, 1874-03-29

IS.rn Ci<rk-John schaeaer.
Cotiector-P. II. Cleary.
dsstssor--E. Phillips.
During the year there have been dfteen meet
ings Of the Town Board, and at the last one
which was held tho compensation for town osh-
Gers is said to have BEEN fixed. We hare infor-
nation that t.7o Of the h1o Justices we're alb
sent. and We regret that We do not know their
names; aud that Collector Clcary and Assessor
Phillips wore called in to act for them. The
Board in session consisted, in that case, Of 81
peryieor o'Brien, Assessor Phillips, Collector
Cleary, Town CLARK Schacdez, md :hree Justi~
ces,-in all seven persons. This Board fixed upon
the following compensation:
''$'o
Same, for clerk hire. s0o
ASSESSOR Phhups ........-.....".-. o,ooo
Supervisor OBrien. 2,oW
Town Clerk schaet1cr., cr.,................... 1,5oo
lCkl a.. . sS.1tooo
The entire labor Of the Collector was within
three months; TINT Of the Assessor did not oc-
cupy so long the duties OF the Supervisor
would be amply compensated with S20 and the
Town CLERK had to atteud fifteen meetings. In
addition, the Collector had the public money On
deposit during his service, and probably re-
ceived for it's use at least $4,000.
It will be- seen that the Collector, Assessor,
Supervisor, and Town Clerk we're majority Of
the Board who voted these salaries. In the case
OF the Town Clerk, we are informed that The
vote stood for the allowance and 8 against it.
and that On tLs aext vote he voted and carried
the motion to pny himself a100 a day for attend
ing the meetings Of the Board, though the said
Clerk Was incompetent to discharge the duties OF
his Office and mad to employ substitute.
We presume that the three Justices voted
against these enormous allowances, and we aro
informed that Justice Boyden denounced then,
truihfully az robbery. Tho law contempiates
that the salary Of The Collector shall not exceed
81, 500. and that of the Assessor shall be SIS
day when actually engaged. The legal compen-
sation OF the Town Clerk should not exceed 800
Tho fair and liberal compensation for these
officers may be thus stated:
Collecting. SEQ
Asses7os 1oN
Town Clerk 100
Total. 100
Yet these four men voted themselves s23. 500.
In few days the North Town Board and the
Vest Town Board will meet and vote the Bala-
ries for their officers, if they have not already
doue 50, and, as the officers OF these towns are
equally as meritorious Us thoBe OF the South
Town, they will unqueationsbly be voted CON-
pensation On tho came scale.
These Town Boards, and the Supervisors,
Assessors, Collectors, and Town Clerks, are
nothing but legalized bodies OF public plunder-
ers. They are wholly unnecessary as part Of
the governmental machinery; they have no du-
ties to perform TINT might not be much better
performed if there were no such officers. They
are an incubus, T. fraud. an organized body Of
men licensed to rob the public.
Nov. there is 8 remedy, and that remedy is
available Ill these town officers who }have
voted themselves this public money are cAndi-
dates for reelection They are opposed by 9th
er candidates, who seek the Offices for the pur-
POGO Of repeating the robbery on the same, or
even & larger, scale. There RM be in each toEn
several tickets, an made up Of the aane tribe Of
ta1-eating gcallawags- The remedy is for tho
decent people Of each town to select some citi-
zens Of responsibility and elect them to these
Offices. There are no duties to be performed
but respectable men, by keeping the
rhieves out, will protect the public. There
is to be q poll in each ward of the city,
and every voter, who viii give five minutes
to the duty, can at least do something to clean
out these rapacious aud Unsuitable wretchee, who
have unlimited authority to levy taxes and vote
the money to themselves. Shall Chicago permit
itself to be plunderod this way any longer? Will
:he Taxpayers not strike one blow for their OVID
deilverance5 We can only look for final relief
in the total abolishment Of the Town Board sTs-
tenn; but, in the meantime, the people can pro-
tect themselves from wholesale robbery by elect
ing men who will not abuse their powers 80 infa-
mously as the present Board. The way should
be prepared for doing this a week from next
Tuesday.