New-York tribune., 1900-12-03
TOPICS IN CHICAGO.
TAXPAYERS WIN CONCESSION FROM
STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY DECLARES
FOR CITY GAS AND OTHER
REFORMS.


REFORMS.
Chicago, Dec. CspeciaD.-Taxpayers in Cook
County and Chicago have lost their fight before
the State Board Of Equalization and must sub
nit to an increase Of 10 per cent in the assess
ment OF their property. At the same time, the
balance Of the State has secured a reduction OF
Is per cent This action Of the Board adds some
! S2S.O00,OO0 to Cook County's assessment but
even this substantial increase leaves the equal
ized valuation Of the property in Cook County
about S90,000,0O0 below that Of last year. So
the local property owners have still some cause
for self-gratulation. They might have Jared
much worse. for one OF the country members of
the Board made bitter fight to have the assess
meut raised 40 per cent, and he nearly succeeded
in carrying his point The original increase pro-
posed was % per cent, and the fact that, the
Board was induced to relinquish fits designs Is
due largely 10 the concerted opposition OF the
Illinois Manufacturers Association and other
kindred bodies. The manufacturers assert that
| the persistent effort on the part OF the State
at large to saddle upon Chicago the greater
part Of the burden OF the States expense is
ininical to the commercial welfare Of the city,
and they are Of the opinion that many large
industries would have been driven out OF Chi
cago and the State had the Board persisted in
/
increased valuation the city Of Chicago will
receive about 100000
Chicago's Municipal Assembly has declared in
favor Of some sweeping reforms At its last
meeting three important pieces Of city legisla-
ton were proposed. and met with general appro-
val. The first. and most important was
measure providing for the municipal ownership
Of gas plants This Will be sent to the next
Legislature for action. It provides authorize
tion for any city Board In the State to erect
and maintain gas plants, to furnish gas to pri-
vate consumers and TO borrow money. levy and
collect special taxes for the purpose the receipts
from the sale Of gas to provide fund to redeem
any bonds il may be necessary TO issue. Ac-
cording TO the measure proposed, no frontage
consents will be necessary to lay mains the ex-
pense Of which may be assessed on adjoining
property The city is also to have power TO
ACQUIRE and condemn real estate for gas works,
and small towns may cooperate with one another
to operate one plant. The second measure was
likewise a draft Of a bill TO be submitted TO the
next Legislature. II outlines a plan for abolish
ing the Justice shop evil. 1t provides for the
establishment of district courts in various parts
Of the city, each OF which will be presided over
by Judge elected by the people. At present the
justices Of the peace are political appointees-
The third was proposition that the Committee
collection Of special assessments out OF the
hands Of the County Treasurer and place it in
the hands of the City Treasurer. This measure
is along lines that have been urged upon the
Finance Committee by the City Controller for a
year Should these three measures become ef-
fective. it is the consensus Of opinion here that
many existing evils would be corrected.
Chicago consumers OF Indiana natural gas
have won their fight against the interests that
sought TO place an embargo upon the shipment
Of this useful Hoosier product from the State
Many Chicago manufacturing enterprises are
largely dependent upon this fuel. the cheapness
Of which enables many lines TO compete with
outside opposition that would otherwise be more
than they could cope with, and the stoppage of
their supply would have hopelessly crippled
many big local enterprises The law under
which the Indiana people made their fight was
an old statute. which declared it unlawful for
any person or company to pipe or conduct nat
ural gas from any point within the State OF
Indiana 10 any point outside OF IL. 1t provided
a penalty the confiscatiOn of the offenders
leases on gas wells and realty holdings and q
heavy fine. This statute passed in 1889,
but the attempt 10 enforce it is Of much more
recent date, and was prompted by fear that the
heavy drains upon the wells made by Chicago
consumers might exhaust the supply The Su-
prelne Court of the State has decided that the
law is unconstitutional. and that the exporting
companies subject to no restrictions that do
not apply equally 10 the owners of pipe lines
Nili1H SOLi4iL4S opeEdliOilS Ot0lS
Having fallen somewhat behind in divorces
Chicago bestirred herself in another. though
kindred, direction last week, when the day
before Thanksgiving all previous records were
broken at the marriage license office. Pros
perity and the Thanksgiving spirit are what the
philosopher Of the County Clerks office attrib-
uted IL 10, when figuring up his days work
he found that he had issued 116 passports 10
seekers Of connubial felicity. The best previous
days record was beaten by twenty-four licenses
Another Chicagoan has been added to the
list OF heavily insured Americans. Frederick
W. Morgan, OF the bicycle tire manufacturing
hrm Of Morgan & Wright last week took out
additional policies his life to the amount OF
$3000OO which, with the policies already in
force makes his total insurance aggregate sone-
thing over $5OO000 The last policy is fifteen
payuent life and twenty year indemnity policy,
IN the Travellers Life and Accident Insurance
Company Of Hartford. OF the 100000 the
Travellers retains 100000 and the balance is
re-insured in other companies.
During a brief interval of liberty, which he
gained without the consent OF his keepers
Wisconsin lunatic made a record that many
sane man might well be proud Of He took the
municipal civil service examination at Racine.
passed at the head OF the class. had indorse-
ments from the Mayor or the town and was
slated for good berth as soon a vacancy oc-
crlrred recaptured at KeuOSha last