to $9,926,000 in 1898. Over half of this amount is represented by corn, wheat being the next item. The largest lake import is lumber. The vastness of the forests to the north, and of the farming interests of the surrounding region, gives Chicago precedence over all other markets in lumber, grain, and live stock. For thirty years the annual imports of lumber have exceeded 1,000,000,000 feet, and in certain years have doubled that amount. About one-half of this import has been, in turn, shipped to other points. The trade in lumber products has shown, in recent years, some tendency to decline. The imports of grain in 1900 amounted to 307,000,000 bushels, besides 9,300,000 barrels of flour. In these products Chicago has exceeded Minneapolis, Duluth, Milwaukee, and Saint Louis combined. There is a marked increase in the importation of corn and oats. For the decade ending with 1900, the annual importation of hogs has averaged over 8,000,000 head, and of cattle and sheep over 3,000,000 each. There has been, recently, a large increase in the importation of butter and dairy products—the imports of butter for 1900 being 244,000,000 pounds.
As a natural consequence of being a collecting and distributing centre, Chicago has developed an extensive manufacturing industry. According to the census of 1900, the manufactured products reached a total value of $888,786,000, and there were 262,600 wage-earners employed—an increase of 37.8 per cent. during the decade. A large per cent. of the live stock received in Chicago is slaughtered and packed there, the total value of these packing-house products in 1900 being $248,811,000. For two decades the average number of hogs packed annually has been about 5,000,000 head. This is considerably over a third of the total number packed in the West during that period. Over 25,000 men are employed in the industry. Every part of the slaughtered animal is utilized, thus giving rise to the manufacture of important by-products (such as soap and candles), the value of this product alone in 1900 being over $9,000,000. The tanning of leather is of almost equal importance.
The convenient location of Chicago with respect to the coal-fields of Illinois and the iron-ore regions of Lake Superior contributes greatly toward the industries which depend upon these two supplies. The iron and steel products in 1900 reached a value of $31,461,000, while the foundry and machine-shop products passed $44,561,000. The demand of the surrounding region for agricultural implements gives rise to another important branch of manufacturing. The output of agricultural implements in 1900 amounted to $24,848,000. Chicago is a centre for the manufacture of harvesting machines. The McCormick, and the Deering Harvesting Machine Works are the two largest harvesting machinery manufactories in the world. The former's area is 150 acres. Being a lumber-market, the city has developed extensive manufactures of lumber, the value of the manufactures of furniture being estimated at $12,344,000, and the lumber and planing mills products at $7,530,000. Owing to Chicago's prominence as a railroad centre, the manufacture of dependent products is naturally great. The products itemized in the census report as “Cars, steam-railroads, not including operations of railroad companies,” amounted to $19,108,000, and the “Cars, and general shop construction and repairs,” to $8,145,000. Chicago is the leading clothing manufacturing centre of the West, the total product in 1900 exceeding $57,000,000 in value. A like position is held in the printing and publishing business, this output in 1900 being estimated at over $32,000,000. There is also a long list of other important manufactures—electrical apparatus, bicycles, tricycles, roasted and ground coffee, etc.
Government. The Constitution of Illinois provides for uniformity in the government of municipalities, prohibiting special legislation. Chicago is, accordingly, governed by a general act of the Legislature passed in 1875, and by such subsequent acts as have in some measure modified the original act. The council is unicameral, with 70 elected members, there being two from each of the 35 wards. An elected mayor presides at the meetings of the council, and has a vote in case of a tie. He also has a veto, which may be overridden, however, by a two-thirds vote of the council. Some of the powers vested in the council have been delegated by it to special departments—i.e., police department, etc. These departments are in the hands of single commissioners, who are appointed by the mayor, and whose terms of office expire with the term of the mayor (two years). The mayor is further fortified with the power to remove these commissioners; but such act may be disapproved by a two-thirds vote of the council. The legislative function of the school department is intrusted to a board of education of 21 members, who are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council. The trustees are appointed for a term of two years, and serve without pay. Civil-service methods prevail in the administration of affairs, the regulations being prescribed by the State Civil-Service Commission. Owing to prohibitive legislation, the township and county government still exists. Township officers are elected in town-meetings, as in the rural districts, and the county elects a board of commissioners. These organizations are an important factor in the financial affairs of the city.
The city owns and operates its water-works system and electric-light plant. The water-supply is obtained from Lake Michigan, cribs having been located at a distance of from two to four miles from the shore, in order to secure uncontaminated water. It is conveyed to the city by means of underground tunnels. Notwithstanding this precaution, there was evidence that the drainage of the city into the lake affected the quality of the water, and consequently the municipality was induced to construct the greatest sanitary engineering work of the country—the Chicago Drainage Canal (q.v.). It was built with a view to ship navigation. When the Illinois River shall have been improved, access to the sea through the Mississippi will be assured.
Finance. The per capita receipts and expenditures of Chicago are low when compared with those of other large cities, and it suffers from inadequate funds, as the State Constitution places a limit upon tax-rates. In 1898 a new revenue law was passed, creating a Board of Assessors which levies assessments for the entire county of Cook. Subsequent legislation abolished the numerous offices of Town Collectors and made the County Treasurer ex-officio collector for all the towns. The municipality is compelled to resort in an unusual
