, 1873-11-11
CITY IMPROVEMENTS AND TAXES.

Tho new City Government, which enters upon
Its administration noxt month, will have to en-
counter tho hardest timos that Chicago has
| known since the crisis OF 1867, not excepting
the condition Of the city subsequent to tho groat
| fro Of 1871. Tho loss Of nearly 5000 000 600 in
! that instance was followed by liberal influx Of
money NIL Increased population tlat found
ready and remunoratiye employment; growth
Of business Ms rapid as the growth Of facilities
for doing lt d 1argo amount of money turned
over to Chicago by Tho State and, in fact, =
gonors,l prosperity which fully counteractod tho
severe shock that Ind beon sustained 1T tho
present .timo, on tho contrary, financial striu-
goncy aud commercial stagnation arc folt
through mt tho whole country, Tho resources
of tho tohicago people have becn enormously
drawn uE on to rebuild tho city, to sot their buBl-
ness whe.so 1t was beforo tho fire, to re-
store tho homes that woro burned, and to
moot the eavy taxation necessary to replaco tho
public 1nRt itutions, ropavo tho streets, and pro-
vido impro rements TINT woro demanded. The ro-.
suit is TINT the strain Of tho gigantic loss from
tho fro is felt more, undor tho general do
preston Of tho whole country, ut tho proaont
tinlo than it lsas boan heretofore. Tho property
owners o9 Chicago, willie thoy have suffered no
recent reverses aud arc goneraly better off than
thoao Of other cdtieg arc lcaa ablo to meet taxos
with the ready money required than thoy haye
evcr leen Biuco Chicago assumed tho proportions
Of metropolis. Thsa is hard fact which our
now City Government must look equarely in tho
face. It is OF creator Importance than all tho
othor circumstances which must bo mot nrd
dcalt with. The finances Of the city must 10
managed in conformity with tho aotual condition
Of things, just as individuals practice economy
in thoir households and contract their business
to conform to their private RESOURCES aud tho
falling OF Of trado. All groat aud costly improve
1nontB looking to the futuro ombolliahmont Of
tho city must be summarily cut of for tho timo
boing. We havo no money to spend now for tho
benefit Of future generations. We shall have
enough to do to tako caro- Of ouraolvos and to
provide what is essential to tho public health,
The only costly improvements which aro at all
warranted in thu present condition Of things aro
sewers In those sections Of tho city which aro
nHolypopulateaa and hayonot got bcen provided |
with thom. In strip Of tAo Fifth Ward woet
Of State Htrcot, In tho aouthorn portion Of tho |
Sixth Ward, and genoralIy in tho sovonth,
Eighth, Ninth, and FiftoontA Wards additional !
sewerage must DO provided in tho interest of |
the public health. THO experience OF Inst sup-
>mor, during tho cholera Heason. should not bo
forgotten. That tho city escaped general infoc-
tiop, With noighborAoodA 80 woll calculated to
brood postilenco, was almost miraculous, anil.
such good luck cannot be expected again. We
must head OIL tho disoaBo next seaBon with Hrfen
tii}o precautions, Of which good and ample Ber-
oEago is the surost, supplying thoso localities
tirat which arc most deficient. TLore is but ono
way In which this sanitary necessity eau DO
secured without seriously depressing tic tax-
payers. and that is by tho indefinite postpone
mont Of all other public improvements.
Among tho frat elements OF retrenclu,snt
muat be tho cessation Of work at tho publio
parks. We cannot now afford lu1urlea for our
solves. much less for thoso who come after us,
Tho public parks should make no demands up-
on tho public funds beyond tho payment of tho
interest on the honda already lseuoi. Tho pay
ment for tho landa has boon provided for by to,,
yearly asaossmenta, tho frat Of which Was col
leotoa last year. Tue strain Of this itom alone on
owners Of property alJudged to have boen spc-
clally benefited IL all that van bo sustained now.
Tho improvements must estopped. Tho trouble