, 1875-01-29
The Ci!y officers and lie Aldcrnlanic
Committee Exchange Views.
Comptroller Hayes Submits tho Bill
Prepared Last Year.
Hn Raises His Voice in Favor OF Econ
on,y and Rclrenchment.
How Shall the City Do Enabled to Col
loot It's Taxes


mcctinr of tho General Advisory Commlt- |
tcc. having yeforonce 10 bctlor lrgiKlntinn Tor
.,o city, ai,poistol by tho Common Council Inst
Monday evening, was held yesterday AFTERNOON
In tile ofliro of tho City Clerk. Aid. C1llortou
preedetl aud tllora werc also present All Alcfl-
nrdso,, Dixon Waterman, Heath, scfaff'ior, aud
Ito Mayor, Comptroller Hayes, Corporation
f,u,,lHcl Dickey, Collector Fon Holfon, Tax-Conl-
missioner a1cGratls City Attorney Jamioson, and
D crowd OF ontHitIfrs
Comptroller 1Iuyea, when tho proceedings woro
oponc,l, Enid tat ho lad with lm all abRtract OF
tho bill submitted by him to tho last IosiBEa-
turc which had direct reference to the amolld-
n,cnt of tho rroscnt Revenne law. The Abatract
vas read as follows:
THE coMI~THo1.LER's I'LL.
Tho bill authorizes the Comptroller or other
authorities Of cities, towns, anu villages Wien
ever tAero shnll be mole than ono-tonth Of its
annual tax-lovy, III money, in tho Treasury. to
invoat the fame in United States sinteroat-bearng
bon,ls md keep the same In tho Trensuty until
It may 10 necessary to convert any Part OF tho
came To meet tine proper expenditures Of tho city
or town.
Tic bill also repcals all laws Which rrorido
t'at tho amount Of cash for any apcciai fund
shall lie kept aopnrate III tho Treasury.
1t also prohibits my city town, or village, or
any Board or Department thereof, from entering
into any contract for any building or pnblic
work, or any Improvement, thu coat Of which
thall exceed S1.Uo0, until Mt least half tho hrm
provided by snch contract to bo paid shall ba III
tho Treasury, appropriated md subject to Atc!
expenditure. md tho remainder duly provided
for ly ta1-Ievy or otherwise. .........
1t e1empts from my subsequent tnxcs or as-
scpsmenta any property which has been, Or my
hereafter lo, sold to, Htruck MI, or forfeited
IL any city, town. or village for any nnlnia tax
Of assessment. Any municipal authors
ty honE any property or or any 9xdagsh fghht
nntier any Bao for any unpaid tax or aHHossn,out.
or jont or undivided revenue, with any autl all
persons holding under a1,cl aala for subsequent
lakes or assessments. may sell at1cl! joint or rn-
divided interest III H1cll real cbtntc nftcr Tho
limo Of legal redemption has expired. ANY
party may purchase tho taxtit}o or claim OF such
municipality by paying tlls sum duo at Tho dato
Of nnal legal redemption. and 10 ror cont per
aun1n, interest thoreoi, np 10 tho eate of taking
np Rnctl clanaB or tit'o. u any municipal
authorities should not proceed to take ont a tax
decd wlen duo for my property purchased by it
claim 80 required shall not la,'sc in consequence
Of such failure, but Hucil lien or claim shall coll
tltn,e until paid or surrendered.
Atr. Hayes said that tho document contained
tho chief features OF tho bill, although ti.cro
wero minor poin,s which had been omitted.
There wera over st,ooo,0oo dollars worth Of
TAx-cENTlFIcATEs
remaining unpaid, mot to BpoRk ct several
thousands Of unpaid personal tax.
Altl. Waterman considered thnt there shonld
be somo further Inducements held forth by tho
the amount Of tax-eorti1catos would DO piol up
to an enormous and unwieldy amount.
Tax-CommiBBioncr AIclrath real some pro-
: visions OF tho Milwaukee City Charter Which
bore upon tho BN1o OF certificates. There were
b no ta1-tiehtors In Milwaukee. he snld, and he
i wiHl,ed tho sarno wero true OF Chicago.
