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 49
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As early as August 28, 1872, the city and county authorities came to terms and agreed by contract to erect a new courthouse. In July, 1875, J. J. Egan, architect, was employed to superintend the court- house, and his salary was fixed at $37,000. After that, work on the building steadily progressed until the foundation was made complete. By July 4, 1877, the county debt consisted of war bonds to the amount of $2,500,000, also $1,500,000 issued for the above pur- pose, of which all except $50,000 was still outstanding. The bonded debt since the fire had thus been increased to a total of $1,375,000. The immense revenue was frittered away in useless and padded pay- rolls, while the board offered the miserable excuse of having no money to meet the above building expenses and hence issued bonds.
In August, 1877, the equalized valuation of rents, lots and real estate in Cook county amounted to $107,620,870 ; personal property, $21,705,082 ; railroad property, $1,127,563 ; total, $130,453,515.
The committee on finance in November, 1877, fixed the county tax for the fiscal year at $1,608,405. At the end of the fiscal year December 1, 1877, Chairman Holden of the County Board summed up what had been accomplished during the preceding year. The in-
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sane asylum and the poorhouse had been found in bad condition and overcrowded. Both were put in excellent condition and new build- ings were erected. A new engine house at the insane asylum was built. At the beginning of the year the county hospital located at Eighteenth street "reminded one more of a hog pen than it did of a place of shelter for the unfortunate sick of the county." The board of 1875 originated and carried into effect the construction of a group of hospital buildings at Wood and Harrison streets which were a credit to the county. The students' hall at the Normal school was built and the new courthouse was well advanced. By December 1, 1877, the new courthouse had cost a total of $749,227. There had been appropriated for the structure at that date a total of $1,359,927.
In December, 1878, Henry C. Senne was elected chairman of the board. He stated that the County Board for two years in succession had submitted the question of issuing bonds to complete the new courthouse to a vote of the people, and the first year such authority was refused and was refused also at the election in 1878. Mr. Senne said that it seemed not out of order to inquire into the probable cause for such refusal. The building was needed and the contracts already entered into, but the agreement could not be complied with by direct taxation and therefore the issue of bonds would have to follow. He stated that the act of February 5, 1872, authorizing the County Board to issue bonds to the amount of $1,500,000 for the purpose of building a courthouse had been, in his opinion diverted from the pur- pose intended. The money was used to build the jail and Criminal Court building, the insane asylum, enlargement of poorhouse, and the erection of the students' hall at Englewood, and a large expenditure on hospital grounds, which he regarded as wholly unnecessary, be- cause the county then owned the Reform school grounds, the best in the county for hospital purposes, and when all of the $1,500,000, except about $100,000, had been expended in buildings scattered all over the county it was then found necessary to build a courthouse and the county had no means with which to do it. He stated that the people were led to believe that the courthouse under the architect's estimate would cost $2,000,000; that the structure could be built with the resources on hand; that on December 26, 1876, the board by a vote of 11 to 4 adopted a resolution to issue $1,000,000 in county bonds without submitting the question to the vote of the people. The action was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. But in the meantime considerable expense was incurred which must be borne by the county ; therefore, in view of these facts, it was not surprising that a majority of votes should be found against the issuance of bonds. Had the courthouse been built with the bonds authorized to be issued for that purpose, the charitable and educational institutions might have been built as the taxable ability of the county would have justified, and there would have been probably no necessity to issue bonds. The present board was not responsible for this state of
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- affairs, but the facts still existed and must be met. It would require $1,000,000 additional with which to complete the courthouse, and there were a large amount of other claims due and unpaid. To meet these the county had. $490,000 back taxes and the Reform school grounds. The people at the recent and previous elections, by voting against the bonds, had signified their wish that thereafter the county should adopt the policy of "pay as you go." With this idea in view the county affairs during 1878 and 1879 were conducted. This administration was the first for more than a decade that made a serious, earnest and promising attempt not only to live within the income, but to commence the payment of the indebtedness.
