Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1900-09-22


Of Mayor Harrison from an economical
standpoint Is attracting the attention
Of the tax-paylng public to the manner
In which the LOrlmcr machine Is loot.
ing Cook County.
Sheriff Niagerstadt, who enjoys a
rake-off Of $4,000 year for dieting
jail prisoners.
Treasurer Raymond. who enjoys a
rake.oF OF 100000 from the interest
on the peoples money,
The County Commissioners, who
raised their own salaries and then
laughed ut the voters, are but markers
to the rest Of the crew.
When It Is understood that the whole
taxing power Of the county Is In the
hands of the Republicans and that they
have cut down the allowance for the
city while they have raised that for
the county, the robbery looks all the
worse.
Sock It to the taxpayers and give It
to the machine seems to he the whole
LorImer battle cry.
The machine Is thriving all right.
The taxpayers are grooming under
their burdens.
Detailed examination of the county
appropriation bills of 1893. 1899 and
1900. made In connection with the In
designations by the Young Mems
Voters League throws light on the
charge of wholesale salury-ralslng pre-
ferred against the present County
Board. The indictment penncd against
the County Commissioners Is that they
refused to advance the salaries of actu.
nj workers on the plea Of ECONOMY"
but ut the same time gave political pets
bonuses varying from $12O to $1,000 n
year. In reply to that charge the com.
mlsslOners and county officials have
urged that the majority Of the raises.
almost the whole amount" In the
words Of Deputy Comptroller James l..
Monaghan, was given to union labor at
the county institutions.
Tabulatlon of the raises shows that
not only did union wOrkmen fail to re-
celve the larger part of the raises, but
they received less than One.slXth Of
the amount voted from the public
funds during 1890 and 1900 In advances
of salary. The total amount voted dur
Ing that time over the salary rates paid
IN 1898 Is $SI.36O. OF that the County
Commissioners voted themselves SIO,'
600 for the two years. Union labor got
but $l2,49O, all voted this year. OF
the amounts voted last year, not cent
was voted to a member of Il labor
union. although salaries outside of the
commissioners salary grab" We're al
vanced to the amount of $G,790. None
Of the advances made In 1898, amount
Ing to 81, 100, were resclnded this year
but on the contrary, were again voted
In the appropriation bill, making tota
of twice that amount extended over
the two years. Besides those raises
500, $50 was voted In addition this year
and less than half of 1t went TO union
labor.
Cuts We're made on the plea of "econ
Omy," but the political pets did not fee
the sharp edge Of the knife. The vic
| inns NViS tue illeu anu Noiucu WHO ~
the amount of their monthly stipend
were at the very bottom of the list
Eight domestics ut Dunning had theil
yearly wages reduced from S2lG tC
$l02. Two workmen ut Dunning haG
their wages cut from $40 a year tC
$50 a year. Last year the physicians
In the County Agents Otiice-men who
brave the weather day and night, en-
dure foul smells, invade filthy homes
ana actually furnish medicines they
prescribe for their INDECENT patients
were paid only $50 month for tire,
months ont of the $40 a month appro
prlated for them-all on the plea OF
ECONOMY"
Nurses at Dunning and the Count,
Hospital continue to get their $24O ant
their $500 Il year each. Most of then
are women who have studied years II
their profession and In consideration Of
their preparation they asked the bOart
to give them an extra IS month each
The board said: "NO; economy" TIL,
advance the nurses asked for and coult
not get was less than One.fOurth in tn,
aggregate of the raise given the pOlitl
cal pets In those two institutions alone