, 1876-04-23
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE,

! TOWNSHIP oaaAEyzl11oH.
70 the Eatof " The Chicago Tr1ounx:
CHICAGO, April 22.-Many people and papers
are advocating the Rboliahment of township
organization in Cook. County. This, in view OF
tha lato events in this city, uon1d appear to
ba desirable end it, after such aboliah-
msnt, something better would take its
place. II you and the. public will take the
trouble to examine tha Revised Statutes
you will find that it Is doubtful il
such would be the case. Art. IT,, 5ec q, Chap.
13o Revised statutes, provides the mode Of dis
continuance Of township organization in coun-
ties. BY this section 1t vill be seen that the
whole county must bo included. Sec % pro-
vldeR that il majority OF votes a-e In favor Of
OF disseminating township orgaoizatlon
''Than such organization shaM cease in said
county as soo1 81 County Board is eIacted and
under township organization shall be applicable
to such county the same as If township organ
Ration had never been adoptad in it."
Sec 23 provides for the election Ct County
Board IN January following Of three members.
Sec a provides that auch Board shall assume
it's duties IN February foliowiug, and .shait be
the legal successo1s to the County Board of SUCH
county,
Sec: Is provides for the disposition Of town
records, (places them in the County Clerks Of
tqA.
Sec. % Of Cnap. &c. 'Electjons." provides that
10 counties not under township organza-
ton lie Treasurer shall lie ex-olicio
Assessor of such counties. Sec. II Of Chap. lao,
Revenue, provides that the Assessor, when un-
able for an7 cauge to perform tho dut,es OF bis
Office. may, With the advice and consent Of the
Chairman Of the County Board, ETC.. sppu,ns
one or more Deputy Assessors to aas1at
ID making the aesessnoens and designate
she district in which tho Deputies may
an$ Ea4 ef
the shertffs OF counties not under town,
ship organization shall be e1-of6cio Collectors
Of such counties, and may, BY Sec. 152. ap-
point Deputy Collectors in ali the towns of the
counties.
So it w1li be seen TINT bv the abolition Of
township organization the present Town Board
OF fifteen members would be supplsn:ed By 4
Board of thee members, and the County
Treasurer becomes fC"unty Assessor and the
sheriH becomes County Collector bo:b. with
power 70 atp,ltas deputies in all the towns in the
county. These Offices of Town Assessor aud
Towu Collector aie noi abolished, but sra filled
by the Treasurer and Sheriff.
Now, am thoroughly in favor OF abolshing
to to"nsh,o dapo orgauizatoo, provided il can
worse, or jumping from the pan
into the tire. The system contemplated by our
statntes for counties not Under township orgapi-
zatlon is tilted for eparseiy Populated county,,
and wholly untitled for county like Cook, and, |
fls for North, South, and West Chicago, se must !
admit that it 1s suited to tta county towns |
Of this county, and 1t seems to me that !!
our onlT effective remedy is to BY come |
taeans abolish it in those tnreo towns, aud re- |
tain it IN the county towns. but this cannot be ]
done under and by our present statutes it must J
By them be done in the whole county or not at
al.
Sec. 81 at CHAP. 1a9 contains plan for unit |
ing rWo contiguous towns Under this section |
f1rn er1ll ho Iaf int,
:oe1tensive with the city, 80 that the offices Of /
Assessor and Collector would. IN effect be city |
ofices; this would ba one remedy.
Tho only other remedy would be to get an act |
u the General Assembly to abolish township Of
zanizat,on in All citie8 like Ours, care being /
AIKEN to avoid special legislation prohibited BY !
he Constitution. II it is not practicable to at
ain either Of the above-uamed remedies would [
not be better to "endure the ills We have
han fly 10 those We know not Of?
R n EubY