Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-06-12
Meters Are Broken by Many Water
Thieves, and Yet the Authorities
Are Supine.
When Will the Prosecution of These Water
stealers Begin in Real Down.
right Earnest?

this evil could be corrected Il would
not only mean large saving to the
city, but It would enable the works to
give n more efficient service.
Zone system Of levying water taxes
Ii by the use of meter for every
building or consumer, but fear that
would not be practicable In Chicago.
Another system IL to use meters for
large consumers, such as hotels, office
and business blocks, factories, apart.
ment houses. ETC.. and to charge u
frontage rate for detached dwellings.
That plan, I think, would be feasible
In this city. The use Of meters would
distribute the water tax equitably,
would reduce the cost Of operating the
works and would increase the rev.
enue."
Penny -iii-the-slot drinking fountains
are not regarded with favor by the
West Park Commissioners. At their
meeting they refused the application of
Charles r. Westlake for permission to
install his macllincs throughout the
West Turk system In cOnnection with
the lamp-pOsts. ana Il now remains for
Mr.. Westlake to make some kiiul of u
proposition to the commissioners that
will carry a suggestion of revenue
with II.
Aside from awarding few contracts
the commissioners had little to OCCUPY
their serious attention until they came
to consider tl,e Write elephant placed
on their hands In the form of the elee.
trIc Light plant. Then they went la
executive session, and listened To tils
advice Of some expert electricians.
The contract for paving Ogden ave
nuc through Douglas Park was award:
ed to the Bermn,lez Asphalt Paving
Company mt %2.12 per square yard. Il
+. Conway got tlls contract fOr supply
Ing whit II k,iWwn ~ common filling
for Humboldt boulevard. and AlcCarths
4 Newman received the contract f0l
furnishing the Mack soil for the lawn
spaces on the same boulevard.
In addition. tn THE Armour scare tn,
trade has had another element Of dis.
turbance introduced In the shape of a
probable prolonged war with the ele.
vatOrs. 1t Is the old fight but renewal
under new conditions. The board Il
bitterly hostile to elevator prOprietOrs
dealing In the gfMin stored In their Gle.
vatOrs. as 1t liz claimed to give tliRm
an advantage Owar those who are not In
the elevator ring. Two or three years
ago the board passed rule that M
houses should. b. made regular whose
prOprletOrs dealt In the grain In tdlei,
houses. claiming that the laws Of the
State prohibited II.
The change OF that law by thu lns
Legislature giving elevators the riglI
To deal In grain the same as any Ons
else IN lde. III necessary for the board {,
adopt some new measures, and u r,Slt
was posted tately preventing al ADusel
whose prODrtrtOrs trade In the gruin II
their OWE houses from being made ''reg
ular.' which simply means thMt grlil
hereafter put In such houses shah no
bc deliverable on contract. 1t Is no
, expected that any OF the elevators vii
apply for license under this r,ile, AM
that on July there will Nv no ''reg,l
. lar houses here. The grain In the oil,
houses VIII be 'iegular" for six months
but 1t IA possible that none Of the grail
arriving In July can find regular place
OF storage and hence cannot be avail
r able for filling July contracts.
n The rule will be voted Oh June 20 an,
II passed 1t will he the beginning Of
n bitter war with the elevators, whic
3 will fight 1t In the courts to the bite
. end. Shorts In July feel that this que,
|. ton Is liable to become rs distuibin
|. u factor as ArmOur's position.
!. IT the Civic Federation Ia In earnes
: about reform 1t will take several Of II
2 own members before the grand jur,
!. They are interested In every steal thu
IL going from stealing the lake frou
}. to stealing streets. Instead of payin
4" 80 much attention to poor alderme
4 ana legislators, suppose the Civic Fet
It Grafton ribs Its own house of a few q
}. the bribers. Public sentiment favor
e the punishment of brlbe givers rattle
than the bribe takers as a method {
= breaking up crime.
j. II the Mangler committee does n,
4 get at the truth of the School Boar
g crOOkstlness Il special grand jury will.
y 4 special session Of the Leglslatul
p will be held next January.
v Mr.. James ]. Casey will probably
" appointed by Mayor Harrison to su
n coed Lloyd ]. Smith on the Soho
n Board.
l. Cox, Wheeler Il Company are eS
y IDENTITY "lOng" on expanded metal tn
~ they are using SO largely in aspha
le paving. Many good citizens, heaN
n. taxpayers, contractors and engineer
! are kicking hard about this state
1t affairs.
Is Many property owners Oh Gotta
If Grove avenue are up In arms about t.