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 53
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The dieting of jurors and the management of their lodgings were faulty and criticised. The Board of Civil Service Commissioners, though hampered by prejudice and by open and bitter opposition. managed to effect a considerable advance over the previous year. The industrial schools were recognized as a great benefit to the coun- ty. They were materially assisted by the County Board. During the year 1900 the two issues of bonds, one for $750,000 and the other for $1.150,000, were refunded at a low rate of interest, thus saving annually to the county a large sum. As a whole, the county passed through the year in better shape than had been anticipated. Thougli the revenues were smaller than before and though the expenses were higher, rigid economy, pruning of salaries, curtailment of every unnecessary expense and the inspection of all legitimate outgoes ac- complished a most successful administration of county affairs. At the close of 1900 among the important questions were, What pro- visions should be made for sustaining the Board of Jury Commis- sioners, Civil Service Commissioners, Assessors and Review, and also should there be a constitutional convention, and should town and city governments be consolidated under one head ?
In December, 1900, President John J. Hanberg stated with some concern that from outside rumors it was to be inferred that the county was not in good financial condition. It was certain that the Legislature, perhaps unwittingly, had inflicted upon Cook county the burdens of new revenue and primary laws without providing for the expense arising under them. They had undoubtedly crippled the taxing power and curtailed the income without adding to the re- sources or revenue. However, retrenchment and economy properly and justly applied, it was argued, would no doubt carry the county
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successfully through the coming year. Necessarily large sums would have to be spent to sustain the county institutions. Still greater efficiency under the merit system being persistently put in operation by the Civil Service Commission could and should be obtained.
In October, 1901, the County Board emphasized very strongly its request that the State Board of Equalization should increase the assessed valuation on railroad and capital stock over the assessment of the previous year. At this date they prepared statistics showing that the departments of Jury Commissioners, Civil Service Commis- sioners, Boards of Assessors and Review and Primary Law cost the county annually about $400,000. In addition the general election laws were so changed as likewise to double the expense of conduct- ing elections. In the near future, also, additional judges and in- creased judicial expense would add an additional cost of about $144,000. As the county's income from fee offices had steadily de- creased for five years, no relief could be expected from that quarter. It was therefore apparent that the needed revenue must come front an increased assessment or an increased levy. As already there was much complaint concerning the burden of taxation, any new levy, it was reasoned, should be placed upon untaxed railroad property and the capital stock of various corporations. It was the common belief throughout Cook county at this date that neither the railroads nor the corporations referred to were assessed as much as they should be under the law. It was shown that under the restoration of the 5 per cent limit the assessment of railroads and corporations was not increased proportionately with other property throughout the county. Should such a proportionate increase be made, the total assessment of railroad property would aggregate about $10,- 000,000 more than contemplated, and therefore a sufficient addi- tional revenue would be yielded to meet all legitimate county expe11- ditures. One of the city railways, in 1901, was assessed $7,000,000, and yet its total stock in New York on this date was worth in open market $28,140,000. Why, it was asked, should not this corporate property be listed for assessment at its actual cash value just as the property of individuals was listed?
On January 6, 1902, President Hanberg said that a rigid examina- tion during 1901 proved that for many years the county had been without sufficient means adequately to keep pace with the increased population and consequently with the public service. In addition there had been recently passed several enactments requiring large expenditures by the county without furnishing it the means to meet the same. To add to the annoyance the constitution prevented the county from increasing the tax rate, thus binding it hand and foot and rendering it practically helpless to meet expenses except through niggardly economy and unwise retrenchment. For instance, the average attendance at Dunning in 1895 was 2,637, while in 1901 it was 3,042. This necessitated a much greater expenditure, and to
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meet the same the board accordingly was compelled to discontinue necessary building operations and former boards had been compelled to check progression along modern ideas of improvement. It was shown that in the face of increased expenditures to the amount of $500,000, the previous board was compelled to abate $443,000 of county taxes. But that was not all. That administration was com- pelled to hand over to its successor about $244,000 of back bills, and hand over the county institutions in an impoverished condition so far as revenue was concerned. Therefore the administration in 1901 was compelled not only to meet these back bills, but likewise to provide relief and support for the county institutions. In order to be sure of the ground on which they stood the board made a searching investigation of every department. As a whole the affairs of the county could scarcely be in better condition. With a de- creased revenue and an augmented expense, county affairs had been conducted with almost phenomenal excellence, but necessarily a few obligations were forced over to be met by the subsequent adminis- tration.
