The Sudden And Unlooked For Death

by paralysis, of Major-General George Crook, U. S. A., at Chicago, March 21, is an event of national importance, and will cast a ehade of gloom over our ent:re country. He was a brave, patriotic, and high principled man and officer, and his valuable services to this natiin has earned a debt of gratitude that will cause his memory to be long enshrined in tbe hearts of his countrymen. -___-._-._ Thb Detroit Tribune, was defendant in a $15,000 libel suit instituted by Charles M. Welch, one of the jurora in a recent case in which the jury re.idered a most outrageous and unjust verdict, The Tribune in expressing its opinión of the action of the jurymen called them "prize jackasses." Welch wanted $15,000 for thisoffen8e to his reputation, but the jury in the libel suit required only a few minutes to decide that he had no cause of action, and that as a public officer he was subject to criticiEtn by the public and the press. The verdict for the Tribune was a just one. The scorching it gave the jurors in the infamons I$rtile case referred to wa not more severa then they deserved. By this time Welch is probably conyinced that the Tribune's title for him was about correct aftei all; if not before, now surely. Thb Kalamazoo sewerage system is the kind recommended as most expedient for this city to adopt. In a ■ cent report, Mr. George 8. Pieraon, city engineer, says: "The entire system has conti nued to opérate satisfactorily throughout the year. There have been no etoppages in any of the mains or laterals which has made it necessary to excávate. A few partial stoppages have been removed without difflculty by a hose or by cleaning roda in manholes or lampholes. The entire cost of maintenance of the system for the year is $146.68 and the entire cost of repairs, $41.65. The sewerage system, as inaugurated in 1880, has now a total extent of 12.77 miles, exclusive of connecting sewers. This system was built at a cost of construction, proper, of $69.595,41 an average cost per foot of 81,032." As Ann Arbor needs only about half as many miles of pipe, with the cost of piping reduced over one-half, it is reasonable to estímate that this system can be adopted here at a cost not far from $20,000. This is a small sum compared to the advantages that would result. We ventare to predict that in a single year this city would secure more actual benefit in material wealth than the cost of themain sewerage system. We must have sewers and that soon. It is an advantage we need both for the health of the entire community and its commercial prosperity. Thb Reoistbb wculd advise nothing on the part of the city that would be extravagant, injudicious or unbusinesslike. It would not favor running deeply in debt for improvements that could be dispensed with for a time. It believes in the pay-as-you-go system; but it does not believe that a great and wealtky Corporation like Ann Arbor should go without what it really needs, because its treasury is not overflowing with cash. Scarcely an exception ia known to the habit of the most Buccessful men of the world, of occasionally using their credit to a safe ainount, when to the best of their judgment a proflt would be the result. We not only believe that the expenditure of $20,000 or more in sewers would be a great pecuniary advantage to this city, but what is of far greater importance, the health of the city demanda the sewere, and the sooner the better. Sufficient time should be taken for a thorough discussion of the question. The best and most economical plan should be agreed upon and then the work pushed vigorously and done hone6tly. This city has credit enough to secure all the funds it needs at the lowest rate of interest for such enterprises as the good judgment of its best financiers would deern profitable. Mayor Beakes' vetoes are all right, but the resulte should be early reached in a businesslike constitutional method.