USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois : being a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago and special account of districts outside the city limits : from the earliest settlement to the present time, volume II > Part 42
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In order to ascertain the correct valuation of downtown prop- erty, the administration appointed a commission of gentlemen ac- quainted with land values in that portion of the city to investigate and report on the subject. Such an estimate, it was stated, should be made as often as once a year owing to the rapid increase in actual value. It was well known that assessments throughout the city and county were unequal. A similar commission appointed to report on the market value of land in the South division north of Twelfth street stated in April, 1896, that in their opinion the value of land was $337,342,880 and that the value of the improve- ments on the same was $101,104,300. The assessed valuation of the same property for the year 1895 was as follows: Land $24,- 726,880, improvements $15,941,840. This commission thus found that the assessment was much less than the usual 5 per cent of the actual valuation. It was admitted at this time that no assessor could possibly make a just assessment under the existing condi- tions. The township system of assessing and collecting taxes was not suitable for the county. For many years hundreds of citizens had earnestly recommended some change in this defective system, but none had been devised and put in operation. Mr. Swift ear- nestly urged the people to study and realize more fully the truth of the situation in order to vote intelligently on any reform movement that promised improvement.
In April, 1897, Mayor Swift stated that the civil service law had been put into partial effect throughout the city government. This statement was emphatically denied by the newspapers, which declared that civil service was regarded as a joke by the city ad- ministration. The civil service act was approved by the governor on March 20, 1895. At the succeeding April election the people of Chicago by popular vote adopted the law and it went into effect on July 1 of that year. During the fiscal year 1896-97 24,500 persons took out applications for entrance to the various branches of classified service, and of these over 7,000 returned their appli-
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cations properly filled out and their names were entered on the books of the commission. Of this number over 4,000 were examined and nearly 2,500 successfully passed the required average. It was announced at this date that, notwithstanding rare prudence and judgment had been employed in the expenditures of the city rev- enues, and notwithstanding the most rigid economy had been prac- ticed in every department, the city fund was still inadequate to meet anything but the simplest necessities. Such parsimony was deemed unwise, and the press advocated such an annual increase as would be proportionate to the increased population.
For at least a half dozen years there had been no increase in tax- ation for municipal purposes in Chicago. In 1891, immediately after the enlargement of the city by annexation, the assessed valu- ation was, in round numbers, $256,000,000. In 1896 the assessed valuation was only $244,000,000. Here was a decrease in the tax revenue of about $240,000, while the city had probably increased from 15 to 25 per cent in population and in necessary expenses. The present financial ills were believed to be due to the existing faulty assessment and revenue systems. Owing to the fact that the city revenues were deemed inadequate, municipal authorities had adopted the policy of running into debt, and continued the practice until now the limit was overreached. The truth was that the city authorities were unwilling, or thought they were unable, to live within the income. During the last few years, not only had the indebtedness not been increased, but it had been actually reduced, notwithstanding the revenues remained stationary while the neces- sary expenditures increased. The city in its emergency had adopted the policy of issuing time warrants in anticipation of the collection of taxes. Mayor Swift stated that during his two years of admin- istration the bonded debt was reduced $644,000 and the floating debt $625,000. At the same time there was a reduction in the pay rolls of over $1,800,000. Two years before this date the city's warrants and franchises were 15 per cent discount. Now they commanded a small premium.
The decrease of 2,600 in the number of deaths this year was announced by the health department to be due to the work of the health bureau. The greater part of the decrease was shown to be among children under 5 years of age. During the year the city erected an isolation hospital. Effective steps to dispose of the city garbage were taken. This step contributed to the healthfulness of the city. The health department particularly investigated the foods required by small children, such as milk, etc. They also successfully treated diphtheria and other contagious diseases under improved methods.