During the year 1901 the following was accomplished: The floating debt was reduced from over $244,000 to $156,000; the Civil Service board was reorganized and rendered much more efficient; the county hospital was reorganized and changed in management and system; the medical department of the hospital was reorganized and improved; supplies for the county institutions were inspected and rendered better than ever before; scientific specifications and contracts in the matter of coal deliveries were investigated and adopted; the soft coal contractors "gentlemen's agreement" was broken up; the county attorney forced the collection of delinquent taxes and in six weeks secured $15,000; a new clinical laboratory and museum was established and equipped at the county hospital ; a new boiler plant was established in the same institution ; a revision of the system of management at Dunning was provided for; the county bonded indebtedness was reduced $212,500. In addition, every department was investigated and the service thereof still fur- ther improved.
At the beginning of 1902 the following improvements and reforms seemed necessary : The construction of new buildings at Dunning or the improvement and expansion of the old ones; the insane asy- lum at Dunning was packed to its capacity and needcd enlargement ; the county should vote $500,000 in bonds with which to construct new buildings and make necessary improvements at Dunning. It was a fact not generally known that the public institutions at Dun- ning were on a larger scale than almost any other similar institutions in the country. The state institutions containing Cook county in- mates werc crowded so far as this county's rights were concerned. It seemed absolutely necessary that new departments for the care of various and numerous diseases should be provided and should be iso-
,
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lated from each other. It was recommended that every building at Dunning should be thoroughly inspected and that every available room and corner should be utilized. President Hanberg recom- mended that the board, without waiting for the bond issue to be voted upon soon, should proceed at once to accumulate as large a building fund as possible in order to meet requirements absolutely necessary to be made during the next few years at Dunning.
The number of accidental deaths at railways or grade crossings was called to the attention of the board. New elevators in the county buildings were required. Every assistance possible should be afford- ed the Civil Service commissioners to comply with the law. It was recommended that the county attorney should proceed at once to collect every dollar of delinquent taxes possible. President Han- berg advised that the County Board instead of being elected entirely at one time should be chosen at different times in order that the affairs of any preceding year might be in possession of at least one- half of each new board.
In December, 1901, the total bonded indebtedness of the county amounted to $3,360,000 and the grand total of all county liabilities aggregated $3,516,920.62. The total reduction of county liabilities during 1901 amounted to $299,809.59. The president said, "From the above statement it is obvious that a singular paradox exists in county finances. We are retiring each year $212,500 of bonded indebtedness while there exists a condition in county buildings at Dunning that can only be described as intolerablc." The unwisdom of this state of affairs was clearly and ably pointed out.
During the year there was appointed a disinterested committee of prominent citizens to investigate thoroughly the condition and management of county institutions. Such investigation revealed numerous weaknesses in the management of the county hospital. The investigation resulted in the appointment of Daniel D. Healy as warden under instruction to thoroughly reorganize the manage- ment of that institution. It was immediately thereafter determined to make a similar investigation of the institutions at Dunning. It is probable that never before in the history of the county were such search and investigation of all county institutions and departments instituted and carried to completion. Many faults were revealed and many little improvements were thus accomplished. The office of the county attorney, under E. W. Simms, was conducted in a most successful manner. An investigation showed that during the past ten years $7,000,000 in delinquent taxes was still on the books. Steps to collect as much of this as possible were taken. Important reforms in fee offices and in the public service were also institutcd. As a whole, the administrations of 1900 and 1901 were successful and satisfactory. Delinquencies could be traced almost directly to a lack of revenue. However, the board of 1901 instituted numerous reforms in line with the impulse that had been given to reform dur- ing eight or ten previous years.
