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Keep the Great Lakes Intact Chicago Must Stop Draining Them “civic outlaw,” a “bandit muni- cipality,” as “human but illogi- cal,” the tenor of the speeches at the convention of the Great Lakes Har- bors association, held on Jan. 14 and 15 at the Hotel Statler, Detroit, to discuss ways and means of preventing the continuation of the diversion through the Chicago drainage canal of 10,000 cubie feet of water per sec- ond from Lake Michigan, was distinct- ly militant and boded ill for the easy nonchalance and mockery of law and the rights of neighboring lake cities and states and Canada, exhibited by the great western metropolis. William George Bruce, president of the associ- ation, reviewed the entire lake level sit- uation. Harvey D. Goulder spoke on the legal aspects of the diversion case, Herman L. Ekern, attorney general of Wisconsin, discussed Chicago’s fi- nancial ability to meet the sewage situation by means other than the di- lution system, Newton D. Baker spoke upon the Great Lakes as a national asset, Daniel Hoan, mayor of Mil- waukee, presented views on the sani- tation problem and its solution, Fran- cis King, Kingston, Ont. spoke on the Canadian side of the question, and Frank H. Keefer on where Canada stands, both presenting the Canadian view to the conference. Representa- tive Guy L. Shaw of Beardstown, IIL, told of the opposition of the Illinois Cae Chicago as a river district to the drainage canal. No representative of Chicago was present. Low Levels Cause Great Loss It was brought out in a discussion following Mr. Bruce’s address that the level of all the Great Lakes had been lowered, doing very serious damage to shipping at Milwaukee, Green Bay, Duluth, Fort William, Port Arthur and other lake ports. In some places docks and wharves had been rendered use- less and in others, boats could be loaded to but half their capacity. L. C. Sabin, vice president of the Lake Carriers’ association, and formerly chief engineer of the Soo canal, said that the diversion of water through the drainage canal at Chicago was re- sponsible for the lowering of the lev- els of Lakes Michigan and Huron by 6 inches. Lake Erie, Mr. Sabin said, was lowered about 2% inches by the Welland canal and about 1% inches by the Niagara Falls development. He said that all artificial losses are lowering Lakes Michigan and Huron from 11 to 15 inches leaving nearly 2 feet to be accounted for by natural causes. Present indications point to less depth in the Lakes this year than last, based on the fact that the mean level last December was lower than a year ago. Mr. Sabin made four recommendations as follows: 1. Immediate stopping of the di- version of lake water to other water- sheds, at least to the lowest point compatible with the public health. 2. Building of regulating and com- Officers Great Lakes Harbors Association President Wm. George Bruce, Milwaukee Vice Presidents C. Alfred Maguire, Toronto, Ont. Elbert H. Baker, Cleveland J. A. Scott, Duluth, Minn. L. G. Macomber, Detroit Fred M. Renshaw, Buffalo Secretary-Treasurer Raymond H. Weins, Milwaukee Directors George Hardy, Toledo, O. Archibald Hadden, Muskegon, W. W. Hiltz, Toronto, Ont. R. C. Ogilvie, Superior, Wis. Frank Cartier, Green Bay, Wis. E. S. Reynolds, Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Paul R. Taylor, Grand Haven, Mich. C. M. Osborn, Kenosha, Wis. Jos. Gibbons, Toronto, Ont. H. S. Wells, De Pere, Wis. Martin Georgensen, Manitowoc, Wis. Thos. J. Green, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Daniel W. Hoan, Milwaukee, Wis. Herman Shuelke, Sheboygan, Wis. A. H. Ferbert, Cleveland R. K. Ramsey, Sandusky, O. Frank L. Garner, Ashtabula, O. Mich. pensating works, after careful inves- tigation and planning. 3. Deepening of channels for im- mediate effect. 4, Deepening of harbors to cure present evils and also to protect against overflow when natural condi- tions swing back, as he predicted they would. Relations With Canada Relations with Canada and her un- doubted rights in preserving the Great Lakes in their natural state was stressed by Newton D. Baker. Refer- ring to the importance of water power and unimpaired navigation he said: “To decrease the ultimate availabil- ity of the water in the St. Lawrence valley for waterpower would endanger the economic futures of the United States and Canada. “The United States is the steel cen- 21 ter of the world, because there is no place in the world where iron and steel are so available at once as in the Pittsburgh district. Lake trans- portation has made that situation possible. If we imperil that trans- portation, we are in danger of com- mitting economic suicide. Even the best interests of Chicago demand that transportation be not imperilled.” Harvey D. Goulder, for many years counsel for the Lake Carriers and the chief figure in the case on appeal be- fore the Supreme Court a year ago which was decided against the sani- tary district of Chicago in upholding the decision of Judge Landis that the diversion in excess of 4167 cubic feet per second temporarily allowed by the secretary of war was unlawful and that an injunction restraining Chicago should be issued, reviewed the legal battle to keep Chicago from “hogging” Great Lakes water. He al- so pointed out that Chicago had now shifted her defense from the ground of sanitation to that of navigation from the Great Lakes to the Gulf via the Mississippi river, in order to attach the support of the Mississippi valley states. Canadian representatives suggested that their country’s rights as recog- nized in the treaty of 1916 between: Canada and the United States, should be emphasized in an appeal’ which: will soon be taken to the attorney- general to obtain aggressive action on the part of the federal government to make Chicago live within the law. Francis King, counsel for the Domin-: ion Marine association, said, “The government at Washington knows that Canada is opposed not only to a di- version of 4167 cubic feet per second (the amount permitted by the war department) but to any diversion whatever.” Status of Legal Steps Herman L. Ekern, attorney general of Wisconsin, reviewed the status of the suit as brought by Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania to stop the illegal diversion of water as follows: “The Supreme Court of the United States, in October, 1925, granted the order asked for by the state of Wis- consin, to be allowed to amend its complaint because of the decision of Jan. 5, 1925, in favor of the govern- ment and against the sanitary district, (Continued on Page 58)