, 1876-05-21

Branch Of the Chicago River; half million
is being spent in making a tunnel from the
North Branch to the lake under Fullerton
avenue for the publication ot the North
Branch; 1lG miles Of streets have been
raised, graded, walled, and filed, and moro
than 500 miles Of sidewalk mid, and 1O, coo
lamp-posts erected. Several millions have
been expended in the purchase at lots and
the building thereon Of sehooi -honses, police
stations, engins-houses, and equipments To
all these must be added other millions spent
in acquiring public park grounds and i'm
proving thesama Since 1865, the taxpayers
Of Chicago havo expended, 1t the lowest cal
culation, $50, ,0so, 900 for all those public pur
poses, IN addition to $50, 600, GOO more for cur
rent expenses Of the Municipal Government.
It is now simply the duty Of the City Govern
ment to protect these public works and keep
them in repair, and the expenses Of this ser
vice must bo reduced in proportion. With
one Superintendent the other expenses saag.
be reduced in proportion. The duties Of
sanitary police and sidewalk inspectors can
DO performed sufficiently vell and efficiently
By the regular policemen as they patrol their
several districts, and 1t will give them useful
occupation for their minds, now running to
seed In tho daytime from very hamilton
These changes aone would awe tens OF
thousands ct dollars, and they should bo
made immediately.
Other consultations are IN order. The
Board Of Health should be abolished alto
gethcr, as recommended by the Mayor, OF it
should be made an unpaid Board, like tho
Board Of Education, Bridewell, Public Lii
brary, or the Board of Aldermen The main
duties of the Health Department should be
intrusted to Superintendent with tho as~
sistance of the police. The fact that, last
year, only $500 was spent for diMnfectants,
while thousands Of dollars wero required for
tho machinery of the Department. is Of
itself scandal. The expensive Building
Bureau should bc brought to timely though
sudden end, and tho duties thereof trans
ferred to tho Superintendent of Public
Works, with tho assistance, possibly, of
City Architect and the general aid Of the
police in reporting violations OF the fire
ordinance The offices Of City Marshal and
Tax Commissioner should bo promptly va
Gated, and also that Of City Collector, if it be
found that the unpaid personal taxes Of
former years may BE- collected by some other
officer. AZ to the collection Of license fees,
that can be given 10 tho City Clerk and dis
charged by his present force. These changes
should be made Immediately, and they will
carry with them an enormous saving in clerk
hire and subordinate anecures. If it be de-
cided that any ct these offices cannot be
discontinued to tako effect until the end Of
the year, they should be abolished now oil
the same, and Mr.. HoTNR can fall back On
his powers under the Mayors bill to prach-
ca1ly vacate them in the meantime. In the
foregoing we have Endorsed the suggestions
Of Mayor HoySs IN his message, and find
room to add but little thereto. We are sure
that he has the support Of the vast majority
Of tho taxpayers OF al classes in carrying
his ideas as expressed In his message into
effect