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At the close of the fiscal year 1902 excellent progress was shown in every department of the county public service. On December 1, 1902, the following was the condition of the county : Total bonded indebtedness, $3,147,500; floating liabilities, $196,145.56; during two years there was a total reduction of county liabilities of $472,- 994.65 ; never was the county in better condition; at last the officials were no longer in perplexity and doubt as to the outcome of any year's administration ; although the revenues were still too small in the face of a rapidly advancing population and all its increased ex- penditures, the board at all times felt amply secure and able to suc- cessfully carry the county through any year with high credit.
President Henry G. Foreman on December 1, 1902, in his address to the new County Board, noted that there was a floating debt of several hundred thousand dollars and in addition about $150,000 due to cover the expenses of the last election. Provision for the payment of this floating and additional indebtedness must be made. It was therefore necessary to make a considerable reduction in the expenditures of the various departments. There was recommended the appointment of a special attorney to look after the tax levy and do necessary work for the Boards of Review and Assessors and oversee necessary legislation connected with the office of county treasurer and collector. It was determined to make greater progress in clearing the criminal docket in order that expenses might be les- sened and the rights of those charged with offenses might be paid proper regard. Improved methods of bookkeeping were recom- mended for various departments. Advisory boards in connection with committees of the County Board were deemed advisable. These boards it was thought should consist of broadminded, public spirited citizens who could be induced to devote time enough to the consideration of public affairs to benefit the county. It was recom- mended that one of the boards should be called the advisory legal counsel. The County Board, it was suggested, should be the arbiter of all salaries and appointments under its jurisdiction. The board thought that civil service should be expanded to a still greater de- gree. About this time it was determined to appoint a committee on legislation whose duty should be to attend each sitting of the Legis- lature for the purpose of securing needed laws of interest to Cook county.
On December 7, 1903, President Foreman of the County Board stated that the overshadowing problem of the past year was that of finance. The board encountered serious obstacles during the year 1903. This trouble had been anticipated and predicted by preceding boards for several years. A deficit that had grown into a floating debt amounted in December, 1902, to over $500,000. This must be met, but how to do it was the problem. It was resolved to issue bonds to the amount of $1,250,000 to wipe out this indebtedness and to prevent further accumulations of debt during the year 1903 ren-
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dered certain by the lack of revenue. The next step was to increase the revenue by legislative enactment so that they could not again be involved in such distress. It was determined also to put the county abstract department in such condition that an income instead of a loss would result annually. In June, 1903, the people of the county voted upon the bond question and decided in its favor, and accordingly $1,250,000 in 4 per cent bonds was issued and sold in two lots at a premium. This money was promptly used to dis- charge the floating debt and to inaugurate a system, so far as prac- ticable under the circumstances, of doing business on a cash basis. Four laws were requested of the Legislature, as follows: The 2 per cent bill; the inheritance tax bill; the abstract bill and the bill to . decrease court costs. The only assistance received from Springfield was the repeal of the law creating additional judges for Cook county. While this cut off expense, it likewise entailed great hardship upon the legal branch of the public service. The Legislature also passed the bill making the county directly responsible for abstracts issued by the recorder and creating a guaranty fund.
