The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-09
The Book World

CHICAGO metropolis Of the Midwest, is held
~ in the shackes Of Legislators from
downstate illinois, and separate statehood is one
Of the ways in which Americas second largest
city may pull itself loose and operate itself with
out nindrance, writes Albert Lepawsky in Home
Rule for Metropolitan Chicago" university OF
Chicago Press, 50.
Mr. Lepawsky is research associate at the
University of Chicago and his book will be Of
more than passing interest to those indianapolis
residents who are interested either in the city
manager plan or the home-rule system
The author has gone into the Illinois-Chicago
dispute to the hit and he comes up with the de-
cision that Chicago has more right to be operat-
/ ing Illinois than the state deciding Chicago's
4 fate.
He points out that the metropolitan area Of
! Chicago contains 4,460000 persons-58 per cent
of Illinois inhabitants and that the rest Of ILL
nois contains only $4,000 persons. Adding to
this he shows that Chicago's budget runs at
more than 5000 100000 while the state budget
fuctuates around S1OOOO0,OOO.
MIR. LEPAWSKY takes these figures apart to
wi show how Chicago is grossly misrepre-
sented in the Legislature and in Congress. He
cites figures showing that Chicago names only
one Supreme Court justice out OF seven and re-
veals such amazing figures SIS the equality"
of such Supreme Court districts as the Seventh
greater Chicago which has 4339,335 voters,
against the Fourth (west central Illinois,, which
has 4Ol ,906 voters. And yet both these districts
name one Supreme Court justice each!
To Mr.. Lepawsky it proves that Chicago's
reversals in the Illinois judiciary are completely
due to this astonishing misrepresentation and
that nom urban-ninded legislators are tying
Chicago's hands at every step.
THE infant has become grown child over
shadowing the parent-state ITSELF writes Mr..
Lepawsky. The citys powers, however, have
not kept pace with its growth"
The author points out that when Chicago, in
desperation moved to examine all houses OF Ill
fame, the Legislature stepped in, declaring it
unlawful for Chicago Ito interfere in the man.
agement of any house Of i'll fame"
The book goes on to point out that much
of Chicagos financial difficulties, if not all of
them are directly traceable to the Legislatures
inability TO understand or even desire to
understand metropolitan problems.
WITH all its weak spots writes Mr.. Lepaw-
w sky, "as a permanent civil service, Chi
cago's public personnel machine has shown abil-
ity and maturity fully equal to- if not better
than, the states public service. By virtue of
the greater techncality of its functions there
has developed in Chicago a type of professional
bureau head, key official and technical expert,
without whom the city would have to close
shop Immediately. Even the maligned Chicago
Sanitary District has produced engineering eX-
perts Of the first rank who are less publicized,
but much more important, than their famous
colleagues, the pay roll paddles"
Mr. Lepawsky has made highly technical
subject fascinating reading and every person in
Indianapolis who wants to find out how legis-
latures can hinder the growth and development
of a great city should read Home Run for
METROPOLITAN Chicago"