Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1890-01-25
Special Assessment Rebet ties
Held Back for Many
Years,
To the Great ncOnNcn
encc and Injury OF
Tax-PayerS.
Neither Whskers" nor His Controller
Was Aware of the System Until
Outside People Kicked for
Their Rights

/ This most wretched city administra-
ton appears to have ill-luck with
everything excepting its protection of
Hankins. Banker Loewenthal called
the Mayors attention to the fact, the
other day, that special assessment re-
bates belonging to taxpayers had been
Systematically held back since he be-
came Mayor. Then "Whiskers" roared,
and soon discovered that there were
many thousands of dollars lying idle in
the Treasury that properly belong to
the taxpayers who have paid sums In
excess of the actual cost of street i'm
provements. The amount thus lying
idle is variously estimated at from
500, GOO to 100000, the latter figure
being put upon it by a man who made
a careful estimate of the amount of
work done during the last few years.
The exact figures, however, can only
be secured after weeks of patient work.
The story that Banker Loewenthal
had been compelled to pay so to get
500 rebate created not little talk, and
an investigation made the matter plain.
In consequence of the discovery Clerk
L. P. Nelson was suspended from the
department by Supt. Jones.
Nelson, it seems, was on the work of
looking up the names of parties who
in the past had failed to collect the
damages awarded them for street open
ings. In great many instances the
} property had changed hands, and it
/ was difficult to find who was entitled
to this money. Nelson often went to
the office of Corporation Counsel
George NJ, Haynes, who gave him in
formation from memory of the names
of defendants in these old cases. In
2 this way" said Superintendent Jones,
"a man named Clark, who is in Mr..
| Haynes Office secured a great deal OF
information from Nelson, and the first
o thing | knew citizen came in with q
letter from Clark, who had written tc
0 him that he would collect his money
from the city for per cent. | stopped
d the thing as soon as heard it, anC
IS told Nelson to go to Haynes Office anc
., get every scrap of paper he bad lef
e there. / do not believe that over hal
i dozen persons were caught by Clark
D one of these being Loewenthal."
1t Nelson protests his innocence Of an!
t wrong-doing, and claims that not
cent has been received by him. TIL
Mayor is looking up the matter NOR
thoroughly.
ne "There is no reason for any Prea
tn charges of fraud said Mayor Cregiei
but a great wrong is being done tn
of people whose money has been ken
of from them for years ! have take
IL hold of this thing and have directe
OF the Controller to prepare a list of a
of the uncalled-for warrants. with a vie
'e- to notifying their owners to come
and get their money. spent the for
he noon with the Superintendent of Il
'et Special Assessment Department lear
go ing the modtts operandi Of the wor
ch and / think We will be able to arranl
he matters so that in future rebates Vi
to not be held from the people"
an Controller Onahan was busy lookiI
ct, mp some Of these accounts when the j
to porter dropped in on him.
'th 81 find that there is quite an acc
TIA mutation Of old vouchers and warrant
est principally for rebates allowed yea
hi ago as far back as 1881" said ]
"a considerable amount Of money
of involved ltappears 20 have been {
m custom ~ tho special assessment od
lou not Co notify tho people who are ri
e. umod to ee. notices Whom rebates
III due Ofruusr. there may msr hs
REASON holding Wel Il. oaeh..
HH .H.h Co.. instance. a tb. abw..
.aIl ruI 7pthar I.IeaIaR H
.ueH.. a...hE.. ien Ia.I l..I b
fha ..H lr.sH MI Ha Ia.
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