Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-10-15
LARGEST
WEEKLY CIRCULATION
IN CHICAGO.
FLTHY STREETS AND ALLEYS.

N
admits that the condition of the streets
and alleys of this city is worse to-day
than II has been for some years. How
flthy the alleys are ard how ineffec-
tually the work of garbage removal
has been carried on are shown by the
illustrated report on the subject In u
recent issue of the Tribune. The Com.
missioner cannot help pleading guilty
To a charge which every householder
knows Is true. Forced to activity by
their reiterated complaints and by
newspaper exposures. the Commission.
err has set men To work removing the
garbage which has been allowed To nc.
cumulate and rot during the warm
summer months.
Mr.. McGann's excuse l. the custo-
mary excuse of all municipal officers
- lack of funds" The song these of.
hcers always sing Is: I'VE do the best
we can with the money We have. II
we had as much as Is spent In New
York we would do wonders"
SO they say. But II all the money
IN the Bank Of England were M their
disposal they would squandcr most Of
II on dirty. voraclous loafers. who
deem life worth the living only when
they can carouse and booze In saloons
nj public expense. devising methods
for ballot-boX stufiing ana other elec.
ton frauds. which they call practical
politics."
That II Thornton's conception Of
municipal government. He believes
cities We're created for the benefit Of
the Democratic "bOys." Dirty streets.
and alleys impossible from piles of
garbage. do not shock him II the
workers have been taken care Of.
lie has concentrated his efforts on the
attempt to nullify the civil service law
and give the workers" u show. He
Is laboring for their benefit when he
tolls, for the election of a Democratic
Legislature to repeal that law.
The responsibility for the present dis.
credltable state of affairs rests partly
on the decision made by Judge Tuley
TO the effect that the law empowering
the city to enter into five-year con-
tracts for the disposal of garbage Is
not constitutional. The matter has
been taken up to the Supreme Court.
and IL Is understood that a majority OF
the judges are of the opinion that
Judge .Tuley's decision Is bad law. but
no opinion has been handed down yet.
Judge Tulcy's decision temporarily put
1t out Of the power Of the city to aban-
don the old and sluttish system of get
ting rid of garbage and adopt a new,
cheaper, healthier system. Even II ev-
cry dollar appropriated by the Council
had been judlciously and economically
expended under the old method thor
oughly satisfactory results could not
have been secured
Nevertheless, the alleys would not he
as foul as they are had there been less
politics and Tammany Halllsm In the
Bureau of Street and Alley Cleaning
The charge Is made, and IL Is unques.
tionably true, that incompetent men
have been given places In the bureau
for political reasons, while men who.
perhaps, are competent have been al.
lowed or invited TO neglect their work
to lat,or for the Democratic ticket. II
cannot be denied that the efficiency of
ABOUT every department of the munich
pal government has been impaired by
successful evasion Of the civil service
law. The spells system of filling the
offices. so dear TO Thornton, has not
been done away with. A. IA conse-
quence much Of the money appropriate
ed for garbage removal and other pur-
poses has been wasted. 1t has gone to
pay the saloon bills Of bummers.
The supreme Court Is In session now.
1t may be that before 1t adjourns II will
hand down decision overriding Judge
Tuley. II that Is done there will be
reason 10 hope for a cleaner city next
year. But until the present method of
dealing with garbage is given up M
Improvement need he expected, least of
all when the municipal government Is
In the hands Of men whose object In
life is to nullify the civil service law
SO that the greater part OF the city's |