Prior to 1870 the county offices were managed under the fee sys- tem, but on that date a change was made to the existing salary sys- tem. The latter, as it was debauched, did not prove any better than the fee system. It was really turned into a burden. At this date there was not a branch of the county government the fees of which would pay its way except perhaps the treasurer's office. A thorough investigation by hired experts to ascertain how county affairs should be conducted at a less expense for salaries or fees was insti- tuted.
At the election of November 5, 1878, the question of issuing $750,000 in county bonds was voted upon. It was reported at first that the issue was defeated. In reality there were cast 15,903 votes in favor of the issue and 14,664 against it. The following country towns cast a majority vote against the issue of the bonds: Barring- ton, Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Cicero, Elk Grove, Hanover, Hyde Park, Jefferson, Lake, Lake View, Leyden, Lyons, New Trier, Northfield, Norwood Park, Orland, Palatine, Palos, Proviso, Riv- erside, Rich, Schaumberg, Thornton, and Wheeling. The County Board therefore ordered the issue of the bands as aforesaid. The question of the right to issue these bonds was taken into the courts, whereupon it was discovered that the election officers had reversed the vote and had declared that 14,282 ballots were cast in favor of issuing the bonds and 15,549 ballots were cast against the issue. The court found upon investigation that the votes cast in favor of issuing the bonds numbered 15,903 and against the bonds 14,664 and further that the County Board was thus authorized to issue the bonds.
On January 20, 1879, pursuant to the vote of the preceding No- vember authorizing the board to issue county bonds, the County Board ordered prepared and issued bonds to the amount of $750,000 in denominations of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 each, payable in 1899 and bearing not exceeding 10 per cent interest. The bonds were to be known as courthouse bonds and were to be regis- tered. In February, 1879, the board passed resolutions to assess annually thereafter upon the taxable property of the county a sum sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds, and also to provide a sink- ing fund that would retire them when due.
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The total of taxable property in Cook county returned by the com- mittee on equalization in August, 1879, was 119,358,164. A minor- ity of the committee made a special report stating that they could not agree with the equalization proposed by the majority. They stated that the majority passed their assessments upon estimates of former years and ignored the actual and increased value of lands assessed on this date. The minority pointed out several instances where they deemed the assessment of the majority unjust. However, the assess- ment of the latter was allowed to stand.
The rules of the commissioners required the County Board annu- ally at its September meeting to make a full and accurate statement of the receipts and expenditures of the preceding year, together with an accurate statement of the finances of the county at the end of the fiscal year. Under this law, in September, 1879, the bonded debt of Cook county was found to be $4,941,500, less a total of $261,216 of bonds unsold and of sinking fund and interest. It was noted that on May 1, 1880, war bonds to the amount of $1,158,500 would be- come due, and that therefore some means to pay the same would have to be provided. In September, 1879, the State Board of Equaliza- tion fixed the valuation of Cook county assessable property at $146,- 435,495.
The people of the county had witnessed with dismay the action of the County Board in steadily running in debt ever since the fire. The bonded debt had been considerably increased and the floating indebtedness amounted to a large additional sum. When, therefore, in 1877 it was proposed to issue bonds with which to construct the new courthouse the authority to issue was voted down by a large majority. This indicated that the people had lost confidence in the ability of the County Board to manage county affairs. It then be- came apparent and was so announced by the newspapers that if the board should succeed in reducing expenses by about $200,000 for the year 1878 the people would not refuse to authorize them to issue at least $500,000 worth of courthouse bonds. Strenuous attempts to accomplish that reduction succeeded. The consequence was that at the election of November, 1878, the people voted in favor of the issue of $750,000 of courthouse bonds. From December 1, 1876, to December 1, 1879, the County Board ordered paid more than $2,400,000 worth of obligations. In doing so they accomplished a saving during 1878 and 1879 of about $580,000. Almost every de- partment of the county showed a saving in reduced salaries, dis- missed employes and lighter expenses. At last, in response to the de- mands of the people, the board awakened to the fact that they could not go on forever running in debt and that the time to halt had ar- rived.