The public took great interest in 1896 in the subject of compen- sation for special privileges, particularly by the street railway com- panies. During the year the pay rolls of the city were purged of
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numerous and unnecessary alleged employes, "whose only excuse for being upon them was that they had rendered valuable services to the political party to which they happened to belong." The sav- ing thus effected amounted in twenty-four months to the astonish- ing sum of $1,822,391.81.
During 1896 the Council appropriated $50,000 for the comple- tion of the John Worthy Training school, which was being con- ducted as a reformatory institution. It was stated that during the past twenty-four years 24,600 boys ranging in age from 8 to 16 years had been committed to the Bridewell for all classes of of- fenses and there had been thrown in contact with depraved crimi- nals of the worst character. Of this total number the superin- tendent of the institution declared that only 738 boys had ever attended the public schools of the city. It was declared a grievous wrong that boys of a tender age should be thrown in contact with criminals under the pretense of improving them. It was hoped that the John Worthy Training school would effect the complete isola- tion of these juvenile offenders from old and hardened criminals.
Street car transfers were carried into effect generally through- out the city during the previous two years. The lake front im- provements were a source of general congratulation. The suburban railway stations on the lake front were placed underground, greatly to the pleasure of the public. Track elevation progressed rapidly and satisfactorily. The mayor recommended that important changes should be made in the city charter. It was his opinion that because the mayor was held responsible for the city adminis- tration he should possess the power to appoint the city clerk, at- torney, treasurer and other officials.
Mayor Harrison claimed at the close of 1898 that his adminis- tration had restored the confidence he had found wanting two years before when he took the reins of city government. The bonded debt was reduced $96,000. The permanent assets were increased over $4,447,000. There was refunded at 31/2 per cent $290,000 of 7 per cent city bonds. The credit of the city was so strengthened that refunding bonds bearing an exceedingly low rate were sold at a premium. Of these bonds $100,000 were sold so low they cost the municipality in interest only 3.2 per cent, the best price ever obtained for such issues. Unjustified time warrants to the amount of $2,350,000, bearing 41/2 per cent interest, were sold. Water certificates to the amount of $2,200,000, bearing 4 per cent, were issued. All these issues bore a lower rate than ever before in the history of the city. The mayor pointed with pride to the business- like manner with which the controller's office and all departments of the city administration were managed. During the year more than 6,000 special assessment warrants were investigated and the collection of rebates on them was commenced. Before this date these rebates seemed to be in a state of hopeless confusion.
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At the end of the year 1897 Mayor Harrison congratulated the county on the scarcity of vicious legislation passed by them and on the numerous important matters that had received due consider- ation, such as track elevation, intercepting sewers, electric light . extension, the new building ordinance, the water reform office, and settlement of the garbage question. Six per cent time warrants were retired and 5 per cent warrants substituted. Of the bonded debt $65,000 was retired and cancelled; the old special assessment accounts were taken up anew; a supervision of all appropriations and expenditures was established and maintained; all salaries were approved by the civil service commissioners before payment, and a thorough checking system for the controller's office was adopted. The mayor declared with emphasis that the revenues of the city were insufficient to pay the expenses of the police and fire depart- ments alone. No wonder streets and alleys were foul, bridges and other works out of repair and streets no better lighted. The city indebtedness was limited to about $10,000,000, though by a con- servative estimate city property was worth at least ten times as much. Any business corporation under the same circumstances would not hesitate to incur an indebtedness of $30,000,000. In spite of this lack of revenue the administration, it was declared, did its best to conduct city affairs in a creditable, satisfactory. and efficient manner, and succeeded. The stock yards canal, the west fork of the South branch and south fork of the South branch were stated to be a menace to the health in that locality. The construc- tion of the conduit at Thirty-ninth street was intended to purify those branches and its completion was urged. Much to divert the sewage from the lake was done. The early completion of the sani- tary canal would still further purify the lake and the river branches.
