The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-06-20
WHAT 1T COST.


An interesting little story of the inefficiency of
municipal government or of the inability of large
corporation to deal with small matters comes from
Chicago. youth in that city several years ago
hurled stone at one of the municipal street lights
and, strange it may seem, the stone went true
to its mark breaking the globe The feat tor a
time appeared triumph for the young mans abll-
ity which no doubt encouraged him to try his
skill with baseballs thrown niger babies for two
fer cigars But as time wore on the conviction
awakened within him that he had done wrong, and
to make restitution he RENTED % cents to the
municipal authorities to square his conscience.
While all will agree that the young man did the
right and proper thing in the premises the results
of his contribution to the city show plainly that
the sin against the public not compensated by
the mere payment of the % cents, They also show
that large corporation like the city of Chicago
doesn't know just how to take of the pennies.
In the first place, the department chief who re-
ceived the % cents was compelled to apply to the
chief statistician of the street lighting department
for computation. which made it necessary for
the latter to look up the cost of street lamp material
two years ago. and to furnish data which would en-
able the head of the department to estimate the
lamp. This was finally determined to be cents
or 10 cents less than the amount remitted
Inasmuch as the conscience contribution was 10
cents too great, and the great city of Chicago
cannot under any possible circumstances use money
which does not belong to it, 1t is plain that the
young man has rebate of 10 cents coming to him.
The Chicago Inter-Ocean says that anybody who
has ever done business with the city hall knows
we'll that while it is the easiest thing in the world
to pay money over to the officials in that estab-
lishment it is the most difficult thing in the world
to get any of it back for if there is tight institu
ton. an unyielding institution, cold and utterly
institution, under the sun. 1t Is the
city rebate bureau. And yet the fiction prevails
over there that all money that does not properly be-
long to the municipality must be rebated-that Is,
must be paid back
SO it is probable the entire force of the re-
bate bureau was put to work figuring out the exact
amount, which the young man has coming to him.
When it is settled upon he will receive notice
telling him to appear and be identified and sworn
Then he will receive a notice informing him that
10 cents stands to his credit on the books of the
city, and before he has time call for it he will
be notified that while the 10 cents is due him. yet
there is no money at present in the rebate fund.-
and asking him rot to take any steps until he
hears from the bureau again. which may be next
year. or the year after or the year after that
The great city of Chicago having come into pos
session of cents of new revenue it is necessary to
distribute the sum among the various departments
If the city The InterO Ocean figures that after
some thirty or forty clerks have Strengthened the
natter perfectly, the total cost of taking care
If the cents will be $92 or just 1914 than
he city has been enriched All of which shows
he extent to which the red tape business be
,verworked As a sample of municipal ineffciency
he story may be slightly overdrawn but it at least
possesses the earmarks of truth.