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

River Conditions This department
expended in the year 1914, $34,64O.75,
and an estimate for the current year
is $4O,592.42. The work Of the depart.
ment consists largely in keeping the
records respecting the physical condi.
tons, compiling all such data for prior
years and preparing the defense
against claimants for overflow dam.
age occasioned by the waters passing
through the Main Channel Of the SAM.
tary District. This work Is largely in
cooperation with the Law Depart.
ment, which expends annually about
100000 in the trial cases. The az.
gregate expenditure for the Illinois
Valley Division is $473,OsO.99.
The Illinois Valley situation has been
costly and vexatious. II has been the
theory Of the law that the navigation
dams should be removed and the
stream deepened. thus avoiding over.
flow. but this program has been op.
posed by national and state author.
tiles and has not been diligently fol.
lowed. I invite the earnest attention
Of the Board to this matter, as I be.
lieve that no satisfactory solution will
be found except by increasing the
capacity Of the river bed, and making
an equitable adjustment Of claims
prior to work that will care for the
extra volume Of water introduced by
the Main Channel.
The Electrical Department IL man.
aged as semi.independent division
under the immediate charge OF the
Board Of Trustees and has charge Of
the water power development works,
and additions thereto. and the opera.
ton and maintenance Of the system,
the sale of electric current and col.
lection therefor. and also Of what Ia
known as the Chicago Contract" by
which the distribution system Of the
city Of Chicago Is being improved and
extended from moneys advanced by
the District, which are being repaid
with interest, In annual installments
terminating In 1920. The expenditures
: for the year are:
/
Power Summary OF Operations for the
Year 1914.
| Maintenance and
operation includes.
open accOunts). ;. 349,2Sb.35
! - 569. O66. o.
Chicago Contract:
kk sbPsy%snt teashj sss sssss
| - 5G2. 1850
/ MI, -. - ,,. a, ,o, ooo .
Cash earnings from the sale OF
power ...................' S's, i3o,i
Note: All figures are book &C
counts. excepting where indicated
cash earnings show slight increas,
over the year 1913. Extended repair
to the plant are to be made during thu
current year. No estimates OF eX
penditures for the year 1915 have beef
submitted.
At the beginning of the year, con
troversy was pending with the city O
Chicago respecting the municipal rat
which was unsatisfactory, and a spe
cial expert was employed on April q
to investigate the whole subject mat
ter and determine the proper rate
for the sale of electric current. Thi
investigation Is still In progress ant
no report has been submitted. Mean
time, on November IL last, the Com
mission on Sewage Disposal ant
Water Power Development made
report under the ordinance of Novem
Der 90, 1910, but omitted those fea
lures which were particularly dele
gated to the special expert Follow
ing this, on November 80, 1913, tn
Board appointed the Chief Enginee
and the Electrical Engineer, a com
mittee to report on certain natter
and an extended investigation wa
made by the force Of the Consulting
Engineer along the lines suggested b.
this committee and the special expert
but the committee has not yet report
ed. Conditions In the Electrical DE
partment have evoked the earnest at
tention of the Board and its President
and every effort has been and Is be
ing made to produce all the data re
quired by the Board to determine
upon the proper organization of thi
Department, it's methods of account
ing and an equitable system OF rate
which will justify this investment b,
the District.
The Consulting Engineers office ex
pended, during the year, $l3,SS9.3
and the estimate for the current yea
is $l4,502.00. In addition to the regu
lar duties called for by Rule Al, tn
office gave several months service Il
the Federal case, completed the repor
upon the physical Relations in thu
Illinois Valley" assisted in the prepa
ration of the report on water powe
development by the Commission Of
Sewage Disposal and Water Powe
Development and co.operated with tn