, 1874-05-17
OH Gblfaup UIibn11t.
Sunday Morning. May IT, 1874.


anxious to have the city begin the construction
Of the Courthouse aud City-Hall have found ar
organ in the Chicago Times. That paper in
sists upon having the Court House and City Hall
commenced at once, claiming that the appear
ance OF the city demands it, and that the general
architecture Of Chicago is rendered shabby by
the want Of the centre-piece.
We are certain that outside those who want
contracts, and who have plans and materials
10 eel, there is . not man in Chi
cago who wants the city or county
to touch the work Of building that Court-Ho
for at least five yeats 70 come. It will not be
out Of place to recall few items OF the cash ex-
pendituzes Of the people Of Chicago during the
last three years. Before stating these, however,
let Us dispose of the nonsense, which is forever
thrust forward, that only ono-haif the cost Of
the new building will be borne by the city, the
other half falling upon the county. The 'coun-
ty" is made up Of the city, and si1-seyenths Of
the taxes Of the county arc collected within tha
city The portion falling to the shAre Of the towns
outside ia also largely borno by residents who
do business and own property in the city, and
the share Of tux paid by others is comparatively
80 small that it may be loft out Of the calculation
altogether. The present city bonded debt is
about 81, 3,500, 900. to which must be added
$4,000, 600 Of floating debt OF the bonded debt
the city will ha7e to pay S140, 900 on the list OF
July, and the whole Of the floating debt within
the year. The county debt in round numbers Is
about 81, ,000, ,000- All this debt bears an average
interest Of per cent, and the annual charge
therefor is 81 500, 600. Tomeet this interest and
the current expenditures We have to pay on the
tax1evy Of 1873:
For stats and county purposes ....... 2Soooco
Aca 1or tnxes OF II aud Prior years.. 100000
1oso 'a1es. 8,267,54
Ut this sum about one fourth has been paid
and the remainder will have to be paid before
the LIST Of August. For several years to come
the ta1-levy will not average less than this sum
annually. This doea not include the taxes in the
form OF licenses. nor the specal aeaessments,
amounting perhaps to 81, 600, 900 more Follow |
ing the fire there Eas change Of atreet-erade.
involving the repaving Of great many streets;
the cost OF this work has to be met by the prop
erty-owners.
During the three years following the fire and
ending October, 1874 the expenditure by the
owners Of private property 10 rebuild the
city will reach, at the lowest figure
900, and may equal S75,0o0. 900.
1he receipts from insurance companies will not
cover the losses by fire, other than On buildings.
Go 4t,ut+ +hn
bic property in the City Of Chicago will have ex-
pended during the three years following the fire,
for
New buildings, 1877, 1873, and 1874 .s55. 600 ooo
ats Stae, and county taxes, same tme.. q 100000
Replacing furniture, ,kc.................. 1o'o%'Gw
$700, ,000, 600
We think the community that has borne this |
expenditure can fairly demand that the local
go7ernments forbear any public expenditure
which can be dispensed with until the property-
o"ners have had time to recover to some extent
from this extraordinary outlay. There is some
talk OF 1essr*c:ing the cost Of the Court House
to $4,000, ,ooo; but this is all bunconba. |
That building, completed and furnished. will not
cost lcaa than 81, 100000. To build it will ro-
qolro ono million Of dollars to bs raised by taxa
t'oa each year. This sum, therefore, will be
ADDED to the annual leVieH, and collected sub
stantially from the property within the city. II
this Tero the only increase Of local taxes it
might be borne; but the expenditures Of the
e'ty ara largely on the increase. The police force,
tde-Depsrtmcnt, school-Department, and pub
Lie improvements, as we'll AS the cost Of lighting
the aty, are regularly On tho increaso each
years expenditure ~ always greater than the
preceding. To show the growth Of citv taxes
No giEa the following table, covering tho period
of thirty-ase years:
Tfar. 7at Ifnx T,r
1851 5,995 1850. .......,,f S73313
1884,. AG45 1862. ............ 694n38
1876. 11,073 1eA. A....,,,.. s74fsf
1876. 6............... 15,826 1865 65......,, 11E,
1ott 1aIV2 letd. 3,I19,UG4
1e&5.. 2, ,O52 1868. 3o23l58
1879, ...... 81 t45 1895. !