All departments of the city hall were subjected during 1898 to thorough inquiry, particularly as to their bookkeeping methods. Great improvements were introduced. The police justices were allowed fixed salaries and the fees were turned into the city treas- ury. The water office, which had been a prolific source of scandals, was thoroughly investigated, inundated and washed. The crude system of accounts and the unsystematic conduct there were en- tirely changed and reëstablished upon better and more modern lines. The water rates were reduced and the revenues increased. Every assessment made back to 1872 was thoroughly examined. During 1898 there was organized a special department to manage the elec- tric interests of the city. This was followed by a reduction in ex- penses and by better service in the light, fire alarm telegraph and police telephone systems. The City Council appropriated during the year $150,000 for the extension of the electric light system. The police force numbered 2,675. The steel fireboat "Illinois" was pur- chased by the city and placed in service at a cost of $70,000. In 1897 the department of supplies was created and put in operation.
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By 1899 there was shown a great improvement in the department of public service. After the 1st of March, 1898, the city collected and removed garbage with its own men and teams. After July, 1898, nearly 40 per cent of the sewage which previously had been turned into the lake was diverted and forced into the Illinois and Michigan canal. Permission from the United States government to erect a pumping station upon submerged land at the foot of Thirty-ninth street was granted. Surveys for straightening the North branch of the river were completed and the project was shown to be practicable.
At the close of 1899 the financial condition of the city was unu- sually good. Refunding bonds at a low rate of interest were promptly accepted by bankers and capitalists. Chicago water serv- ice improvement bonds and time warrants found a ready market. The city administration, though working under the restrictive con- stitution of 1870, proved itself superior to restrictive conditions, and by taking advantage of circumstances refused to be circum- scribed and continued to expand in all legitimate directions at an astonishing rate. There were constant temptations to depart from the hampered environments of the past and to meet modern re- quirements with improved surroundings and amplifications. What would have been considered rank extravagance a dozen years before was now looked upon as an excusable and absolute necessity.
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In the late '90s there came the general demand for improvement of all the city departments. The citizens determined that municipal management should be simplified, economized, improved and ex- tended without delay, complication or corruption. People demand- ed cleaner streets, better sidewalks, smoother pavements, less gar- bage, better police surveillance, a decrease of immorality, more rig- orous inspection of tenements and factories, public baths, more and better hospitals, bascule bridges, small playgrounds, artistic im- provement of all waste places, better architecture, deeper and larger tunnels, perfect sanitation, purer water and scores of other modern conveniences, comforts and improvements. This involved a much larger revenue. It was known that, owing to the great incrcase in population and wealth, the city could stand a much higher taxation -not per capita, but in bulk on the whole property valuation.
The early completion of the drainage channel in 1898-99 prom- ised a wonderful improvement when the Chicago river should be reversed and its foul current sent toward the Mississippi. It had now come to pass that public attention, as never before, was turned critically and understandingly upon the management and magni- tude of public affairs. In former years people disregarded details and alleged fraudulent practices though they increased vastly the indebtedness and perplexity of the city government. It was at last realized that the most inconsequential department of the city government might become a prolific nest of corruption unless
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properly watched, investigated and managed. A single diseased member might infect and dangerously sicken the entire city organism. Accordingly the newspapers during the '90s are full of critical observations concerning the management of every depart- ment of the city and county governments. People at length were willing to furnish sufficient money to conduct the administrations of both city and county along economical, correct and modern lines.
During twenty-seven years prior to 1900, the territory of Chicago had become five and one-half times greater, the population four and one-half times greater, but the revenue only two and one-half times greater. In the meantime the artistic and cultivated city demanded better service in every department. An accommodation that gave abundant satisfaction in 1873 was regarded as antiquated, useless and wholly inadequate in 1900. Chicago was no longer satisfied with "good enough," but wanted the best along modern lines to be had for the money. The city was really elevated by the World's Fair to a height and ambition never before attained by any American metropolis. Ideals and aspirations were loftier than ever before. People demanded advanced surroundings in harmony with the prominence and grandeur won by the World's Fair.
