the subway. We believe that a subway downtown in the loop would be all right. But the minute it is proposed to extend outside of the loop then we are against it. It would tend to take most of our business away, and in a short time we would all be going into bankruptcy." Official Action Almost Ready. Robert W. Schoenfeld, head of the department store of that name at Sixty-third and Halsted streets, and secretary of the Retail Merchants' association "Outside the Loop," declared that official action would probably be taken on the subway proposition by the association next week. "I don't want to speak for the association," said he, "because we have plans which we are not ready just yet to give to the public. but for myself I will say that I am against the subway as it is now proposed. And I am only one in about 5,000 or 6,000 merchants who are going to do everything in their power to prevent the issuance of bonds for such a project. Every merchant outside the loop knows that if a subway were built it would practically mean his end so far as business is concerned. It would take most of the trade to the loop and leave us nothing." Millions Behind Their Fight. "We will have plenty of money to fight the subway," said one of the officials. "The business men outside the loop represent several million dollars. I think we'll mortgage our stores and other property if necessary in order to beat the subway." It is said that the $15,000,000 which it is proposed to spend in building the underground system could be put to a much better use in building new streets and making other needed improvements. The merchant directors of the association, which intends to create a disturbance among the subway advocates, are W.A. Wieboldt, Emil Iverson, Edward Ahlswede, Sidney Mandl, S.W. Roepstorff, Ernest Knoop, Julius Knoop, and George Bender. Ask Lorimer to Aid Them. These directors are said to represent the merchants and business men on the north, west, and south sides of the city. The movement in opposition to the subway has been so well handled, it is declared, that merchants as far south as South Chicago, as far west as Oak Park, and as far north as Evanston have been enrolled for the coming struggle. Before the battle is over it is predicted that state and federal politicians will be drawn into the controversy. It is already intimated that the opposing merchants have conferred with Senator Lorimer and asked his aid in defeating the subway. Other men prominent in both parties will be asked to lend their assistance. |
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