Chicago, Satan's Sanctum

by L. O. Curon

How many signs should an etcher complete in a day?

If a special assessment were levied and confirmed, what would your duty be to secure the erecting and lighting of the lamps?

On what part of the city property should those posts be set?

If posts were to be erected how would you determine what class of posts would be required?

What is the general duty of Superintendent of Lamp Repairs regarding repairs to lamps?”

The attacks on the civil service law come from all sources. A party convention in 1898, in its platform said, “We pronounce the Civil Service Law inefficient, mischievous and hostile to the regnant principles of popular government. We demand its repeal.”

The next convention of the same party resolved: “We pledge the ——— party to the strict enforcement of this, the Civil Service Law.”

The Mayor’s consistency and that of his party are identical. If the two removed commissioners were incompetent and neglectful, so must the third have been, and yet that equally incompetent and neglectful commissioner was appointed to an office, the very highest in the gift of the Mayor.

Acting upon the demand of his party for the repeal of this law, the Corporation Counsel began his attacks upon it by a multiplicity of opinions calculated to gradually remove it from the statute book. Ordinances were passed in accordance with these opinions, creating new heads of departments and exempting them from the civil service rules. Positions, filled by civil service appointees, were abolished. The same positions were re-created under a new name, filled by a sixty day man who was then examined, and certified to the head of the list. The police department, the city treasurer, and other branches of the local government which have attempted by judicial proceedings to emasculate the civil service law, have in every instance been foiled by the decisions of the Supreme Court.

The Special Assessment Bureau of the board of public works, has for many years, in conjunction with the alderman, had the origination and passage of ordinances for paving streets, laying sewers, sidewalks, drains, water supply and service pipes, etc. Under a law recently enacted, and now in force, all ordinances originate with a board, named the Board of Local Improvements. The right of petition on behalf of the property owners, is a feature of the new law which smiles at the property owner, while it “winks the other eye.” It holds out a hope, as do other provisions of the law, of reduced assessments, but, so far, the practical benefit to the owner of real estate has not been made apparent. Since the year 1861 and including the year 1897, the enormous sum of $90,402,790.44 has been levied upon real estate for the payment of public improvements. During the year ending December, 1891, the amount levied was over six millions of dollars, and during the following year ending December 31, 1892, just preceding the World’s Fair, the assessments reached the sum of over fourteen millions of dollars. Reference has already been made to frauds in the letting of contracts for street improvements. They are split up and let to favorites without advertising, so that each payment will fall under $500, although the improvement may be a mile in length. The asphalt ring is just as potent as ever. It fights every effort of other dealers in asphalt to procure a contract and it generally succeeds in foisting upon the people its quality of asphalt at a higher price than that offered at a lower price, by other bidders, perhaps equally as good in quality and which has been successfully used in other cities. Failing recently to stampede the board, the ring accepted contracts at a figure submitted by its competitors. This, however, is a familiar trick of trusts, and will last for a very short period of time, unless the board manifests a disposition to consider the merits of the material of competing contractors. The ring will not abandon its struggle so easily. It is powerful, uniting in its behalf the combined efforts of politicians of all parties, who are connected with the asphalt corporations as stockholders and officers. The Board of Local Improvements not long since made the announcement that it was preparing to levy special assessments during the coming year to the amount of $10,000,000. The people may weep and protest, while the contractor smiles and urges.