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anil Ss st. 1 84 a | RR m-- e | es | Al 164 LR) iY] LAT pie or ur St. MUNICIPALITIES WINNETKA WEEKLY TALK VOL. V, NO. 46 WINNETKA, ILLINOIS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1917 PRICE FIVE CENTS OF NORTH SHORE STUDY TAX LEVY Special Consideration Given To Assessment of Prop- erty In New Trier Township JACKSON TELLS PLAN Tells How Revaluations Were Made On All of The Property The regular monthly meeting of the Association of North Shore Muni- cipalities was held on Friday even- ing, January 26th, with a large at- tendance of the members from the various municipalities belonging to the association. Several matters of interest in con- nection with the work of the associa- tion were discussed particularly that with reference to the "Equalization of Tax Valuations," which seemed to be foremost in the minds of many of those present, due, no doubt, to the fact that all had been the recipients of tax bills from the town collectors for 1916 taxes. Benefit Taxpayers. President Hastings said that the association would accomplish in- valuable good to the taxpayers of the municipalities belonging to the as- sociation if they would follow the suggestion of Mayor Lewis of Lake Forest, made at the last meeting, with reference to employing an ex- pert on real estate to make a scien- tific valuation of all property from Wilmette to Waukegan, for the pur- pose of aiding the assessors in plac- ing valuations on property for taxing purposes. Replying to President Hastings' re- marks, Mr. Fred D. Jackson, presi- dent of the Glencoe Park board, in the course of a very interesting ad- dress revealed many startling facts and features in substantiation of these suggestions and of the good that had been accomplished in New Trier township by having the valua- tions made precisely along the lines suggested by Mayor Lewis. Mr. Jackson jokingly remarked that he had been the principal goat under the old regime of improper valua- tions, and had tried for a great many years to get a scientific re-valuation, having found in Glencoe houses that had been built about 40 years with- out ever being on the tax books and a number that had been carried as vacant lots. Hired Expert on Valuations. "Having given this matter a great deal of thought and consideration, we decided to elect an assessor who was in sympathy with our move- ment," said Mr. Jackson, "and then employed Mr. Terry of Nurray and Terry, who had more knowledge than anyone else of the actual real estate valuations in the township. Their first step in this connection was to make a record of every person own- ing property in New Trier township. A duplicate set of books was made up which contained only the .legal descriptions. The valuation on vacant property was first fixed at so much per front foot and afterwards the actual value on a conservative basis. They then took the water lists of the various towns, figuring that a house that didn't get water was not worth putting on to. books, and in that way went over ery piece of improved property. Then they took last year's tax books and checked up to see that those of last year were on this year's books. I hate to tell you that 30 per cent of the buildings were not on the tax books. We had cases where a lot would be divided into two pieces, one- half being placed at a high value and WINNETKA AND OTHER TOWNS HAVE NO GAS Flow Shut Off By Plugging of Supply Pipe Lead Near the Wau- kegan Plant. Residents of Winnetka, Glencoe and Hubbard Woods were without gas the forepart of the week, due to the main lead being plugged and the flow of gas shut off. Garrets and cellars were searched for long disused gasoline and oil cookers, and it is said some even endeavored to convert the motors of automobiles into cooking stoves. Three days and two nights without gas caused consternation among those who were not provided with the old- fashioned range or cook stove, or other means of preparing food. Many sought the restaurants, while others had their meals prepared outside and brought into the homes. The trouble was caused by the clog- ging of the supply pipe leading from the manufacturing plant at 'Waukegan. The entire force of the gas company was employed in hunting down the trouble, and considerable work, dig- ging down to the lead at numerous points to test, was necessitated be- cause of the peculiar nature of the stoppage. The point of congestion was finally located four blocks from the 'Walkegan plant, and the flow of gas resumed about 7 o'clock Wednes- day evening. WINNETKA RESIDENT INJURED IN CHICAGO Struck By Passing Automobile and Brought Home with Broken Knee Cap. H. E. Barroll, of Winnetka, was taken to Evanston hospital, today, to have an X-ray examination made of his knee cap, which was fractured by a blow from the hub of an automo- bile, Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Barroll was standing on the curb at a Michigan avenue crossing, in Chicago, wainting for an op- tunity to pass to the other side. A heavy truck was driving by when a small electric runabout, driven by an unknown woman, slipped between the truck and the curbing. The hub of one of the wheels on the electric struck Mr. Barroll on the knee, knocking him to the sidewalk. The injured man was brought to his home in a taxi-cab and given prompt attention by his wife, Dr. Ida Laird Barroll. WOMEN