Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-01-16
WORE DRAINAGE BOARD Ex.
1RAHA0ANCE,

The Braden combination in the
Drainage Board is starting out in its
new regime with liberal hand. At
Wednesdays meeting a place was
made for l.. Il. Cooley as Legislative
representative" of the board; and Clerk
Reddick was encouraged to ask for an
increase of salary.
II was not expected that the session
would develop anything of a sensation.
| al nature. The battle which the Demo
| cratic members have Just won. with
the assistance of Trustee Bradcn. the
| cN-Rcpuhlican. was decisive. and fixed
the policy of the drainage district along
plane of expenditure which It cannot
hope to consummate without help from
the Legislature. Having this I'm view
many of the members of the board
were at Springfield the first of the
week. and they came back with n firm
conviction that IL would he some time
before the desired succor could be OBJ
tanned.
For the present. therefore. there IL n
tendency among the trustees in the con.
trolling faction to- await legislative de-
vclopments. 1t II thought probable on
this account that nothing whatever will
he done on the extension of the channel
from the controlling works above the
penitentiary through Joliet for several
months to come.
In the light of these facts the mem.
bers of the minority hardly expected
that anything would come before the
meeting except matters of routine bust.
ness. the reading of committee reports
ana the approval of vouchers. The
first hint to the contrary was q rumor
that came from the room where Trus.
tees Jones. Wenter. Kelly and Braden
were In secret session. This was that
Clerk Reddick. after serving the board
for five years on what has always been
regarded as Il fair salary, had suddenly
become dissatisfied, ana wanted more
money for his services. This request
was embodied In communication and
was submitted to the board near the
close of the meeting.
IL II said that Mr.. Reddick and the
boards bookkeepcr. who unltcs with
him In this request for higher wages,
have no desire to quit their present DO.
sitions. nor would they have ventured
To make such u request had they not
been put up to II by members of the
reigi,ing faction. 1t II said that these
members have given the department
employees assurances that they will be
better paid In the future.
When Mr.. Reddick's communication
came before the board It was referred
to the Finance Committee. OF which
Trustee Wenter IL chairman.
The movement to give l.. Il. Cooley n
place on the payrolls of the board was
n complete surprise to the members of
the minority. 1t was sprung In tho
shape of a resolution, introduced only n
few minutes before adjournment. The
contents of the resolution were simple
but misleading In more ways than one
according to the view taken by two. a,
least. Of the trustees. The substnnc,
was that Mr.. Cooley be engaged al
consulting engineer" for such time as
the board might need his services, and
that his salary be fixed by the Finance
Committee.
Mr.. Wenter made haste to explain
Immediately after the resolution wa,
. read, that 1t was not Intended to meaf
Just what It said, ana that II was no
as consulting engineer" that Mr.. Coo
ley was wanted, but for what he wOult
be able to 10 for the board Mt Spring
field. Avoiding the word lobbyist
rather adroitly, Mr.. Wenter said:
"rhere Ia no man better fitted to OK
plain the present financial status Of tn
board to the members OF the Leglsla
ture than Mr.. Cooley. His position, a
member of the International Deep Wa
ter Commission, and as member Of tn
committee appointed by the Mayor I
. look into the matter Of intersectin
sewers. places him In a position to b
peculiarly servlceable to this board l
obtaining the legislation, which 1t
almost unanimously agreed must b
had before the work Of the district ca
l. be completed.
"While there II difference In OplI
lon NJ to the amount needed, there
practically no dispute Of the fact tina
there will he a shortage, and Mr.. Coz
ley IL the proper person to further tn
Legislation we ask. His advocacy wi
be honorable and credit to the dil
trict."
Trustee Erkhart opposed the appoin
ment on the ground that no fixed teri
Of service was named, and the questi0
'. of salary was left undecided. He ais
said:
"At time when we should exercis
the most rigid economy, think 1t
folly to employ consulting enginee
In the first place we have competed
engineering department that needs n
assistance, and, moreover, there is n
necessity OF having representative
Springfield. Only a short time ago til
engineering force was cut down for rel
sons Of economy, and yet on the heel
of that we are invited to employ anOtl
err engineer on an uncertain salary an
for an indefinite time"
Trustee Carter said he was oppose
to the resolution because 1t did M
mean what It said. He continued: