CHICAGO'S PLIGHT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17175, 4 February 1930, Page 8

CHICAGO'S PLIGHT

UNSETTLED FINANCES

SPENDTHRIFT POLICIES

(Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Received February 4, 1 p.m.) CHICAGO, Feb. 3.

The city's financial position continues unsettled, Thirteen hundred employees have agreed to a 15 per cent, cut in salaries rather (ban have 200 of their number discharged. A large number of suburbs also are facing financial pressure, due to the delay in the collection of the 1928-29 taxes, while doubts concerning the legality of the tax law are known to be responsible for Chicago's difficulties. Charges of mismanagement and spendthrift policies are blamed for the particularly critical plight of the city. CHICAGO IS "BROKE" STORES END CREDIT SNOW PILES IN STREETS CHICAGO, Dec. 27. With streets and alleys clogged, with snow all over the, city, and withi ten days' garbage piled up in many sections, Chicago went listlessly along its straitened way on Thursday. Except for snow removal attempted by the surface lines and bus operators, and by the park boards, no work has been gone outside of the loop other than at the. main car line intersections. •

The street department "lifted" 85.000 dollars from the ward funds to clean the loop, but north and west of the river and south of Van Buren street, it has been ralrh-as-raleh-cau and a prayer that chains would take, the motorist through the snow-banked streets.

Experts estimated that general business throughout the city was losing more than 500,000 dollars a day because of slow deliveries and actual impassibility of streets.

"The, city's broke." was (be explanation of .Joseph Butler, in charge, of street activities. Meanwhile Commissioner of Public Works Richard W. Wolfe boarded a. tram en route to balmy southern breezes. Conditions now are worse than in 1918, when .18 inches of snow clogged tho city. In contrast, 4000 fewer snow .shovellers were on the job this year Hum during (be heavy fall. The peak labor report of tho last eight days, Mr. Butler said, Was 1600 men.

New ahd more ominous woes are piling up against the already long-harassed county board, which declares itself practically "broke." Stores, firms and supply houses have served notice that they will fill, no more orders for merchandise needed in county departments and institutions. Many of them have stopped bidding for contracts, and a large number are demanding interest payments on unpaid bills, it was learned to-day trom county officials.

Since December 1, 1928, the beginning of the county 1929 fiscal year, 6,009,000 dollars for various supplies, office expenses, and other needs, have accumulated in the form of unpaid hills. According to the records in the comptroller's office, the county now has on its swelling creditor roll approximately 3500 unpaid bills held by approximately ICOO creditors.