, 1870-01-05
MUNICIPAL REFORM.


: even for the local tzaefc nlone its line.
:, MUNICIPAL REFoRM,
There are pending before the Common
+ Council Of Chicago, md its several commit
, tees, a number Of distinct propositions
, which must be met by the Council, ant
! upon which the people have right to de
niand that there be a direct vote. Thes,
propositions include:
: l. That the management, discipline, AMI
government Of the City Brideweu be Sc
changed that the institution, instead o.
being disgrace to the city, be made {
prison fit to receive human beings; nnd
that, instead Of being source of gteat
pecunlary profit to The keeper and Of cost to
the city, its labor be utilized and the prison
he made self-kustaininR.
,. That measures be taken 10 have the
Recorders Court made a State Court, and
to lave lis expenses borne by the State,
and not by the city Of Chicago alone.
8. That the Courcil so amend existing
ordinances TINT certain officers, nov COM
pensated by fees. pay over all fees nnd
etnolnments 10 the City Treasury, and that
the. 10 paid The following annual salaries !:
i5o'ler Inspector, $4,000; Sealer Of Weights,
s:',Mo; Oil Inspector, $4,000; also. that
the Fish Inspector be paid fair salary in
lieu If fees.
1. Tint the Common Council Of Chicago
shall not entertain any claim for damages by
fesson OF alteration in grade, or other
| change OF streets, unless the party shall
have clear legal right thereto, and one
which has been judicially sustained the
City Council being bound to appropriate
whntever sum may bo legally awarded
aggainst the city, and having no power or
authority to e1pend money raised BIZ taxa.
dou as bounty TO any person.
Resolutions embracing these and other
points have been introduced by Alderman
alcCauley, and, without any action, have
been referred to the several committees, It
is more than surn.ised that some Of the
committees of the Council, as they nre now
constituted, are not over favorable to any
OF the reforms proposed; On the contrary,
that they are more likely to perpetuate, as
far rs they can, all the abuses which cLicd
forth the public indignation at the
last election. Be this as 1t nav, the
Common Council, AZ a body, can,
IT so disposed, control and direct
its own committees, and there is no
reason why committee of three members !
should be allowed to put the whole board
at defiance.
We hope the several committees to whom
these matters have been referred will TO-
port them back for action at IN early day.
Ihe reform in the Bridewel1 Is matter of
great Pubic moment, md it 6hould be so
1natuzed that, when tie prison is transferred
to tho new building, the new Bridewell shall
commence with Glenn hands, clean rules, J
ind, instead of being big job at the c1-
pense OF the city, shall be d hclf-sustsininp
The Common Council will
be but performing duty to the public by
taking these proposed reforms
snd giving them legal form and substance,
The strike of the 2ls operators Of tho
Western Union Telegraph Company. in
New York, yesterday, following upon the ,
previous strikes at other points, indicates I
hat the strikers will succeed IN withdrawing !
large minority Of the regular force Of the ..
Western Union Company from employment. t
'lth1n the League, ns test Of its power to i
control the action Of its OWL members at
nch widely different points, the strike is
snseess. But it is to be fea1ed that
lo only other result to tho strikers will bo i
o turn some 5000 Of them permanently ! =
'ut Of employment, or, if they are permit {
ed to return to their work, they will stand /.
indebted to the magnaninity OF the COM i
'any. strike is war Of the laborer 4
ga1nst his employer, and the chances Of 4
IS success depend chiefly on the ability Of j
be laborer to injure his employer more !,
han he injures himself. No employer in =
he country is more Independent Of its op- !,
rating employees than tho Western 2
|nien. Commercial telegraphing has for :!
1onths been SO dull that the I
omrany could we'll Lavo transacted IFS II
uhiness with half its force. It's employees e
70 scattered over the wholo country, and d
J each town Or city there gro operators, d
'ore or less skilled, ready to take their a
laccs. Tie company has very large ::
npital, willie the operators, generally. liye {,
p to their wages rs they draw them. They +; +;
sel that the years they have spent in learn- $. &
e the business give them TN adyauiaso q
yer new men, and TINT the company will t.
e 10Th to part with them. But these rcry 6isS
ears have been uniting the operntozs for
'y other business, and, in
10 present dearth Of employment,
icy vii! find it hard to get new employment, -
specially in the only line in which they q
re skilled. The Chicago Office has already ~
ken on a new force. Telegraphy has
zen among the regular studies in the 0s
colleges for years. And, while IN
lie superiority Of practical telegraplers to
ere students is undeniaLle, We know Of Ia!
, class of employees who could so i'll afford =.
MAKE war on their employers as these
,erato1s. e,,