Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-01-18

VNNiu tuc wy SPrk OIIlcP. anu the
conduct of the same by the present In.
cumbent on account of his rather unen.
viable prominence I'm politics.
Good citizens are asking themselves
what sort of man Is this l.octiier.
anyway
How does he keep his records?
How does he run his office?
should the Grand Jury ask these
questions and try to find out the an.
swers to them?
The City Council records. II Is point
cd out. have been for a long time filed
with mysterious orders for stringing
banners" and other alleged transac.
tions of the Council
Old.timers In Council matters saw
these mysterious orders are of the
clSss known as producers, whatever
that phrase may mean.
The records of the City Council are
never read. They are always approved
on the motion of some Alderman be.
fore half dozen words are read by
the Clerk.
Seven-eighths of the Aldermen never
read the journal, and never know what
1t contains.
They are not Interested. because
most of our City Fathers never have
anything to say or do In the Council
that Is worthy OF recording even n the
minutes.
Now 1t IS claimed these Stoughton.
bottle Aldermen who never suy word
except aye or "no" uu Ioll call. are
SO glad 70 see their names occasionally
in print. even if it uG only In the jour.
nal tina rh.y uoyer would make pro-
test f -boy saw their names set down
in he record as the author of half q
dozen orders for the stringing of ban
ners across such and such street and
such and such an alleyway. from this
body's store to that body's store. and
so forth. even though they may have
never known anything about 1t before
Its appearance In type.
Being proud of the publicity thus
given them they will deny nothing that
contributes to 1t.
BY this. it Is alleged. inaccuracy
creeps I'm to the Council records.
II so. who Is responsible for it;
The Grand Jury should. and no doubt
could. If 1t tried. find out whether the
City Clerk knows anything of any nj.
legged irregularities In the Council rec.
Ords.
1t Is said. furthermore. that the
Grand Jury could inquire with profita.
ble results into the various contracts
and other matters supposed to be han.
died by the City Clerk.
1t Is to be hoped that satisfactory
answers can be supplied the following
questions:
Does Loefller make anything out Of
the purchase or sale of dog license
tags?
II so. what or how much?
What truth Is there In the allegation
that Loefiier gives out or lets contracts
for public work done In his office with.
out competition?
II this is true, why does Loefiier fol
low such a course?
Is 1t legal?
How many clerks are there In the
City Clerks Office and are they rcgu.
larly appointed according to law?
Is there an ordinance requiring slot
machines to be licensed?
II so, from what offices should the H.
censes issue?
Are slot licenses issued from the
City Clerks Office, and, IL so, what par
ticular kind of slot machIneY
II any of these questions should show
irregularity or Illegal practices In the
running of the City Clerks office, It
will be interesting to learn what the
Grand Jury is going to do about 1t.
The technical engineering details Of
railroading are OF little interest to the
general public, as rule. The public Is
concerned only In the results Of modern
railroading as seen In fast and luxuri.
Gus train service. How this service Is
attained Is q matter for the engineers
and railway officials. The heavy extra
cost OF fast trains, however, as brought
out at the forty-fourth meeting Of the
American Society Of Mechanical En-.
gineers In New York, IL not without
popular Interest In that 1t disabuses
the average layman Of some erroneous
impressions. 1t might be supposed
that fast train running from Chicago
to Denver, and making but one or two
stops, would cost less than slow train
making all the stops on the road. This
Is a radical error, as shown by one OF
the speakers-Mr. Delano, OF Chicago
at the engineers convention. The ele-
ments Of cost In the fast train service
are increased fuel consumption, higher
grade Of machinery and service, In.
creased wear and tear, greater risk of
accident and the delay to other traffic.
1t was shown by Mr.. Delano that an in.
crease from thirty TO sixty miles per
hour would raise fuel consumption for
power G2la per cent The damage to
trackage by fast train service Is also
an important factor In the increased
cost. Careful records have demon
strated that the hlgh.speed engine has
much more effect upon rails and road
bed than the slower moving engine of
greater tractlye power with a less
path described by the counterwelght Of
the driving wheels In single revolu.