Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-04-13
The Revenue Of the City Is Entirely Too
Small for the Present
Needs.
There Are Too Many Tax Dodgers at Pres.
ent for This Splendid City's
Good.
A Wise and Statesmanlike Document, Which
the Public Should Read with
Great Interest.

Mayor Harrison began his message
with u call to the people to consider
the difficulties of the city In providing
the necessities and comforts to the citi.
zcns which they demand on the small
| income the city has tn use.
Until there Is u general awakening
of Chlcag0's taxpaying public to th"
mcagcrncss of the city revenues" lie
said. "the demand for all those things
now counted as necessities in u great
city may as well remain uuvoicrd. II
IL not enough to cavil and complain
The remedy Is not to bc found IN abuse
or fault finding. Not only are these
methods harmful To the city and un-
promising of results. hut they are ut.
trrly lacking In the old.tinc spirit of
Chicago. What Chicago needs to-day
IL less abuse and more patriotism. less
criticism and more enterprise. less
cs'hcllc fault.tiuding and more brond.
gauge determination To right civic con.
dltions.'
lie followed this with u statement of
the effects of the new revenue law on
the city finances. tlIc first promise of
Increased revenue. the fact that the
city with the library and the school
boards alone failed to prot, the first
year: then the fact of the enlarged ap.
propriatons for the second year. fol.
lowed by the cut In assessed valuations
and the consequent cutting of all np.
preparations.
Had not the administrative and leg.
islative branches of the city govern.
incnt worked In complete harmony
with each other" he said. .thc uncy.
pcctcd action of the taxing boards
would have resulted In an actual ca.
lamlty to the city. The needs of Chi.
cago In the year 1901 naturally ar"
greater than In the preceding year The
city grows at the rate of 100000 people
II year and the city's necessities keep
pace with It's increase IN population.
The demands of the citizens are great.
or this year than they were In any
preceding year, and us the years puss
by they Will continue to grow. u fol.
lows, therefore. that the revenues of
the municipality from It's tax levy and
It's miscellaneous receipts should In.
crease In eIunl proportion with the
growth of the city's populations"
After u mention of the need of more
public baths aud of emergency hospil.
ais. the mayor discussed the small
parks and Fairgrounds movement, and
tn" financial helplessncss of the city to
take upsthc work. Unless the bonded
Indebtedness of the city is To bc In.
creased private philanthropy must he
Appealed To for funds. He said: ~
know today of no public work upon
which charitable gifts could more nd,
vantageously be bestowed than I'm the
giving tO the people of breathing spots
IN the OvcrcrOwdcd distrlcrs-spots
where the young and the old might
flock for rest and recreation.
The free skating Kinks fOi which the
city furnishes water gratis in winter
were next given good mention. and
then words of approval were spoken of
The Municipal Lodging House. for the
establishment of which money has u!-
''''' '''h HlIibITll'tu
OF garbage disposal the report saws:
Year by year the necessity for the cs.
Enlistment of crematOricS or reduction
works for the sanitary disposition of
city garhag" becomes greater" The
mayor Describes the dumping of gar
bag" In clayhOlcS uS n "barbarous cus.
TOM nnd hopes that from the small
plnht Just established AZ the House of
correction great results may grow
IN" prediction H. made that the mImlcl.
pal library and Tia" bureau of statistics
VIII hrr"In" exceedingly valuable adj
JuhctS of good government in Chicago.
concerning the special assessment re-.
lntr FUNDS the Mayor, after prcfaclng
ih"t an accounting firm Is making n
thorough examination of them. saws;
"Thr condition of these funds has
long been the scandal of our city gov
"rlim"nt. From the day of NV first
election | have felt il II duty dcyolylng
upon IN" city administration tO exam
III" carefully into the condition of these
IuhhN ANA to clean up the accounts.
ne citizens should be advised of the
"Aart status of each warrant: those To
Mh"in l"bni"S are due should receive
notice ut the exact amount due. These
f"bntcS are trust funds pure and sim
pie The duty dcyolvcs upon the city.
even AT this late date, to fulHll all the
of the trust
I'm all likelihood the Investigation
now under way viii show the city
largely In debt to its own citizens: so
largely in fact that for some time 10
come ih" city will not be possessed of
sufficient funds to pay these claims in
''sh' IL occurs 10 me that ms these
are debts the city honestly owes To lts
taX-paylng citizcnS steps should he
taken 10 secure an early liquidation of
the accounts. would, therefore. suggest
the adylsabillty Of permitting citizens
inIf,tH.,,t- A.. a