, 1873-03-25
TOWN OFFICERS.
A Class Of Officials tho People Know
Liitlo About.
The Assessor, Collector, STU
pervisor, and Clerk.
How These irresponsible Gentlemen
Manipulate tho Taxes.
The Approaching Election Necessity Of
Choosing Good Men.

1no approhcnlnG ElecCl0n-."Noc Noccselty OF
Choosing Good Men.
Under tho now Constitution tho towns Of North,
South, and Wost Chicago will organize by tho
etection OF town officers on tho first Tuesday In
April, which this ycar falls upon tho 1rst day Of
. April, ono wcok from to-day. Thcro nro to ho
alected In each town tho following officers: Ono
Town Assessor, ono Town Collector, ono Town
Supervisor, ono Town Clorh, and ConHtablos
proportioned to tho population OF tho town. The
law providoa that town moeting Bha1l bo called
by the town Clork at loast two days boforo tho
dato Of such election, whoreat tho electors shall
ballot for officers for the ouBusng year. Tho law
also requires TINT oil tho business transacted at
this town meeting must 10 dono at ono p1aco,
and thua compola voters to yist samo distant
place, and thore deposit thcIr ballots. This la
great inconyenionco to tho voter, and imposes
on him rather moro trouble than do ovon the
ordinary tall elections, whore tho polls aro in his
own immediate neighborhood. Honco 1t is not
improbable that the legal voter may not think ID
worth his while to trouble hiulsoR about tho
matter. In this caeo tho parties most Interested
in good town officers would DO abaont, aud those
most Interested in personal bonofaotions would
have tho thing au their own way. AS aboyo
stated, tho law demands ut least ton days notice
shall be given by tho Town Clerk by advortiso-
ment in at least ono daily papcr, and by posting
notice printed or in writing In three oonsplcu-
Gus placos. A notice written on q visiting
card, pinned up against shado tree,
would fulfill tile letter Of the law,
and II ono person saw it in 4s hours it would
havo achieved o moro gratifying result than
could be expected. Two Of the Town Clerks
have neither advertised thomeoting for Tuesday,
nor haye they posted nottces. Where the yotors
Of North and Weet Chicago are to elect their
to tho cligue Of Interested porsons. bir. 6pegel,
Clork Of South Chicago has advertised once, and
posted threo written notices on telegraph polcs.
It is woll~known fact tint THO number OF
Office is worry small, oven suppose thoro ia ono
man among them who can show q valid claim.
TnE TRIBUNE has already made an OK
pose OF this class Of official vulturos,
nifty, through negligence or want Of Information,
to have the Justice Courts cleared OF these posu-
1ential persona, who, aa class, aro dishonest,
ignorant, and avaricouB:. Under the present
They can compromise, collect money unlawfully,
aud awindle those who sock justice III the minor
courts, without the remoteBt danger of oonyic-
tion. Hence tho position Of Constable is one
which iB enviably remunorativo to rogue, and
naturally rogue would prefer to cling to ii.
Docs tho reader begin to perceive why the
subject Of town elections las boon kept 80 darh2
Iho other town oflcers-Aseessor, Supervisor,
Collector, and Town Clerk-are also to ho elected.
OF these officers, the most important by far Ia
that Of AsaosBor. When 1t is remembered that,
under tho now law, this official s responsible for
every penny Of assessment malo for taxes Of all
kinds, 1t may bo Bur,ained TINT capacity and
r honesty become requisites Of no Inean order. In
fact, the Town Assessor becomes ono Of the
most important ofllcora in tho State to each ill.,
dividual property,ownerm ~ and taxpayer; Tho
Board, Of which more presently His duties are
Town Board boing ds3inet and ', iirespon. xaaS
siblo .2 body, n tho ., honesty Of & tho Treasurer
to tho public that tic money collected
The Town collector collects all liz taxea Whon
he has secured all he euppoaoa possible to DO
found, ,lo turns tho money over to the County
Treasurer, except what is reserved for tho town
tax. The remuneration is fixed al per cont of
tho whole tax collected by him, until tho max
imum of 81 900 is rcnchc1, NIL the money in e1-
county. No othor remuneration is allowed him
BY law. Previous to tho prosont eyston, he was
allowed per cont Of MI ho collected, and not
,,nfrequontiy bocamo wealthy gentleman aftor
aum Of 100000 having been rolled up by one
gentleman and nil " honestly acquired"
Tho duties OF tho Town Clerk are neither
manifold nor various. In this woll-rogtlatod
aio s4llGEuTcHt uGHCC oven tH6 Q11CO
Of Town Clerk is not 4 Rineoure. It is only by
tlis saving general principle that the Office Of
Town Clerk escapes bohng sinoouro. This
gontlamans duty is to attend the meetings OF
tho Town Doard, which range from two to
twelve annually, and to motto down sl,o mtautoa
Of those meetings. Thoro ia provialan made
for hts espocinl remuneration. II }lo shinks ho
needs any, and tho Town Board are induced to
thoy appropriate to his uuo my litt1c amount
they may think proper. The amount allowed
him for actual service ia $1.5o day. This
would make tho pleasing sum Of s18 yoar,
cour3c of the twelyo months.
Now, thcro are scarcely ton peraon8 In each
town, outside Of the town officers aud Board who
know who constituto tho autAoriticH. The Board
coaslsts Of tho Town H. Supervisor Town clor,
position Of tho town machinery in tlethreu towns
Of Chicago is NJ followH:
NORTH ..stDE.
tolfector-JoAu d. WalAh.
Superufsor-Ald. Peter sfahr.
Jugtices-lawldaaon Kaufman, 1lanil, n,lIo, and
Aid. Cannon.
Assessor-Jullus nodbcrir. n.0I'
.loNector-Jolln ". TaplMn.
;SKperptsor-B L1wcaHl.
Charles Hanes, and Q. b. Daggett. D L. ~ A'n'a"'s'
Asses,or-w. Il. 11catord. ord '''E'
Cotitctor--A. L. Morrison,
iSuperrisor-I. Pilgrim.
G9erk-M. II. Miller.
10 illustrate tho value Of any ono OF those Of
6cea we will give MI extract from tho minute
book kept by tho Clork Of South Chicago, Afr.
Lowia spiegcl, who has neatly, and Accurately,
and without tile least attempt at concoaImont,
recorded tho various astonishing resolutions
passed by tho Town board of tllat town. Under
aato of Sept. II, 1872, we find tho following
Bntry:
Justico Daggett moved that tho a,1m of ono thousand
dollars (Sl UuU) DO laisl to tic Town Asaessor on
sccount of ssrsices for tho year 1B72. Carricd.
Undor date OF Oct. 4, 1879, ID tho following:
On motion Of Justice Daggott tic sum OF ST. iaa66