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TABLE 12.-Bonded Indebtedness of Local Governments in Chicago* As of December 31, 1919.

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In 1915 the bonded indebtedness of the small park districts, according to a statement of the Chicago Bureau of Public Efficiency in "Unification of Local Governments" (1917), amounted to $953,000. The records of the county clerks' office show that since 1915 bonds in the amount of $359,000 have been issued by the various small park districts. Owing to the difficulty of obtaining exact information from the fourteen small park governments, the amount of bonds actually outstanding at the close of 1919 has been estimated, with the above named figures as a basis.

Several of these governments extend outside the limits of Chicago, but they would all be involved in a consolidated government.

APPENDIX No. 3-CONSTITUTION OF ILLINOIS, ARTICLE IV, SECTION 34.

SECTION 34. The General Assembly shall have power, subject to the conditions and limitations hereinafter contained, to pass any law (local, special or general) providing a scheme or charter of local municipal government for the territory now or hereafter embraced within the limits of the city of Chicago. The law or laws so passed may provide for consolidating (in whole or in part) in the municipal government of the city of Chicago, the powers now vested in the city, board of education, township, park and other local governments and authorities having jurisdiction confined to or within said territory, or any part thereof, and for the assumption by the city of Chicago of the debts and liabilities (in whole or in part) of the governments or corporate authorities whose functions within its territory shall be vested in said city of Chicago, and may authorize said city, in the event of its becoming liable for the indebtedness of two or more of the existing municipal corporations lying wholly within said city of Chicago, to become indebted to an amount (including its existing indebtedness and the indebtedness of all municipal corporations lying wholly within the limits of said city, and said city's proportionate share of the indebtedness of said county and sanitary district which share. shall be determined in such manner as the General Assembly shall prescribe) in the aggregate not exceeding five per centum of the full value of the taxable property within its limits, as ascertained by the last assessment ei her for State or municipal purposes previous to the incurring of such indebtedness (but no new bonded indebtedness, other than for refunding purposes, shall be incurred until the proposition therefore shall be consented to by a majority of the legal voters of said city voting on the question at any election, general, municipal or special); and may provide for the assessment of property and the levy and collection of taxes within said city for corporate purposes in accordance with the principles of equality and uniformity prescribed by this Constitution; and may abolish all offices, the functions of which shall be otherwise provided for; and may provide for the annexation of territory to or disconnection of territory from said city of Chicago by the consent of a majority of the legal voters (voting on the question at any election, general municipal or special) of the said city and of a majority of the voters of such territory, voting on the question at any election, general, municipal or special; and in case the General Assembly shall create municipal courts in the city of Chicago it may abolish the offices of justices of the peace; police

magistrates and constables, in and for the territory within said city, and may limit the jurisdiction of justices of the peace in the territory of said county of Cook outside of said city to that territory, and in such case the jurisdiction and practice of said municipal courts shall be such as the General Assembly shall prescribe; and the General Assembly may pass all laws which it may deem requisite to effectually provide a complete system of local municipal government in and for the city of Chicago.

No law based upon this amendment to the Constitution, affecting the municipal government of the city of Chicago, shall take effect until such law shall be consented to by a majority of the legal voters of said city voting on the question at any, election, general, municipal or special; and no local or special law based upon this amendment affecting specially any part of the city of Chicago shall take effect until consented to by a majority of the legal voters of such part of said city voting on the question at any election, general, municipal or special. Nothing in this section contained shall be construed to repeal, amend or affect section four (4) of Article XI of the Constitution of this state.

APPENDIX NO. 4- PROPOSAL OF THE CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL.

1. Subject to the provisions of the constitution, to laws now existing and to future general laws, the City of Chicago shall have powers of local government and of corporate action adequate for all municipal purposes. This grant of powers shall be liberally construed and no power shall be presumed to be denied by reason of not being specified in any existing or future law.

2. Laws of the state relating to the organization of the City of Chicago and to the mode of exercising its powers may be superseded in their application to the City by or under a charter framed by an elective convention called as provided by city ordinance and adopted by the voters of the city as provided by the convention, or by or under amendments of said charter adopted as provided by said charter. The question whether a convention shall be called or not shall be submitted to be voted on separately.

3. The following shall be deemed to be laws or ordinances relating to organization and to the mode of exercising powers:

First-Those which determine, create and organize the offices by which powers conferred or obligations imposed upon the city or upon any of its departments or agencies shall be exercised or performed, as well as the subdivision of the city for municipal purposes.

Second-Those which determine the methods by which such offices and all places in the municipal service shall be filled or vacated, and the compensation paid to officers and employes, which compensation, as well as the conditions of appointment and promotion of clerical or technical employes shall be determined according to a general plan.

Third-Those which determine the relations between offices and officers; but the relations between city officers and officers of the state, or of any of its subdivisions, and all provisions for supervision and control by the state or state officials of the exercise of the city's powers shall be determined by state law.

Fourth-Those which determine the procedure to be observed by city officials in exercising their powers, but so far as such procedure affects private rights, it shall be subject to state law.

Fifth-Those which determine which of the powers conferred upon the city shall be exercised by the people of the city directly, and the method of direct popular action.

4. Charter provisions and ordinances which in accordance with the foregoing provisions supersede state laws in their application to the city, shall be general in character and shall not be altered by state legislation.

5. The following shall not be deemed to be ordinances relating to the organization of the city or the mode of exercising its powers so as to supersede the application of state laws:

First-Those which determine the extent of the powers possessed, or to be exercised, by the city.

Second-Those which relate to the property rights and obligations of the city.

Third-Those which determine or impose penalties.

6. The administration of justice by the courts shall not be deemed to be a matter of local government, but the general assembly may delegate to the city, powers connected with the administration of justice.

7. The city shall have power to condemn private property (including public utilities and the privileges or licenses held in connection therewith) for public use in accordance with law. The power to condemn property lying outside of the city limits shall be determined by law.

8. The power of the city to own, acquire, construct, operate, or let or lease for operation public utilities shall not be denied by law.

The city shall have exclusive power, either by the exercise of its legislative authority or by contract, to regulate the rates to be charged and the services to be rendered by persons or corporations supplying transportation, communication, light, heat, power or other public utilities to the people of the city and enjoying special street privileges. for that purpose.

Any contract made concerning rates or services shall for the term for which it is made, which shall not exceed ten years, be inviolable.

No law shall be passed by the General Assembly granting the right to construct and operate a public utility requiring the occupation of city streets by permanent fixtures, without requiring the consent of the city.

9. No state law shall be regarded as general which by reason of the conditions of its application is operative only in the City of Chi

cago.

10. No law shall be questioned by reason of not being general if the City Council by resolution shall accept the same.

11. The charter framed by an elective convention as above provided may provide for the consolidation with the city of the municipal corporations other than the County of Cook, now exercising taxing powers in any part of the City of Chicago, or any of them, but no taxing power shall be exercised under any such consolidation over that part of any such municipal corporation lying outside of the city unless such consolidation shall have been agreed to by the people inhabiting said part, voting as provided by law.

12. Limitations and requirements of the constitution relating to legislation concerning county organization, county officers or county affairs shall not bind legislation regulating relations between the County of Cook and the City of Chicago, or transferring functions performed by the County of Cook for the people of Chicago in whole or in part to the City of Chicago, or creating the City of Chicago into a separate county.

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