In November, 1902, the question of issuing $500,000 worth of building bonds was answered affirmatively by the people. This meant the completion of additional cottages for the insane and for tuberculosis patients at Dunning and a separate building at the county hospital for patients suffering from contagious diseases. An- other important innovation during 1903 was the appointment of several advisory boards of public-spirited citizens. A commission to establish an outer belt or parkways and preserves was appoint- ed and set at work. A thistle commissioner was also appointed. During the year an immense amount of relief work was done, about 6,834 families being relieved. The county hospital and the institu- tions at Dunning were subject to close inspection and a number of radical changes found necessary from experience were instituted. The medical department at Dunning was a source of much perplex- ity, but was made satisfactory. The Civil Service department made excellent progress during the year. The people of the county and office holders generally came to recognize that the merit system was an inevitable sequence of modern civilization and progress. The county attorney's work showed greater system, better classifi- cation and more successful methods generally than ever before. A considerable sum in delinquent taxes was collected. The depart- ments of Controller, Treasurer, Recorder, Coroner, Board of Asscs- sors, Board of Review, Jury Commissioners and Superintendent of Schools showed progress along improved methods of management. The following progressive steps were advised: No floating debt should be created ; the building improvements at Dunning should be rushed rapidly to completion ; the abstract department should be reformed and expanded in accordance with the new law : all county buildings should be rendered fireproof or be supplied with fire es-
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capes; antiquated machinery and plants of all sorts should be sup- planted with up to date and improved patterns; the county agent needed larger and better quarters; the pathological department of the county hospital should be made more satisfactory ; and the pres- ent efficient system at Dunning should be continued and still greater improvements should be made if possible.
In his annual message in January, 1905, President Brundage stated that the income of the county was insufficient to meet neces- sary obligations, and that under the circumstances there was little opportunity for improvement or retrenchment. The question before the board was how to obtain relief without assailing the Juul law. A year before this date the County Board faced a deficit, including disputed claims, of about $518,000. Unable to meet this obligation, it frankly went to the county, which sanctioned the issue of $1,250,- 000 in bonds. This sum, together with $500,000 obtained from the building fund, enabled the board to conduct county affairs on a cash basis and to erect new buildings at Dunning and at the county hos- pital. However, the amounts thus obtained were insufficient to carry on county affairs, and by January, 1905, there were outstanding un- paid bills to the amount of $538,876 and with only $199,845 cash available. The figures thus indicated that more than $700,000 ad- ditional over and above the present revenue was required annually to meet the expenses of the county. Not only that, but the running expenses were steadily increasing year by year without a correspond- ing increase in the revenue. The new Superior Court judges, the maintenance of the new Children's and Contagious Disease hospitals and the new cottages for the insane asylum required an additional outlay approximately of $60,000 per annum. In 1904 the tax levy amounted to $2,416,483, the county rate being only about 54 cents after being scaled down by operation of the Juul law. In 1905 both the total assessed valuation and the county rate were reduced, show- ing a shrinkage in taxation over the previous year of $102,804. Thus it was shown that the county was undergoing an artificial ex- istence and depending on the skill and audacity of its officers to suc- cessfully conduct its affairs through any one year. Either the skill of the officers, parsimonious retrenchment, or bond issues must be depended upon to tide the county over each year unless some radical changes were adopted. Generally, public opinion and the views of the board were against any change in the 5 per cent limitation sec- tion of the revenue law. It seemed necessary that the Board of As- sessors must become more diligent in discovering taxable property, or that the fees of the various county officers must be raised.
With this situation to face, the County Board in January, 1905, favored legislation along the following lines: To enable counties to retain a portion of the money derived from taxation upon legacies, etc. ; to reimburse counties for the cost of collecting taxes ; to trans- fer the insane hospital at Dunning to the State government ; to place
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the attending staff of physicians and surgeons on a six year term of service; to extend the civil service to all employes of Cook county. President Brundage recommended that all these matters should be energetically pushed by the county committee on legislation.
