Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-12-07

past three or four months it has become
dcuoralizcd as II never has before.
All of this jurisdiction over the Fire
| Department has been assumed of late
10y the \. l.. \. Civil Service Commits
| sion.
The three commissioners now govern
ing the Fire Department are
John Wings Ella.
Robert Lindblom.
Joseph Powell
An irresponsible political ulumvrate
| truly.
Then there is the Police Department.
which us everyone knows has suffered
even more than the Fire Department
from the same condition of facts.
Every citizen of Chicago knows that
| this once magnificent organization has
become practically disrupted. The men
do not know who are in reality their
commanding officers. nor Ito they know
whom to obey. This IN because they
sccplaccd in authority above their chief
and other officers the Civil Service
Board. which undoubtedly would appear
to have assumed the absolute right to
run the Police Department.. namely:
John Wings Ella.
Robert I.indblom.
Joseph Powell
1t is hut fair to hold Mayor Harrison
responsible for all this.
The Health Department.. although II
never was anything but a stencil in the
nostrils of the public. Is or should he
among the most useful and important
| tn the public of the various branches of
the City government was never intend
ed by the charter creating It to be run
by board on which there Is not l.
single medical man. II was never In.
tended by the law that this department
should be conducted in opposition and
contra ention of the wishes of the Com.
missioner of Health appointed by Mayor
Harrison in pursuance Of the provisions
of the charter. but WHOSE authority.
wishes and orders are ignored. disre.
gnrded or Overrulcd by an irresponsible
political triumviratc composed of
| John Wings Ella.
Robert Lndblom.
Joseph Powell.
| Is IL not. however the insOlcnt as.
sumption of authority by the commits.
sion allowed by the Mayor that should
he rebukcd hercI
The Department Of Public Works
which. from the standpoint of the tax.
payer Is the most important Of all de.
partments. on account Of It's control of
the money for public improvements. so
important indeed that under past al
ministrations the Mayor himself has fire.
uuently acted as the Commissioner. IL
now 1t Is alleged absolutely under the
| control and Jurisdiction Of the IT.
responsible commission consisting Of
John Wings Ella.
Robert I.lndblom.
Joseph Powell.
The Building Department, to which
most important duties ARE cOnti,led. In.
volving the safety Of the very lives OF
the people. the stability of our buildings
and public structures. the enforcement
Of the building law. and Of the most
vital section of the fire ordinance. and
which should he supervised, under the
ordinance creating 1t, by competent
architects and experienced builders. IL
alleged to he entirely In the hands OF
the three irresponsible ana incompetent
individuals already named neither Of
whom knows anything about buildings,
or architecture.
John Wings Ella,
Robert Lindblom,
Joseph Powell.
These are said to be- 1.-THE whole thing
In this department which undoubtedly
IL demOralized utterly, and 1t may BE-
mentioned incidentally that the recent
suspension of one of Its deputies for an
alleged violation of the building law,
but which Investigation has shown to
be- no violation ut all, has done much
tn demonstrate the effect Of the mis-
chievous lncompetency and evil inter.
meddllng of the Pooh Bah Commission.
| In the case of the Board OF Local I'm
prOvcments, u minor bureau Of the De-
pnrtment of Public Works, the prtSld-
Ing officer IL Kentuckian but IL, how
cNtT, SuUJe't w tic Su"V ouuVt" iuuo
ences OF the Civil Service Commission
which pervades every other branch Of
the municipal government The same
Il IL pointed out may be said of the
City collectors office, the School Board,
AMI every other branch of the city's
service.
While the Eagle fully, appreciates the
motives that influence the Mayors de-
tractors and personal and political en-
cmles in seeking to hold him responsible
for the existence of the Odious ana
much-hatcd City Civil Service Commits.
| sion, II does think there IL much room
for needed Improvement and that his
honor cannot act too promptly or too
thoroughly In cutting the ground from
under his critics feet by clipping the
wings or changing the personnel of the
Civil Service Commission.
1t is not out of place here to ask
whether the City Civil Service Commits
sion OF Chicago was ever intended to
possess or exercise more authority and
arbitrary power than that conferred by
the National Civil Service Commission?
Hardly.
Yet what are the facts In regard to
tn" National Civil Service Commission,
| after which al other civil service laws
and commissions in this country are