On December 1, 1879, the new County Board elected John W. Stewart chairman for the coming year. In his opening address he said: "The people of Cook county, and especially the taxpayers,
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are justly looking with a jealous eye upon your every vote and act and are only too glad to applaud the good and are swift to condemn the bad. We are their servants and should exercise the same watch- fulness and anxious care that we do over our own individual busi- ness." He noted the importance of selecting good men for grand * and petit jurors and for all subordinate positions under the county government. It was necessary further to practice great economy in purchasing supplies for the various city departments and institutions.
In November, 1879, the question of issuing new bonds to be used in retiring $1,158,500 worth of war bonds soon to fall due was sub- mitted to a vote of the people of the country a majority of the votes being cast in favor of such issue. Accordingly the board in January, 1880, ordered the bonds issued. They were to be known as refund- ing bonds. The committee on finance called for bids and Charles Henrotin offered par for the entire issue. This being the best re- ceived, he was awarded the sale. In September, 1880, the books of the county treasurer showed the following conditions of county finances for the fiscal year 1879-80; balance on hand September 9, 1879, $610,526.23 ; total receipts, $2,966,079.76; total disbursements, $2,564,477.85, leaving on hand September 1, 1880, $1,012,128.14.
It was shown at this time that the revenue from 1871 to 1879 remained about the same notwithstanding the population increased from 349,966 to 607,568. In addition it was shown in September, 1880, that every department had to its credit a considerable balance. This proved how the money was frittered away from 1871 to 1878 inclusive. Waste, waste in all directions and ever the howl for more. The boards during those years were clearly incompetent -- in fact were incompetent almost the whole time since the Civil War.
The annual report of the county treasurer for the year ending September 1, 1884, showed that there had been received a total of $1,447,934.93 and that all had been spent except $255,979.67. The total bonded debt of the county amounted to $4,941,000. In No- vember, 1884, the committee on finance made estimates for the fiscal year 1884-5. The total valuation of Cook county's assessable prop- erty as returned by the committee on equalization aggregated $174,- 433,355. A tax of 75 cents on the 100 valuation would realize $1,308,250.16. This tax was recommended by the committee and was adopted by the County Board.
At the meeting of the new board on December 1, 1884, Adam Ochs was elected chairman for the coming year. The board was compelled to face the situation of an empty treasury and accordingly began measures to raise the money. For the fiscal year 1884-5 the sum of $1,065,000 was appropriated for county purposes. The amount outstanding to be met was $131,988. To pay this sum the earnings of the various county offices, amounting to about $90,000, could be depended upon. The remainder would have to wait until taxes were collected unless the treasury could be induced to advance
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the money from the sinking funds. It was noted that the increase in the valuation between 1881 and 1884 was $18,133,527, which, at the rate of 75 cents on the $100 valuation, would produce $136,001, and that the increase in expenditures between 1881 and 1884 was $278,189. Hence arose the deficiency in the general fund. It was further shown that the appropriation of $1,065,000 for 1884-5 would have to cover all expenditures ordered by the board, and further that expenditures in 1883-4 amounted to more than that sum. There was, therefore, likely to be a shortage. It was evident that the cause of the present unsatisfactory condition of the general fund was due to the expenditure of money regardless of resources and appropria- tions and that the only remedy in future was to confine expenses to the appropriations and moneys received from other sources necessary to be taken into consideration. It was therefore determined by the board to ask the county treasurer to allow, temporarily, the general fund to be overdrawn to an amount not exceeding $300,000, for the purpose of paying the ordinary running expenses of the county until the taxes should be collected. It was further ordered that each county department should be instructed so to manage its affairs that the expenses would not exceed the appropriations by more than 10 per cent, even though positions would have to be abolished and sal- aries reduced. This action was taken by a unanimous vote of the new board.
