, 1876-12-17

CHICAGO IN THE LEGISLATURE.
| The Citizens Association have invited th
members-elect to the State Legislature fron
| this county to meet at IN early day mex
week to consider the several subjects of loca
interest calling for Legislative action during
this winter. This meeting is highly desira
BILE, and We have no doubt that every mem
ber OF the delegation is prepared to cooper
ate with the Citizens Association heartily i,
any measure to promote the public interest
It is not to be expected that there will b
| uniformity Of opinion as to the measures
proposed, but such uniformity can be bes
promoted by free interchange Of opinions
not only as to the end sought, but as to th'
means appropriate to that end. Some Of thu
subjects on which legislation is proposed ma,
| be thus stated:
1. Notifications of the Revenue law. THAI
| law is in several particulars inapplicable te
the collection of city taxes, but may readily
be adapted to that end. Under past laws
there has been lanentable legal inability tt
collect taxes levied to cover appropriations
made, and which appropriations have beer
expended. While the law has required the
!. expenditure to be made, the law hns failed
to enable the city to collect the revenue.
The results large deficiency between ex.
penditures and revenue, which deficiency is
represented by character Of debt: OF doubt
ful validity, but which is sustained by public
opinion. At the same time, the lew pro-
hibits the city from borrowing any money
with which to redeem that paper. It stands,
therefore, in the shape of mass of overdue,
protested paper, bearing interest, payable
only out Of tha proceeds of back taxes, which
taxes the city is powerless to collect.
The whole deficiency of the city is
more than covered by the taxes which
have not been paid- There is no question
as to the morits Of these taxes; the objection
to them was purely technical The owners
of the property know that the tax is equita-
Bile. and they know that it must forever re-
main cloud upon the property but they
stand behind tho acknowledged inability Of
the city to proceed under defective law to
collect the same. Other cities in the State
are under the like embarrassment What
Chicago needs is such an amendment or
addition to the law rs will enable the city to
have these old and unpaid taxes reas-
sessed upon the property and collected the
snme as current taxes. Under this same
general head Of amending the Revenue laws,
some provision must be made to protect the
cities Of the State against recurrence Of
these losses Of annual revenue and paralysis
Of tho functions of local government. What
the cities want is, not the power to borrow,
but the power to collect, their lawful rev.
enue, leaving no leSm excuse and no ne
cessity for borrowing q dollar. Another
amendment is, some provision Of law that
will enable cities-and for that matter the
counties and the Stnte-to obtain their reve-
nue. BY the sale OF the delinquent property,
these sales to be made under such amend
ed regulations and terms as will afford legal
protection to those who ct such sales may
advance the amount of the taxes to the
Municipal Government. Those who thus
come to the rescue of the public should at
least have legal lien for their money until
paid. It is probable, also, that in modify
ing the law it may be found convenient to
simplify and reduce the vast system Of book
keeping which now overwhelms the tax sys-
tenn with such heavy cost, and without any
practical benefit to the public or to the prop
erty-owner. The present system OF giving
" notice to the property owner is absurd,
fallaoious, and costly. Each property y-owner
pays a heavy tax for notice which not one
in ten Thousand ever receives, from which,
when he receives it, he obtains any informa-
ton which bio dld not possess before. The
present i" notice =" system is mere trap for
litigation, when in fact and law there ought
to be no more litigation concerning the col
lection of taxes than there is under a lease
for the collection Of rents. >
2. The City Of Chicago wants some amend
Eent to the laws for the better execution of
that part Of the Constitution providing for
q County Government. This is no partv
in party sense each side will
have equd advantage, and each side be bene-
flied by being compelled to select the best i
class OF citizens for the Office of County
Commissioner. What is wanted is a return
to the original plan Of e1ecting all the Com
missioners by general ticket, the voters in
the city having voice in selecting the
Commissioners in the country towns, and
those in the country towns voting for the I
city Commissioners. In such an arrange
ment, the chances are that the best men on
both tickets will always be elected.
.. A third measure of remedial legislation
is required to protect the public in cases of
condemnation of private property for public
uses At present the apportionment Of
damages and the apportionment of benefits
are made by different proceedings, aud it is
possible that at any time the award for
1amages may so exceed that for benefits
he city will be seriously involved in debt. |
It is true the Courts have decided that
he city may ut any time abandon the pro-
seedlings and begin over again but this is
1ot sufficient. The benefits and the dau- |
ages should in every case offset each other,
md this Gun only be done by having the two |
'ldes OF the account stated by the same |
Court and jury at tie same time. An act Of
his kind is a matter Of necessity for the pro-
ection Of the public interests.
~