, 1877-09-16

,
We make room for, and ask public atten
tion to, a communication on the subject oi
raising money to pay for building the City.
Hall. tax LEVIED in April, 1878, for build.
| ing purposes will not be available rs Revenue
before September, 1879, and money cannot
be raised by the issue Of city certificates.
The writer suggests plan for raising over
100000 annually for this building fund
He writes as follows:
70 the Editor ~ The Tribune.
CHICAGO, Sent. l5.--Thc estimated cost Of the
Court-uousc building, including both the city and
county WINGS was two years or more ago, some-
thing lea4 than So, 600, o0o This would lcare rs
the cost OF the city wing $780, 600. Since tbat
time there have been changes in the original plan,
both rs to materials and design. increasing, possi-
bly,. the cost, but this has been than Offset By
the great reduction in the cost OF labor and ma
terials. The city has fund Of $3.50, 600
received from the State set apart for
the construction Of this building, and this
will leave the required to be raised
py taxation to finish the C1tyIlall abunt $3.50, 600.
1suppose that to raise this there will be tux
laid annually OF Sl50, 900 to 5000, O00. The cost
Of collecting including the lot taxes and the iu-
tcrcst on the deferred revenue, will require levy
of from ID to 20 per cent additional 10 cover the
costs and deficiencies In collecting the SUM az
revenue to inert the appropriations. Now, cannot
Ibis revenue be collected, or at |eaet part Of it.
without any cost or loss, promptly, and without
any grievance to the general public? l think II
can
There are in this city q, 100 places licensed to
sell liquors. About one third Of these sell nothing
but hecr and wine, though they may sell all other
forms Of drink. The Other l., 500 sell spsrituous
fhn.r sfuh1,
rate OF license-35o a year. Now propose that
the City Council shalclassfy these establishments
l. those which shall be licensed to sell beer
and wine exclusively; 2, those which shall
be licensed rs now to sell all kinds of
liquors. Let the Council then hx as the
rate Of license for the first e1ass $50 each,
per anuum, aud for The second ctass S1OO per
annQa1. and provide that OF the revenue from the
first class, % per cent, and Ut the revenue from
the second class, so per cent shall be applied
exclusively to the Cost OF building the Clty-{Ia)I.
Assuming that the number OF saloons be the same
as now we will hayc as nn annual revenue from
saloons applicable to the City-uall Fund as
900 licenses at SIS each. 3,13 50n
l. quo l1censcs at $50 cach. 90, 600
Total revenue. s1o3 500 !
1t might be stipulated understood that this
Increase OF license rate was made for special
revenue to build the CityHail, anu was to be dis
continued when revenue for That purpose should
no longer be required. It might he further pro-
'ided that special license Of STU for each billiard
able and IS for each pool-tabIe shon]d be paid, J
Ind that the revenue from these sources should be
added 10 the Special Building Fund
lam rreoarcd to believe that the great majority |
# the proprctors Of the saloons will checr(uuy !
espond to this additional license for this spccldc
purpose. This addition to the beer and WINE n.
oons will be but s. ycsr each, or soncthlny less
hun Ii cents week each The other salouus will
ave 10 pay something less than 81 each per week
ddlliona1, for which they will hare the privilege
i selling spirituous liquors gwen TO them exclu-
lively. I do not believe the proprietor Of 4
equitable saloon in the city w1l object to the extra
censc for this special purpose. y. persons VIII
cotcc moro than they will il the increased license
lose up all the low. dssordcrly establishments
'hich tend to disgrace the whole trade.
The snecial fund OF over SlO0. 600. being cot
ctcd annually, without any cost for collection
nd without Attachments Of my kind, will reduce
le sum to be ralsed annually by taxation to a very
odcratc figure. say from So 600 to S5u 600,
this subject 10 the consideration Of the
.oplc. tile Council, the worklnsmen, anu all
nets interested. ClTT-uALL.