In January, 1885, the board took action relative to the issuance of $100,000 in bonds to be used in constructing a system of buildings for the Cook County Insane asylum. It was noted that large amounts of valuable property in Cook county wholly or partially escaped due taxation, particularly property owned by railroad com- panies and comprising nearly 10 per cent of the entire real estate of the city. It was noted also that the capital stock of incorporated companies aggregated as much as the entire present assessment of Cook county, and that the same was almost wholly untaxed. Ele- vators, warehouses and their contents, amounting in actual value to 75 per cent of the whole valuation of the county, was assessed at merely a nominal value. All moneys and credits, amounting to millions of dollars, were likewise unassessed, contrary to law. Cen- tral property of high value was assessed at a lower rate compara- tively than property located elsewhere. All of these facts convinced the board that reform measures on a large scale should be adopted in order not only to meet the revenues due the state and city, but also to carry on the actual current expenses. The board therefore re- solved that the joint committee on equalization of taxes and public service should proceed to ascertain what was required to secure the proper valuation on property. It was necessary to pay $958,000 in war bonds, which would become due and payable May 1, 1885. In order to meet this sum the County Board, in 1883, had raised by tax- ation $200,000 and in 1884 258,000 more. It was therefore neces-
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sary in 1885 to raise $500,000 additional. The people of the county in September, 1884, had voted in favor of such bonds. Accordingly in January, 1885, the board ordered them issued.
In June, 1885, it was noted that during the two years of 1876 and 1877 a total revenue for all purposes subject to expenditure amounted to $3,238,000, and that the same revenue for 1884-85 amounted to . $3,368,000. The increase being only $130,000, was but 4 per cent, whereas the legitimate requirements of the various departments had increased from 25 to 300 per cent. In addition, it was shown that a large portion of the revenue of 1884 and 1885 had been and was being used in the construction of hospital buildings, insane asylum and numerous other prominent improvements, and that during 1876-77 such improvements were not made. It was alleged that the authorities in 1885 were required to accomplish economy and im- provement which the authorities of 1876 and 1877 had failed to perform. There should have been no comparison, because the board of 1876-7 was incompetent and perhaps dishonest. The voters of the county at the last election had refused to issue bonds for the pur- pose of completing the proposed new insane asylum and other public- buildings. It was therefore concluded that no other remedy existed than to practice, so far as the public knew, the most rigid economy, discharge with a flourish unnecessary employes, and mournfully cur- tail all expenditures on improvements that did not have to be met immediately.
The following improvements were announced as very important at this date: Four additional wings to the insane asylum ; two addi- tional wings to the infirmary; repairs and protection to the court- house; water mains at the insane asylum; gas works and electric lights at the infirmary ; the same at the insane asylum ; additional pa- vilions and barracks at the county hospital ; new roof on the Normal school building and repairs at the students' hall ; repairs on the Crim- inal Court building ; reservoirs on the infirmary and insane asylum. All these improvements would cost, roughly estimated, a total of $577,000. Many of such improvements were declared necessary when it was not true. It was seen that the levy of 75 cents on the $100 would realize a revenue of about $1,300,000. Of this sum over $650,000 would be required to pay salaries of judges and other county officers, etc., leaving only about $750,000 to be used to pay all other county expenses, including the care of all county institutions. The committee on finance therefore, in this alleged emergency, rec- ommended that a conference of the leading citizens of the county to ascertain what was best to be done in the emergency should be held. This action was taken unanimously.
On September 1, 1885, William C. Seipp, county treasurer, re- ported that during the fiscal year 1884-5 the total receipts from all sources were $3,213,697.40, and the total disbursements the same, less $369,607.16 on hand. At this date the Cook county bonded debt amounted to $4,483,500.
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HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY
At the December session of the new board in 1885, George C. Klehm was elected chairman for the coming year. The new presi- dent noted that the political complexion of the board was changed from what it had been during the previous three years. He said, "The finances of the county are in such a deplorable condition that we must exercise the most rigid economy in every department to enable us to keep within the limits of the revenue which we are allowed by law to raise for county purposes. The general fund in the county treasury has been exceeded for several months, and $302,- 500.28 in orders on the county treasury are already drawn against the appropriations for the general fund of this fiscal year over and above the amount in the treasury to the credit of this fund. This is the first organization of a new board for many years in which the general fund shows a deficiency." It was noted that while the population of the county had increased about 35 per cent in eight years and that new courts and departments had been increased greatly, the revenue remained about the same. The demands of charity were doubled during the last five years.
