Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-04-22
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, APRIL % ls98-rwEIvE PAGES.

- --s iOto w III II
books OF the said board and of such
witnesses as they may call, the
amount of fees collected 10y said
board from the letting of boats and
other privileges in the park under
their charge, the amount in detail
expended by said board for improve
ments, printing, and other expenses,
and to whom paid: also the amount
expended by said board in the con-
of the driveway, and TO
whom paid, and whether the work
on said driveway was done 10y con-
tract, and how these contracts were
let, and to whom. The committee
is further instructed to ascertain the
amounts of moneys taken from the
treasury of the board and used for
private purposes by any of the mem
hers of the board, or its officers, at
any time. The committee are hereby
authorized and empowered to employ
a clerk if necessary and TO proceed
at any time to Chicago to make such
investigation, to call upon said Board
of Commissioners for an examination
of all books, records, and accounts in
their possession, and to examine,
under oath, such witnesses as they
may desire to call before them"
The resolution went over under the
rules.
What Mr.. Bartling says.
The Senator says he had no inten-
tion'of besmirching any one by the
investigation, nor did he think such
a thing possible, as he believed that
all the members of the board are hon
orable men. He continued:
"My object in introducing the reso-
luton is to let the people know how
the Commissioners have been spend
ing the park funds during the last
three or four years. The people of
Chicago are proud Of Lincoln Park
and have paid hundreds of thousands
of dollars in taxes for its improve
ment, and | have never known any one
togrumble at it. To my knowledge no
board has ever made report Of the
manner in which it has expended the
money, and ] think it is time such a
fJpoft should be male; and that the
people may know that everything is
right, ! think it is well that
the members OF the Legis.
laturc should 20 over the
books of the Park Board and prepare
this report. There have been a good
many rumors about the manner in
which the Park Commissioners have
been conducting the business which
would reflect discredit upon them
However, ] do not place any conf
dence in these rumors, but ! do thnL
the people will feel better when they
have had an accounting. There arr
some things that have been done by
the Park Boards which / think shoulC
be stopped and | think an investiga
tiOn by the Legislature will aid il
doing it. For instance, the Parl
Board has employed a large numbe
Of alien3, men who have not even de
clared their intention of becoming
citizens. Then ! have been told tina
the Commissioners make these mer
work more than eight hours day
and as the park is a State institution
this is against the law. Some time
ago ! attempted to get report
from the Secretary Of the Boarc
as 10 the number OF men en-
/ ploycd there, but the report
was not furnished | think that il
is the right Of all citizen, to know
what their servants are doing and ]
hope this investigation will lead tC
the enactment Of a law compelling
the Park Commissioners to print ar
annual statement giving an itemizeC
account Of the manner in which the,
have spent the money for the i'm
provement Of the parks. When wa
Supervisor last year | paid the Parl
Board $500, 900, and | had no manne
Of knowing, nor had the people, how
this money was expended. | thinl
the Supervisor should be made an cx
oilltio member Of the board So tina
he may know for what the money d
spent. Aside from the s26g, 600 which
/ paid the board, Lake View paid 10