Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-02-01

are 10 ne shaken uOWn w the tune VI
SI.WO.OOO for the benefit. In the first
place. of meter manufacturers.
But that would be but the prclimiu.
airy step:
Following it would come the bleeding
process of enormously Increased taxa.
ton through the meter system. with.
out any increase In our water supply.
without any Improvement or extension
Of the system, and without the slight.
est degree of Improvement In the quail.
ty of the water.
Payroll patriots such rs the cohorts
of "Wabbly Willie" would. of course
be the bcneficiarics of this tax extor
ton.
In word. prohibitiyc burden Of
taxation is to he put upon property.
without hint or any idea of anything
In the shape of compensation for the
enormous increase.
Real estate is to he dealt n deadly
blow, the great mass of middlc.class
householders and taxpayers are to he
crushed. and business relations gcncr.
set If the latest devilmcnt planned 10y
the Council and boosted by the "Wnb.
bly, Willics" and others of that ilk IL
to be carried into effect. The promoters
are busy In the city Council these
days. and they have handy tools at
hand to work with.
The other day the public was startled
at the announcement sent out 10y the
City Engineer that his department Is
engaged In preparing. ut the lnstigntion
of the Finance Committee. arrange
mcnts whereby the installation of wa.
ter meters Is to he enforced In every
building In the city of Chicago that
comes within the low 10000. gallon
schedule.
The purpose rs well az the effect of
such a procedure rs that will he nj once
seen and understood.
1t Is plain that the purpose or object
| Is to wiring from the ovcrtaxcd house.
holders Of Chicago additional aud In.
| creased revenues for the public crib.
and bigger payrolls for the big army
Of taNcatcrs.
| AS to the effect, any citizen who Will
pause to consider the matter for II mo.
mcnt will readily see that II means
ruin for thousands Of property owners
In this city.
1t would mean simply death To- real
estate rs nm investment In this city.
Real estate has had u hard time of II
already In Chicago. The garbage cai
ordinance and its operation dealt II q
hard blow: the Board Of Local I'm
provcmcnts almost stamped II out. In,
the Finance Committees water meter
plan will kill il Off completely.
Cnimprovcd real estate will remain
unlmprovcd. because no man could In
vest In Hat buildings with any other
prospect save heavy loss and ruin. with
the water meter milestone around the
neck of his enterprise.
| Thousands of citizens who have in.
vested their savings In Hat buildings
Will he simply beggarcd by this latest
move Of the Council tn enrich the public
crib for the benefit Of the pap.sucklng
cohorts Of such political acrobats as
"Wabbly WHILE" unless the public
rises up In Its wrath and stamps tn,
scheme out Of existence.
Nobody has ever heard a more out.
rageous proposition than this latest
creation Of the Finance Committee.
| Here IL II great lake full Of water
here IL a great system Of pumping and
other engineering works erected and
paid for by the people of Chicago for
the purpose Of providing themselves
In their homes and elsewhere with this
grand supply of nature. aud now after
all that has been done II II proposed tn
tell the people they cannot have the
water supply they have paid for and
are being taxed for, except as II II dolcd
out by measure ana charged for NJ 81
much per gallon.
IL II possible that the people have
spent from three to four millions Of
ward hcclcrs of the 'Wabbly Willics''
with means to further add To their al
legged power as machine bossosy
Why should the water fund he added
To by additional sources of revenue,
when the system Il already much more
than self.sustainlngy
Why should the public be burdcnci
with water meters when the water tax
II already far too high and there are
two million dollars lying In the water
fund.
Everybody who knows anything
about municipal affairs knows that the
water fund has been always In II posi-.
ton 10 help out other funds and other
departments whose resources have
been depleted by maladministration;
why, then, should additional taxation
De put upon our water supply
But there II another feature of the
case that must he taken into consld.
Grafton II this outrageous Idea II 10 be
carried into effect,
There II contained In Il well de.
fined danger of pestilcnce In the future.
Everybody knows that the city of
Chicago never flushcs n sewer.
This Is done ut the expense of prop.
crty-owners by the installation of up.
to-datc sanitary apparatus and appli.
ances In all residence buildings.
II the water Is 10 he charged for 10y
the gallon, houschOldcrs viii be pre-.
NsutpI lac tho nrnbIlitirn tox,tt,n