All classes, it was stated, should pay a fair and equitable tax. Township and county authorities throughout the surrounding cities purposely sent paupers and insane persons to Chicago, where they were picked up by the police and finally given homes in the Cook county institutions at the expense of the people. Every county chari- table institution at this time was crowded with inmates. New wings to these institutions were absolutely necessary. Barracks for con- tagious diseases were imperatively demanded. There was no proper place to keep meat, butter or perishable produce at the hospital build- ings. Repairs on the courthouse were necessary. There were sev- eral important suits pending against the city which, if decided ad- versely, would require a considerable sum of money. It was there- fore concluded by the board, in view of this condition, that every de- partment of the county should keep within the appropriations set apart. "Let this new board go to work with a firm determination to redeem the county from its present embarrassment. Let us con- duct the affairs of the county on business principles; have fair com- petition in all contracts ; purchase supplies for our institutions from respectable wholesale houses; cut off all extra pay rolls; hold all officers responsible for expenditures in every department ; examine every pay roll and discharge every person whose service can be dis- pensed with, and conduct the affairs of the county in such a manner as will confer honor and credit on every member of this board," said President Klehm with hypocritical unction.
In January, 1886, Julius S. Grinnell, State's attorney, reported having tried and disposed of during the year ending November 30, 1885, a total of 806 cases. Of these, 319 were convictions to the penitentiary and four were death sentences. The attorneys con- nected with the department at this time were Mr. Grinnell and three assistants.
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During 1886 the County Board was justly subjected to the sever- est criticisms ever passed upon that body. The board emphatically denied extravagance and declared that a lack of revenue was the cause of the trouble. Now there were 600 patients in the finest chari- ty hospital building in the world; 700 inmates in the insane asylum ; 1,200 old and infirm inmates at the infirmary; 6,000 families re- ceiving assistance from the county agent; double the number of courts of ten years before; industrial schools for boys and girls costing a large sum; a Normal school turning out teachers for the West; an immense expense required to care for the paupers and crime which accompanied a population of nearly a million people; immense sums spent for public buildings of every description ; vast increase not only in the number of departments of public affairs but in the work and employes of the various departments. This was the condition of things in 1886, wholly different from what it was twelve years before. It was shown that from 1871 to 1883 the average revenue annually was about $860,000, and that the sum for the years 1883 to 1886 averaged only $795,000. The immense increase in the population and expenses during the past three years without a corre- sponding increase in revenue compelled the County Board, it was al- leged, to run in debt. It was not a matter of extravagance, but one of necessity. The board announced regretfully that they were com- pelled to meet the emergency in the best way possible, and accord- ingly issued bonds, borrowed, etc., as any business man would do if pressed for funds in the same fashion. They resented the imputa- tions of corruption and dishonesty and asked, "Who is responsible for this misrepresentation of facts? Simply those persons who are defrauding the public yearly out of millions of dollars of just taxa- tion. They raise this cry of extravagance and fraud while they do the robbing. What business man can pay the expenses of a business requiring 100 assistants and cater to the wants of 10,000 people with the same amount of money he could when it required 50 assistants and his patrons only numbered' 5,000; Such requirements are not demanded in the business world and are not to be expected in public matters, and when the true state of affairs is understood, will not the honest and honorable citizens of Cook county do us the tardy justice we are entitled to and hurl back into the teeth of those who have deceived them, the base calumnies so long heaped upon this County Board? The present Board is the most economical in the history of Cook county. This can be proved. Every dollar will be accounted for. Complete and perfect records are on exhibition. No former board ever caused such books to be kept. Every statement made in the books will be verified by an examination of the records on file. This cry of extravagance was raised to cover the shortcomings and robberies of the tax-dodgers. The county revenue has not increased while the inhabitants, necessary pauperism and business requirements have, and it is simply an impossibility to sustain the requirements of
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