, 1874-07-01
THE c1rY APPROPRIATIONS.


The very porst anticipatious Of the Common
Councils flna1 action On tho Appropriation ordi-
nance wero realized last night. Notwithstanding
tho resolution previously passed. by tho Council
not to. oxcoed tax-1ovy Of 10 mills; not
wthstanding tho uumistakable protest Of tag
payers againAt IN extrayagant appropriation
notwithstanding tho assurance Of the Coinptrol-
Ter that an excessive levy at this time would
damage the credit OF tho city and materially
retard It's business intorosts Notwithstanding
all tho pressure to the contrary, the disposition
all through was to add to instead Of taking
from tho amounts recommended by the Fiuauco
Committee On tho bass OF 15-min tax. Tho
additions were lnrgo and numerous, whilc tho
! oxcslons woro few and Insignificant. The e1or-
bisant increase in tho sewerage appropriation
was allowed to ranaain, tho most OF which, as ITO
shall presently explain, many not be devoted to
tho extension Of tho city Bowers whoro
they aro most needed. Tho $4,000 item
for dredging tho river, Which tie COM
mittoo Of tho Whole recommended to
| bo stricken ont, WAS reinetatcd. aud was g
part Of tho bill as it passed. This item WAS
probably of too acute IN interest to contractors
to be allowed to fall out. Indeed, there was
rumor yeBtcrlay that nogotiatiouB hnd boon
commenced with view to retaining 1t IN
special intereBt-not, Of course, tho interest Of
tho city. Salaries wero gouerally Increased, ill.,
cluling TINT Of Comptroller Hayes, which was
loubled on tho positive assurance Of tho
! Mayor that Mr.. Hayes will rotain his
Office on theao terms. Tho ornamental append
age OF Deputy Superintendent OF Police was
tackled on, and forty now policemen were pro-
yldod for at Ill expense to the Taxpayers of over
$4,000. The bill Us 1t passod rases tho tax-loyy
Of the yoar on round estimate from Is mills, to
which tho Council had pledged themselves, to
something over II miiIs. And this is just what
is to bo expected from 8et OF men who, IN the
majority Of casoH, havo moro intorcst In tho tax;
eating than in tho tax-paying process.
Tho most oppressive and reprehensblo fen
ture Of last nights work was tho appropriation
Of 100000 toward tho building Of tho Court,
House, which, as TIE Tribune predicted II
would be, was sprung upon the Council nj
The last moment. Tho proposition mot with I
worry cordial reception, 1t il true; but such ro
ception lad beon carefully prepared for it. Tha
tho 5000, 900 appropriated nominally out of tina
portion Of tho Caua1 Redemption Funl 30
aside for replacing the public buildings Of CHI
cago, docs not Aelp the matter at all. Thougl
this remnant Of tho Canal Fund exBta thaorott
caliy, It has no actual existence. Tho bill TO
, funding the caual moneys (aomathing ovo
S.. 00o, 900, including accrued interost) provide
that not Ices than ona-lftl nor moro than one
third should be used in replacing bridges TN
public buildings, the balance to DO applied O
! tho payment of tho interest on the put
;, He debt aud for tho maintenance O
tho Police and Fire Department.. Abou
F., o., 2,000, 200 woro expended in interout aud O.
the poiice and Fire Department, and sonethin,
moro thau 10000 on bridges uud publ
r schools. This loft moro than 100000, whio
n was the amount apportlonoa by tho city to til
}, rebuilding Of tho Court-uouAo. In tue urganc
s OF tho city'g neods, thlB sum was borrowed frol
4 the Canal Fund aud ~ piled to other fund
1t Theoretically, thoHe othor funds ow0 5000
70 900 to tho Canal Fund. Practically,
1t 100000 of the Canal Fund is to DO ..
,r pended for rebuilding the Court-11ouso,
,r must como out OF the taxoH which tho poop
ut pay this yoar. Tho SO worago appropriation, II
I'd example, WIS Increased about 41i0,000. II II
ar people know that tis increase was to bo apple
II, whore the health OF the city domanda an exto
I'd sion OF tue sowcrage, thoy could perhnps reco
G. clio themselves to tho incroaBe But auppu
10 tho Sewerage Fund owes tue Canal fund Sill
re- 90? Then the e140,000 must 60 to t
10 Canal Fund, aud from there DO pa
at out for building tue Court-Holasc. Till
n wAlle nominally paving tho oxceas Of ta
IT. alton for somo other purpose, We are actua
ty paying It for tho Courthouse. On the valu
bu ton Of laat yaar, tho extra two milla levied
"a tho Council lAat night would just &bous u.