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

District has made an enormous In.
vestment and Is subject to all sorts
Of reprisals by reason Of It's failure
to carry through the original program
and It's interests are entitled to better
consideration In view Of the very large
contribution which its works have
made to the waterway possibilities. The
report Of the Consulting Engineer, re.
specting the physical problems In the
Illinois Valley, shows clearly that seri.
GUS forces Of deterioration Of river
channels are In progress which must
be remedied. The whole subject mat.
ter is one which should receive the
very earnest attention Of the Trustees,
with view Of relieving ourselves Of
conditions which have resulted and
will result In the future In claims for
damages which are vexatious, both In
character and amount.
renew my former recommendation
for better supervision and central
ization Of the accounts, with revision
In accounting methods for some Of the
Departments. The Clerk should be
recognized as the statutory officer and
all controlling accounts and the. &C.
counts for the several departments
should be under his supervision. He
might also be properly charged with
the custody Of the property OF the Dis.
trlct and purchase OF materials and
supplies. and be given special assis.
tants for these duties. rather than con.
tinue the same In independent depart.
ments.
feel also that there Is too great
disposition to refer every doubtful
proposition to the Law Department for
court action. The Board itself, as a
part OF its duty and according to its
good judgment. should dispose Of the
major part OF the questions which
arise, without recourse to litigation,
which makes vexati0us delays and IL
costly alike to both plaintiff and de.
| PENDANT.
The electrical establishment Is semi.
independent and am persuaded that
the operation. maintenance and bust
ness divisions should be segregated
entirely from the construction work OF
the department. Much complication
has arisen through adjustments and
distribution OF liabilities which can be
avoided by proper administrative Or
ganizati0n.
| feel that the Board has been dere.
lict in entering upon important enter
prises without comprehensive reports
and estimates of record In its proceed
ings. Committees may have sufficient.
ly considered the matters authorized
but the District cannot be too careful
In recording all the facts and reasons
for reference In future years. Last
year, | refrained for some weeks from
signing contract with the city OF
Chicago for the extension OF the elec-
tical transmission and distribution
system, as ! had no estimate before
me nor could learn that any esti-
mate of record had been made. 1t ap'
peared, finally. that the estimate OF
the Electrical Engineer, under the con-
tract of June II, 1914, was $685. 100000,
while that of the City Electrician was
$1,27S,74SOO. Such things should not
occur. have also In mind the recent
proposition for an intercepting sewer
system in the Calumet region for
which there is no comprehensive re-
port or estimate of record, except an
item of $6OO,OOO00 in the Annual Re-
port of the Chief Engineer which
proves to be for section only, and
represents less than one-sixth of the
expenditure contemplated for and In
connection with this particular sewer
u shall make this matter the subject