It was noted at this time that the dockets of the Circuit and Supe- rior courts were congested with more than 30,000 cases and that some measure of relief should be at once adopted. Special legislation to remedy this condition of affairs was recommended. Owing, how- ever, to the financial stringency of the county it was not deemed advisable to secure at this date eight additional judges as was pro- posed. This would mean an additional annual expense of about $240,000 which could not be borne by the county without great in- convenience. The judges were needed and it was a serious question, owing to the congestion of the dockets, whether these judges should be appointed and in some manner the expenses be covered, or whether they should remain unappointed and the courts be left to their ex- isting conditions with dockets two years in arrears. It was thought that the new Municipal courts to be provided for in the new charter would, in a large measure, clear the dockets. One reason for the congestion in the courts was the disapproval of the decisions in justice courts by litigants owing to the iniquitous fee system which put a premium upon litigation. It was at once recommended that there should be reform in both practice and procedure in the county courts. At this date there were twenty-six Circuit and Superior judges. Of this number four sat permanently in the Criminal court and six in the Appellate court. Two were assigned to hear chan- cery cases in the Superior court. This left but fourteen judges to face the congestion of 30,000 law cases, with the knowledge that litigation was on the increase in proportion to the growing popula- tion.
President Brundage, in 1905, noted the following improvements : The superior classification of insane patients ; the care of the physi- cally sick insane ; new quarters for working patients ; the completion of the new building for the use of the insane, etc. It was stated that the hospital for the insane was not a prison, but was designed to remedy human defects. Many of such persons could be so improved as to be made self-supporting. In connection with the asylum should be workshops where brushes, brooms, shoes and other articles could be made by the inmates if able. The infirmary needed a rearrange- ment of its service. At this date the Home for the Care of Tuber- culosis Patients showed excellent results, as the mortality rate was lower than before and the conditions better. There was needed a ward of the institution down town for the moribund cases. It was recommended that a visitation committee of five representative citi- zens should constitute a part of the administrative service at Dun- ning. At the county hospital a notable improvement in the attending staff of physicians and surgeons was made. It was recommended,
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owing to the large amount of pathological material at the county hospital and the institutions at Dunning, that the medical staff con- nected with them should commence a system of scientific research along lines that would prove a benefit to the inmates there domiciled. The outdoor relief department was making a creditable showing. President Brundage declared, "The Civil Service law must be en- forced in letter and spirit." He recommended that all intoxicated employes should be separated from the service. Considerable im- provement on the courthouse and Criminal Court building was in progress. The office of the county attorney needed expansion.
In his annual message of December, 1905, President Brundage stated that the following large problems engaged the attention of the board during the year 1905: The new courthouse enterprise; build- ings for the Juvenile court and allied service ; simplification of court machinery ; improvement of the Civil Service law and its extension to the staffs of the county hospital and to the probation officers of the Juvenile court; the non-scholastic construction of the county in- stitutions' medical staffs ; legislation to increase county revenue to be used in extinguishing floating debts, etc .; an expansion of charity administration and the improvement of buildings and equipments; and modernized office system for the office of State's attorney, re- corder and coroner. The greatest work undertaken was the begin- ning of the new courthouse. This was a gigantic enterprise and re- quired able and honest management to prevent graft and scandal. The construction of the building had been advocated for many years and now was absolutely necessary, as the old structure was steadily falling to pieces and was very dangerous. The special committee appointed to examine the condition of the old building and report on the advisability and wisdom of constructing a new one, reported in favor of the new building. The County Board concurred, the question was submitted to the public and authority to issue $5,000,- 000 in bonds for that purpose was carried by a majority of 38,445 votes. The work of planning the new building and securing tempo- rary quarters was taken up at once. The citizens previously ap- pointed to investigate the subject were continued as advisory mem- bers of the Board of Commissioners. The committee of the whole of the board, with Mr. Brundage as chairman, had general charge of all the operations connected with the erection of the new struc- ture. In all cases the lowest responsible bid was accepted, though not until approved by the committee of the whole, which embraced the entire board, but by the advisory committee as well. Every means to prevent fraud and graft and to secure an honest and eco- nomical management of affairs was adopted by the board. Holabird & Roche were named as the architects and John M. Ewen was en- gaged as expert consulting engineer. Under excellent management and surroundings, with every plan and purpose rigidly scrutinized and investigated, the work of the new structure was commenced.
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