Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-02-28
THIRTY BILLS, ALL
AFFECTING CITIES,
BEFORE LAWMAKERS
PRINCIPAL AMONG PROPOSED
LEGISLATION is REPEAL OF 20
PER CENT BONDING LAW FOR
/ MUNICIPALITIES.

ahan thirty bills have been introduces
in the general assembly up to dat,
affecting the cities and villages of Hi
nois in score of different ways, bu
the measures for which there is prob
ably the greatest clamor among OF
. ficials are senate bills 1912 by Hewitt
and 1873 by Barr, repeating the refer
endum on the law allowing cities e
levy up to 20 mills for corporate pur
poses.
With prices of materials and labol
abnormaily high and national war pro
hibition threatened July l, many cite.
are faced with bankruptcy unless rev
enues can be increased by taxation.
Probably the measure next in i'm
portance is senate bill s by Glackin
providing home rule for all cities OF
over 5000 population in the matter OF
public utilities.
House bills 154 by Lyon and 100 by
Arnold, prohibit the state utilities
commission from in any way revising
altering or modifying any contract en-.
tered into between a municipality and
a utility corporation in good faith.
Other bills along CHS same line are
shortly to be introduced, according to
word brought to Springfield by mem
bers of the assembly
House bin 140 by Fieldstack and
senate bill 101 by Glackin authorize
cities of less than 100000 population
10 erect municipal halls and issue
bonds for construction of the same on
a referendum vote of the people
House bill % by Roberts increases
the number of free employment bu-
reau offices in Chicago from three to
four, and house bill AZ by Ellis gives
city councils and boards of trustees
the right to borrow money for i'm.
proyements and restorations, the ne
cessity for which happened through
accident, casualty or epidemic after
passage OF the annual appropriation
bill.
House bill l by Arnold permits levy.
ing q tax of ! cent for the support
OF lire departments, and house bill CT
ny Dieterich permits increasing the
amount city may spend on erection
of hospital from 3 to mills on a
referendum vote, while house bill 4
by Boyd allows cities and villages to
erect and maintain comfort stations on
enaHH4-Vote of the people and
levies tax of 3 mills for this pur.
pose.
House bill 10 by Church and sen.
ate bill 80 by Dunlap make the library
year run concurrently with the m,i.
nicipal.
Senate bill 1873 by Austin and house
bill 205 by Thon require publication
of improvement ordinances by munici
palities that do not regularly publish
proceedings of their meetings.
Senate bill 127 by Glackin prohibits
4 "a supplemental assessment for public
improvements until after awarding of
the contract
Senate bill 142 by Carlson and house
Dill 20 and house bill l76 by Abbey
provide that the city council of any
city OF less than 100000 population
may adopt the managerial form of gov
eminent, elect a manager and create
departments of accounts and finance.
public health and safety. streets and
public improvements and public prop
erty and other departments that may
he necessary
House bill 100, Shurtleff, provides
for levying a tax of mills in cities
from 10000 to 100000 population for
paying amounts assessed against the
city for public improvements
House bill 1903, McDavid, amends the
parks act by allowing city councils in
cities OF less than $4,000 to purchase,
establish and maintain parks, pres
ent law permitting only maintenance.
Senate bill 1874, Austin, and house
Dill 1876, Thon, authorize cities, towns
and villages of less than 100000 pop
ulation to erect monuments and me.
MORALS to soldiers and levy a tax of
mills on a referendum of the people.
House bill 1879, Wells, raises limit
or per diem of aldermen to SIS, and
allows aldermen and village trustees
per diem while out OF the city on of
fetal business.
House bill 66, Duvall, would make
the city attorney appointiye by the
mayor after 1921 instead of elective.
House bill 120, Castle, provides for
annexation of unincorporated territory
entirely surrounded by cities, by ordi-
nance.
Senate bill 125, Glackin, confers
added power on council to establish
residential, industrial, commercial and
other districts in city and to exclude
from and regulate such districts.
Senate bill 143, Carlson, permits
adjoining Incorporated cities, towns
and villages to incorporate together
under the aldermanic, commission or
managerial form of government.
Senate bill 60, Bailey, takes away
from boards of local improvements in