It was admitted that the average citizen was taxed out of all pro- portion to his property, and therefore the demand that corporate wealth should bear its just proportion of taxation arose, expanded and intensified. Wealthy men presumed to be fair and honest were accustomed to depreciate their property when the assessor appeared and to appreciate it at the sight of a purchaser. This was true to such an alarming and shameful extent as to cause an indignant protest from the people through the public press. Millions worth of property owned by individuals, large corporations and other con- cerns were skillfully and wrongfully hidden from the assessor. Sev- eral of the most prominent citizens of the city-men of acknowledged repute, high standing, unbounded credit and unquestionable wealth -were guilty of the picayunish offense of misrepresenting their property to the assessor. In other words, men who outwardly con- sidered their word as good as their bond clandestinely lied to the assessor and deceived him. At the same time it was not asserted even by wealthy men that taxation in this city was unreasonably high. However, much complaint arose whenever it was proposed to increase taxation. In fact, whenever such an event occurred, property owners promptly raised their rents and threw the increased burden upon the poorer classes, who of necessity were forced to oc- cupy the property.
The old proposition of uniting or consolidating the various inde- pendent bodies within the city limits was still seen to be a step to secure greater revenue by saving large sums spent uselessly on a complication of government within government. At the close of 1899 Mayor Harrison said : "Personally I am unalterably opposed
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to any scheme of consolidation depending for its accomplishment upon an addition to Chicago's present territorial limits. This city is today spread over such an extensive and unproductive territory as to render an expansion of its territorial limits absolutely out of the question. Without the extension of a single foot we can weld the present taxing bodies exercising municipal functions with the limits of Chicago into a harmonious whole, by which useless officers may be dispensed with, all the various municipal functions be com- bined under individual control, and the responsibility for bad gov- ernment be placed where the people may readily see at whose door the fault properly lies. This question of the consolidation of exist- ing governments should be considered, not by outside irresponsible bodies, no matter how pure their motives, but by the people's paid servants, the legislative and executive branches of the city govern- ment."
At this date taxes within the city limits were levied and expended by the following bodies: The city, school board, library board, county, West park, South park, Lincoln park, South town, East town, North town, Lake View, Jefferson, Lake and Hyde Park. Each of these bodies had a full staff of executive and administrative officers, whose usual duty could be performed by one man, probably much more satisfactorily than under the existing complicated and hydra-headed taxing monstrosity.
In considering the consolidation of the departments or governing bodies, the merging of the sanitary district with the city water de- partment was proposed and involved. This step was advocated not only by the mayor but by the most progressive citizens of the city and county. The purposes of the two bodies were so nearly identical that a consolidation under one head was economical, de- sirable and practicable. The appointment of a commission of citi- zens to push forward the ship canal scheme was recommended. It meant incalculable benefit to all of Cook county; in fact, to all of northern Illinois drained by such a system. It was argued that the citizens should not rest contented until a fourteen-foot channel was extended from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi. The close con- nection between the city and the sanitary district was shown by the demand that the water power developed at Lockport should be the property of the municipality rather than be surrendered for a nomi- nal sum to private capitalists. The citizens felt that the drainage channel should be the property of the city and county. On March 5, 1900, under authority of the City Council, the controller pre- pared bonds to the amount of $2,500,000 to be used in developing the canal water power, and a test case to settle in the highest court whether the city could legally issue such bonds was instituted. The importance of replacing center pier bridges with those of the bas- cule type was clear to the citizens at this date. The deepening of the river and the construction of the proposed ship canal meant the
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lowering of the tunnels and the removal of the center pier bridges. It was evident that these improvements would have to be made at once. The largest lake vessels could not enter the Chicago river, because they could not cross the tunnels nor in some instances could they pass the center pier bridges without great trouble. Should the city, the drainage board, or the traction companies using the tun- nels be required to lower them and remove the center piers? was the pertinent question.
