Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1915-10-30
PRESIDENT SMITHS ANNUAL
REPORT.

President Thomas A. Smyth, Of the
Sanitary District of Chicago, has
printed his report for general circula.
ton. II Is an important document Of
great interest to taxpayers and the
voting public. President Smyth pre-.
faces his report with the following re.
marks
From the organization Of the San.
itary District Of Chicago. twenty-five
years ago, the President of the Board
Of Trustees has. at the end OF each
year, prepared and read an annual
message in which Is set forth in re.
view the events OF the year, together
with suggestions respecting the policy
Of the Board. Such messages, with
two notable exceptions. have been
printed In the proceedings and pam.
phlet edition thereof published as q
Year Book for the Information Of the
taxpayer.
MY annual message for the year
1914 was read to the Board on July s,
1915, and referred to the Finance
Committee without printing and the
same has not been reported back. The
same course was followed with my an.
nual message for 1911, read to the
Board Of Trustees, January 4, 1912. At
that time, the managers Of the Repub.
lican majority were the two gentle.
men who now constitute the Repub.
lican minority, but who are neverthe.
less the directors Of the bipartisan
combination that now dominates the
Board. am therefore constrained to
print and circulate this message at my
own expense as | did the message OF
1911, emitting, however, the detailed
financial tables which are epitomized
In the text.
THE opinion of any trustee OF the
dominating faction, even when deliv.
cred orally, Is embalmed In the record
when requested, but the deliberate
statement Of the President, prepared
as part of his public duty, vested
with certain powers defined by law, Is
denied place in the Official proceed.
ings. The present cabal not only con.
ducts its more important deliberations
behind closed doors, but seems TO feel
called upon TO suppress every official
document which does not accord with
its views, and even presumes to cen.
sor or direct the findings of any docu'
ment presented for incorporation in
the proceedings, II undertakes to pre-
scribe what the public shall or shall
not know respecting the doings Of the
Board, and the reasons therefor
Il have been a trustee of the SAM
tary District for fifteen years, and
have served on three out OF five Boards
which have controlled its affairs from
the beginning, and have been Presi
dent for seven years OF the time. The
existing conditions are unparalleled
In the history OF the Board and were
only approached in the partisan com
bination of 1901. There has never
been any reason why the nine trus
tees OF the Board should not conduct
It's affairs in open session, and there
is no reason why every member and
official should not be allowed the full
est liberty of opinion, and why such
opinion should not be duly recorded
and considered For the majority 10
delegate the powers OF the Board 10
itself, and then sub-delegate 10 one
or more bosses, is not in accordance
with law or reason. Some OF my OBJ
jections 10 present methods OF doing
business are set forth in the message
also protest against adyenturing in
new projects not clearly sanctioned
by law. show, further, that the
revenues OF the District will be ade
quate to meet every legitimate pur'
pose, without resort TO further bond
issues or higher rates OF taxation
Economy in administration is called for
and more responsible selection OF en-
ployes so as to avoid the demorali
zation Of the working staff,
These views from the statutory
head Of the Board are considered Of
fensive and an attempt Is made to de-
ny such publicity as will be corrective
OF bad practices invite the atten
ton OF every reader who regards an