Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-04-20

, thus generated to private corporations.
| and seek to make q manufacturing belt
of the 1000 acres along the channel
now owned by the Sanitary District.
II am opposed to this bill with its
proposed additional tax said George
l.. Warner, of the Real Estate Board.
mo definite plans appear to have been
determined on. either by the city au.
thorlties or by the Sanitary Trustees.
The problem Of transmitting power in
the form of electricity Is in Its infancy
at present, and whether the distance
between Lockport and Chicago can be
! overcome is n matter for experiment
Before any additional taxes are author.
lied 1t seems to me that an expert com.
mission, composed of electrical, n.y.
draulic and mechanical engineers, and
a number of business men, should thor
Oughly canvass this question, and at-
tempt to eliminate anything of the ex.
perimental.
| Several Judges are watching the
measure closely and investigating the
tentative plans of City Electrician ELI.
colt and Chief Engineer Randolph of
the Sanitary Board--plans which con.
filct in many instances.
1T would be most unwise to have
that bill pass" said one Judge during
the day. II shall be ready to go to
Springfield and aid In opposing the
measure II there seems danger of its
passing. The levying Of millions of nd
ditionul taxes with absolutely no def.
mite plans on which the demand Is
based should not be allowed by the
people. The question Of electrical
transmission Is still unsOlved. The com.
pany supplying power from Niagara
Falls to Buffalo finds that 1t can trans
NIT electricity to points twenty.seven
miles from the generating plant. Well,
Lockport IL thirty.six miles from Chi.
cagO, and the consequent greater losses
seem never to have been figured out
fully. The city should get the benefit
Of this power. and the problem Ia too
important to be jumped ut hurrledly."
But five Of the nine members of the
Drainage Board favor the bill now be-
fore the Legislature. Four hold that
action on this line IL premature. Chief
Engineer Randolph Is avowedly Op-
posed to the plan. He contends that
the Sanitary Trustees should retain full
control of the power and that 1t should
be distributed In the territory along
the canal. The 1900 acres Of land
along the channel cost the board ap-
proximately S4,OOO,OOO, and Is now csti-
mated to be worth $1,000 an acre, or
$7,OOO,OOO.
"Lease the power to factories" said
Mr.. Randolph, "and within few years
this land will have become a manufac.
turing belt which will be Of inestimable
value to Chicago"
Postmaster COyne decided Wednes.
day that the pOstOtiice merit board,
the pride of Postmaster Gordon during
his term of Office was a useless appen.
dage to the department, and must be
abolished. Arrangements were mt once
begun for the distribution Of $1,7OO
yearly appropriation which has hereto
fore been used for the salary Of the
Secretary Of the Board.
The news that the sO.called merit
board was to be classed among the
"has beens" was hailed with delight
by most of the employees of the post
office. The board, which had for its
Ostensible object the promotion, trans
fer and assignment of postal employees
on their own merits has been In exist
ence ten years, though its functions
were enlarged greatly under the regime
of Postmaster Gordon.
The employees and some of the OFF,
clals of the main postOfiice say 1t would
be an ideal institution II its rules Were
strictly adhered to. They declare, how
ever, that 1t has been used as q cloak
to cover up the advancement Of favor
ties.
According to my idea" said Post
master COyne, "the merit of employees
cannot be determined by such exam
nations as We're held in this bureau.
The superintendents of divisions are
best acquainted with the relative
standing of their clerks, and in max
ing promotions shall depend much on
their recommendations. ! have visited
, among the employees and inquired care
fully into their work. From this have
,, found that there are many employees
who have been doing cOmmendable
work for years and have been over
looked when favors We're to be dis
tributed. When get an appropriation
from the department on July l expect
to reward the men who have been
working faithfully for years"
: Mr.. Joseph =. Junk, the Halsted
, street brewer, Is mentioned as a pros
. pective Democratic candidate for