] Tho Mayor understood that Mr. lIaSes' bill
i provided that tho CITY should not assume the ut
tt1n rf a111l I'M in n
euro ts claim.
Ar. IIayea said that tho opinion Of tho Mayor
vas correct.
:. Tho Mayor asked whether tho Comptroller vac
not informed by purchasers. who declined to
bny, that they were prevented from dn!ng SO by
rooaon Of tho Change OF the law, Which made
such pischaHeB unsafo?
hlr. 1tayes--That III IN.
AID. Waterman said that 1t waH very easy I'M
der tho now la", to 90 INTO conlt and set Aside
any tax sale over tho value OF 5109
Ar. Hayes thought that tho objection to tho
special provision mado relative 10 salea Of
pro perty for taxes, untlor the Dnrnt ltocortls
hill. would gradually die out. 1ie was not aware
tllat auy tax-saio claim was held good in this
Stute, unleaH thero vas subsequent ActuAl DOS
session by tho purchaser, aud payment Of
taxes during sovon ycars.
FIultTlNa TAxEs.
In reply to Aid. nic!iartison, hIr. 1IaycB ro-
marhod shat sumo Of tho leading Cslioago newB-
paporA had dono tho city an Injury hy advising
people to fight taxes. When powerful JotynaIs
openly rroclain,ed that t!,o City Treasury WAS
denudol al.l TINT The city wns virtually bank
r,,pt, they must expect the credit OF tho n,nntc-
IaIity to 10 lightly held outside In rival cities
Nobody admired tue ability OF the Chicago
that tho articles referred to Lad done coneilora-
bio injury. For his own part 10 beloved TINT
tue expenditures of tho city wero too large.
There ought to l,o some system adoptod, and
NErNEScuMENT
should DO rigid]y enforced: For example. tbs
1loaru OF Public Works had been laying out o
grent amount Of money. There were bridges,
and yiattncta, and sewerage. 1t was utterly in
limit OF two or tAreo Yeara. There ought to be
sumo limitation, aud 1t tho Common Council
showed tendGncY toward extravaganza, q depu-
tation Of tho people should 80 to Springfield and
demand law that would limit the Common
Council in The matter OF municipal expenditures.
Aid. Dixon Hald it would be good tlllng to
M hayo tho Judges included IN such q dcputaton.
They cortnialy had tho interests Of tile people at
Heart. Ha had Heard good den! OF dissatisfac.
t!oh Expressed relative to tho existing state ol
things, and hoped that such amendments would
bs urged upon tho Legislature ~ would satiBiy
all concerned.
JUDGE DIcKEY,
in reply TO Question BY Col. Waterman, re-
marked TINT II tho County Court were applied to
mont waa refused, and 1t, on appeal to The
supreme Court. that decision WAS reversed, tie
Supreme Court should have power to order the
saio OF the property specified In the certificates
In few days that tribunal would give ! decislon
on many tax questions now a9itating the City oi
Chicago aud County OF Cook. When that deoi-
sion was made all would DO able to clear way
out Of existing legal and legislative difficulties
TAx-CostM1ss1oNEn M'0nATH,
In reply to AID Bolatfncr, said that lie had some
!enotanca In Interfering in tho matter as all
Ills torn Of otiics would expire in tho fall. bui
10 considered that It would DO embarrassing fol
Tue city to abandou tbs exlsting 1leyeuue law,
ehd have the ta1.liht extended On the State and
ssc!ntY books. In fact # would cost good dea
70 make The transfer. E1trk hsip would have Il
~ provided. Which would he expansive, aud the
nMo Was short. II tho present law wore
sosadonsd. ho supposed the Sheriff would
: beeoma Collector ~ in tlo oountie.
,He!e Mne!e no township organization existed
ina. mode auited counties undor the latter Law
nat cook County wa4 under township org&niza-
"o.i, a,a ~ tho change might make ooulusion
Ala. Waterman Inquired whether tho bill nov
oe'oEs the Legislature proposed to abolish
tn Cook Co.luty.
Ar. Ac0Iath said that hs read in tho paper