, 1879-03-23

fact that the reduction of the number O
employees had largely added to the efficiency
OF the public service. The issue Of illega
scrip was stopped. Efficient steps were
taken to meet the public necessities. With q
ration of public confidence. The pubic
creditors were tolerant to Government that
was laboring for the recovery Of the city's
character. Proper steps were taken to col.
| lect taxes, which were thenceforth legally
levied Citizens voluntarily came forward
and paid their taxes, others advanced money
to the city to help it along, and, for the first
| time in several years, the City Of Chicago
met oil its expenditures for the year 1876,
! redeemed every dollar of its paper for that
yaar, left none of its expenses unpaid, and
had something over out of the years appro-
priations.
This kind Of government WAS not salts
factory to the tax-eating classes. The de-
posed army of contractors, oficeholders,
pensioners, parasites, hangers-on, street.
walkers, while being maintained at the City
Treasury, revolted; they sought to recover
the control Of the Council, but were defeated
By the popular turnout to protect the City
Government. Mayor HEATH was reelected
in 1877, aud for two years, aided by toler-
ably honest Council, he has maintained the
character and integrity of the public faith.
During his three years in Office he has re-
duced taxation,-that is, reduced expend-
iture,-in the aggregate, between four and
1f ~
revenue he has governed the city better and
more effectively than it had been governed
by his extravagant predecessor. He has not
only paid the expenses Of the city out of the re-
duced taxation, but he has accumulated in the
Treasury large balances to the several funds,
to such an extent that in two years more of
the same policy the city would be able to
carry on the most of its business in cash,
and in great degree avoid the issue of scrip.
The city during these three years has been
able to reduce the mountain Of s., 900, 600
aud more Of floating debt outstanding in
1876 to less than $500, 900; it has paid off
more than 100000 Of the bonded debt, has
not incurred q debt Of any kind to any
amount for any purpose, and in another
year, under like policy, will have paid off
every dollar Of the old certificates. Instead
Of an empty Treasury, paralyzed in all its
operations, it has without additional taxa-
ton rescued from waste nearly $3.50, 900 in
cash to be applied to building the City -Hall
IF allowed to pursue the same policy it
will be able to continue work on that build
inc out Of its collections of back taxes. which
t has diligently prosecuted.
The secret of all this SUCCESS, which has
been unprecedented in city governments,
has been the resolute and determined efforts
Of the Mayor and the better men of the City
Council to resist and defeat every job, specu-
Iation, and dishonest expenditure. Taxation |
has been forced down, appropriations have |
been limited to those purposes essential to |
the good and sufficient government Of the |
city, and expenditure has been confined to /
the indispensable wants of the public. In
stead of issuing scrip beyond the sum of the
appropriations, the Mayor and Comptroller
have refused to issue it even to that amount,
and the remainder is now coming into the
Treasury to be used as cash to defray the
public expenses. As the city can pay no in
erest, the policy of deterring expenditures
Until the cash is collected will prove an i'm
nense saving to the city, and at the same
ime provide school-houses and other in,-
'rovenlents even more rapidly than by at
empting to build them with deprecated
,aper.