The record-union., 1895-08-24

store where your food and clothing were
bought, and the capital and business CT those
with whom you deal Some may think that
people who have nothing and earn nothing
cannot suffer from the burden OF taxation
Dut this is O mistake, since those who sup
port them could afford to supply their wants
more literally if there were no taxes to be
PAID. There is not man or woman or child
IN The whole city who has not a personal in
terest IN preventing unnecessary taxation
There IS not single individual who is toe
rich or too poor TO be benefited by any effort
which will tend to secure the utmost wisdom
ana economy in the collection and expendl
ture OF every penny that goes into the City
Treasury.
The essentials for which such organiza.
tions as the Chicago and Philadelphia
leagues or federation strive are, in brief
pure air and water in abundance, plenty
of street lights. cheap. rapid and safe
transportation, security of food agains,
contamination and adulteration, easy and
swift transmission of ideas, efficient
police and fire protection, nationally ad-
ministered charities. equitable ASSESS
ment aud honest expenditure of taxes.
adequate guardianship of the interests OF
every citizen in the city by his or her rep
resentatives in the city government. ade-
Quate provision for schools, recreation
and culture, including moral progress
and lastly provision for acquaintance
with common understanding and CO.
operation between the different elements
Of citizenship.
1t makes no difference to such feder-
alton that the laws commit certain inter
ests to certain officials: it shall proceed
upon the question, "How shall we gel
these interests better protected ?" A
strong feature of the Chicago federation is
this, that it is not group of 1.-The elect
trying to legislate for the non-e elect, but il
is it's effort to embrace in it's sympathy
all persons in the city who desire to pro-
mote every kind of municipal welfare; tC
serve as medium of acquaintance and
sympathy between persons in different
parts, pursuing different vocations. oi
different nationalities, of all cresds and
no creeds, and who, though unknown to
one another, have similar interests in the
well being of the city.
One of the notable successes of the
Chicago federation is its concentration oi
municipal patriotism; it never claimed to
have monopoly of good citizenship OF
that all civic patriotism could be massed
in one association. On the contrary, as
Mr.. Small puts it, it acts as the switch
board or clearing house of civic patriotism.
1t is an organ of corporation between
for specific or general city good. So it is
a central or pivotal body standing for So
ceties in the thirty-four wards of the
city, which are its branches, SO to speak,
every one of which has it's head in the
Central Council, along with hundred
others selected by the incorporators. In
the first year of its existence it brought
in consultation Republican, Democratic,
labor, real estate and trade organizations
to secure reforms in the revenue laws. the
city charter, the ballot law, the civil ssrv-
ice and the merit system, sanitation,
charities and education.
The result was first, the passage of the
civil service law by the State, and its
adoption by Chicago by majority of 40, :
900 votes. Second, the knocking out of
three Doodle ordinances for city lighting
and heating; third, the suspension OF a
large number of contracts for sewer
work, that had been let without due pro-
cess of law; fourth, the indictment of
sixty-seven men for election frauds, and
in this work it expended $4,000 alone;
fifth, arousing the people to the necessity
and benefit OF taking active part in the
political primary elections; sixth, sys-
organizing Central Relief Association,
now called the Bureau of Charities; sew
enth, suppression of nearly all gambling
in the city, in the course of which over
three hundred arrests were made. and
proving that gaming can be suppressed
when officials are driven to do their duty.
On this question mass-meetings indorsed
the Federation, and new city admins
tration came in bound to pursue the
policy of suppression and the obliteration
of opium joints, concert hall and stall at
tachments to saloons. the seizure of OBJ
scene literature and the punishment of
publishers and vendors; eighth, the
establishment of monthly meetings of
patrons and teachers in the city schools.
The subject cannot be pursued further.
but enough has been stated to show what
great Civic Federation is, and how far
its work may be applied to small cities
through the organizations recently de-
scribed in the RECoRD-UNIoN as Town
Improvement Societies.
PUBLIC FUNDS AS BANKING
CAPITAL.
For great many years past the moneys
in the City Treasury have been deposited
in some bank of the city under the flimsy