Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-10-19
CONSOLIDATING hNSpecrORSyiPS

CONSOLIDATING iNSPECTORSHiPS.
Mayor HarrlsOn's excellent ana time
~ suggestion for the unificatlOn Of all
inspection" officers In one system and
under the direction of one head will.
beyond doubt. receive the approval Of
the public.
The abolition of the fee system will.
OF course. accompany the unitlcatiOn OF
the various inspectors bureaus.
While the Mayor admits that there
are many legal difficulties In the rOnd.
he declares he IL determined to use his
power rs head of the city government
to compel officers who may be inclin.
ed to shelter themselves under the
wing Of legal technicallties to accept
the change or he visited with dismissal.
While the fee system will be abolished,
the heads Of the various inspection bu.
renus Will be paid adequate salaries
ana Will work ~ chief deputies, each
In his own particular line Of inspection
under one head. The details Of the
new plan have not yet been perfected.
but the Mayor has set himself to the
task Of working them out In u manner
equally beneficial to the municipal nd
ministration ana satisfactory to the
public.
When the Mayor was asked 10 he
would attempt to look after the cOndl.
ton Of the various offices, he replied:
1T would be impossible. have more
than can attend to now. and II would
he out Of the question to take any more
on my shoulders. a new office will have
to be created, and the place should be
80 constituted that all inspectors will
work under the supervision of the new
official"
In order to bring this change about,
however. a great deal Of legal patching
and changing Of ordinances will b.
necessary. One great stumbling block
In the fact that the law under which
the offices Of the various inspectors was
created compels each head to be Il prac.
teal man In his own department, and
Mr.. Harrison points out that It would
be useless to look for one man who
combined the knowledge necessary fol-
his standing rs head Of the combined
"ePa''"'e".s. ne peheVed that the III
Sp'.'o's ''"'" "o'" .he'r present pN"ces
ana that n new ordinance could be put
through making the duties OF the add
tlOnal official purely those OF checking
and supervision.
Inc corporation counsel mas Deer
| very pus! ever since MS return 10 tht
c"v cohect'hg I'LL the state stntute'
reIerrihg 10 the establishment or fet
offices In Chicago, ana IL preparing Il
frame IN ordinance that VIII bring
nDout the necessary changes without
cmsh'hg win the existing Legislative
acts. IL he hnds that this cannot bt
dOhe the Mayor VIII make cOntlnu
ahce IN ONCE OF any or the men now
collecting fees dependent on their will
ingness to enter into contract with
.ne e'' =" urn I'LL ices over " 'ht
S'"P''''c' "S 'ney "'c '".'ec''" INV
"e'eP' 'e"sohaoie "hh""' s""r! III
'''"'" ior 'ne'r SERVICES
The principnl-indeed. the only real
Zee ofnces or the city ut present are
those or oil Inspector, city sealer, build
Ing commissioner ana boiler Inspector
The City Treasurer's Office has been
included In the category. but there Is II
distinction between this and the Others
mentioned The city Treasurer receives
interest on funds In his possession,
while the heads Of the other offices are
slnkHiy paid fees by the public for the
pesfnGmance of certain acts In the line
or @lty, ana this has been their remu-
neration.
AS for the Gas Inspector, the office
or that Official Is not and never was n
zee once IN the true sense OF the word.
The only fees received there are for the
examination of meters, which amounts
TO an absnrdly insignificant sum, some
thihg Ike 5000 per annum or there
| aDouts.
The title Gas Inspector Is. in fact, II