At this date (spring of 1900) there was a general feeling throughout the city that long-time bonds should be issued with which to make necessary public improvements. It was felt gener- ally that coming generations should assist in bearing the burden of public improvements which ought to be commenced, but the tempta- tion to extravagance was considered involved, and proper restric- tions on public indebtedness were duly demanded by the people and the press.
In the spring of 1900 Mayor Harrison recommended that more than $15,000,000 in bonds should be issued for the purpose of building new bridges, police stations and fire engine houses, of de- veloping sanitary district water power, of constructing electric- lighting plants, of retiring outstanding judgments and of establish- ing small parks and playgrounds. He advised that the bonds should be issued in small amounts from time to time as means were needed to pay the expenses of the suggested improvements. A short time previous to this date the judgments outstanding against the city amounted to $2,324,944. He recommended that these judgments, which were bearing 5.6 per cent interest, should be paid with bonds drawing not to exceed 31/4 per cent interest. The popular vote of the people recently sanctioned the issuance of these bonds.
A notable improvement at this date was the great increase in the number of small parks and playgrounds throughout the city. It was stated that no municipality in the world contained a greater number of these breathing places. The mayor favored the policy of lowering the tunnels at the city's expense. This would render the city independent of the railway companies, which were begging for liberal franchises, and also independent not only of the drainage board but of the government as well. As the amount required was comparatively small, the city should not hesitate to make this change at once at its own expense.
Mayor Harrison advocated direct labor under the charge of the city on all municipal improvements. He had previously recom- mended this step, but again in 1900 announced himself heartily in its favor. He caused to be published in 1900 a list of the companies and corporations enjoying public property and privileges without paying adequate compensation therefor. It was shown that a great increase in revenue would result by requiring such concerns to pay their just dues. It was argued that there was no better reason why
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private citizens should occupy space under city sidewalks, streets and alleys free of charge than that a railroad company should make use of the public highway free of charge. Investigation showed that such property then in use could be made to pay nearly $500,000 annual revenue into the city treasury.
During the year 1900 there was a general awakening of the Chicago tax-paying public to the meagerness of city revenues. A demand that the city be conducted along modern lines, regardless of proper and necessary expense, was publicly manifested. The only taxing bodies that failed to receive any relief were those of the city of Chicago, its subordinate bodies, the Board of Education and the library board. In the spring of 1899 the city made its appropriations and based its estimate of receipts upon the taxation of 1898. In the fall of 1899, acting under the new revenue law, the Board of Assessors and the Board of Review considerably increased the assessed valuation of property within the limits of Cook county. As the city of Chicago had already passed its appropriation bill for that year, it was unable to take advantage of the greater assessment thus made. However, all other taxing bodies within the county took advantage of the circumstances and considerably enlarged their rates. In the spring of 1900 the city government in passing its appropriation bill assumed that the assessed valuation would not be less than it had been in the spring of 1899. Upon this basis the revenues for the year 1900 were estimated at $6,593,751. Later during the year it was announced that the Board of Assessors and the Board of Review contemplated a reduced assessment for Cook county. As this meant a decrease in the city revenues and as such decrease was unexpected, it was seen that unnecessary hardships might be cast upon the city administration. It might compel great retrenchment at an enormous inconvenience. In response to de- mand the city authorities immediately reduced the estimates of all departments of the city. When the assessment for the year 1900 was finally announced it was seen that the city revenues for the year, instead of being the above sum contemplated, would be only $5,365,378. The city was thus compelled during the last half of the year to operate at greatly reduced expenditures. Many em- ployes were dismissed and legitimate expenses were cut in order to live within the limits of the revenue. As the city was growing at the rate of about 100,000 a year and as it was steadily increasing in proper expenditures, the importance of increasing suitably the rev- enue annually was emphasized through the public press and through the messages and papers of the city government.
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