STUDY SUBJECT OF "COMPETENT COUNSEL" Mrs. Wolff Tells of Legislature Used in Domestic Science Schools and Universities. At a meeting of the Housewives' Conference, held at the Winnetka Woman's club, Monday morning, the subject of "Competent Counsel" was discussed. Mrs. Allan Ira Wolff, chair- man of the conference, gave out names of publications and some of the litera- ture used by the universities and Domestic Science schools, and recom- mended by them as the best authority for efficiency in cooking and the run- ning of a 'household. Ideas were ex- changed and discussed as to the ideal kitchen, its requirements, etc. Mr. L. F. Hollister, president of the New Trier Commercial association, will send a representative from the association to talk to them at the next meeting, on Monday morning, at the Winnetka Woman's club. BASKETBALL ACTIVITIES. Four basketball teams have been organized from among the boy mem- bers of Community house, and a town league organized. Games will be played Mondays and Thursdays. Sat- urday night the all-Winnetka basket- ball team will try conclusions with the Wilson Avenue Y. M. C. A. aggrega- (Continued on page 4.) tion on the Wilson Avenue's court. SKOKIE MARSH IS BREEDING PLACE FOR MOSQUITOES Investigation Shows Millions of Nipping Insects Come To Life In Sunken Spots WAGE RELENTLESSWAR Preventive Measures Suggest- ed To Curb Propagan- d. This Year The report of the mosquito cam- paign carried on in Winnetka and Glencoe in the spring and summer of last year will soon be made public. In that part of the report relating to the work suggested for the future, the treatment of the Skokie marsh and the permanent removal of the larger breeding places in the settled sections of Winnetka and Glencoe are considered as the real problems of the mosquito control movement. The re- port says: Breeding Spots In Village. "The former is the most important from the standpoint of the greatest number of mosquitoes produced, but the latter is also of importance be- cause the many low spots and de- pressions within the limits of the vil- lages are capable of breeding many thousands of mosquitoes besides, and in addition to, those of the Skokie. Mosquitoes by Millions. "The importance of the Skokie was shown by last season's work, when, in spite of the complete control main- tained over the breeding places in the settled sections, millions of mosquitoes suddenly appeared. That these came from the 'Skokie, where no control was being attempted was obvious, and reports in detail contain corroborative facts and observations to further show the responsibility of the marsh area for this mosquito flight. Much Money Expended. "In the settled sections of the vil- lages there were approximately 181 low spots or depressions, each pro- ducing mosquitoes. Any one of these places, considered individually, is not of great importance when compared with the Skokie marsh, but, considered as a whole, they make quite an ap- preciable factor in the mosquito pro- duction. The work last year was con- fined almost entirely to controlling these places in the villages, and their great number and scattered locations made necessary much expenditure of time and money in the efforts to keep them from producing mosquitoes. Preventive Measures Advocated. "If these spots are permanently re- moved by drainage, filling, or con- version into fish ponds, there will be that much less mosquito production in the future, and that much less time and expense required to control them." Mr. Schalck has a number of plans with regard to the treatment of the Skokie marsh, in order to prevent mosquito breeding there, and in the next issues of our paper we will out- line them in general. BANKS TO CLOSE EARLY. The Winnetka State bank and the Bank of M. K. Meyer have announced their intention of closing hereafter at 3 o'clock, instead of 4 o'clock, except on Saturdays, when 1 o'clock will be the closing hour. The new hours went into effect February 1. CHAUFFEUR PAYS FINE. Judge Prouty assessed William Cor- ruscavish $3, Thursday, for exceeding the speed limit through the town lim- its of Winnetka, last Monday. Cor- ruscavish, who resides at Wilmette, is employed as a chauffeur by William H. Martin. He was passing through Winnetka on a business errand for his employer when he fractured the traffic laws. DR. SADLER TALKS ON PERSONAL HYGIENE Addresses Members of Men's Club Assembled at Monthly Ban- quet Board. Dr. William Sadler, of Chicago, ad- dressed some hundred members of the Men's club of the Congregational church of Winnetka, assembled in the banquet hall of Community house, at the regular monthly dinner, last Mon- day evening. Dr. Sadler, who spoke upon the sub- ject of personal hygiene, held the ab- sorbed attention of his hearers for an hour and a half. He dwelt at length upon the extremes of medical prac- tice, showing up the fallacy of so- called cults and fads, and ending with a scholarly resume of the subject as a whole, in which the advantages and benefits of the application of common sense in the matter of personal health was carefully explained. NORTH SHORE IS GIVEN NATION-WIDE PUBLICITY Saturday Evening Post Devotes Two Pages Describing Association of North Shore Municipalities. The experiment in cooperative gov- ernment, tried out by the eleven north shore municipalities, the or- ganization formed last fall with Sam- uel M. Hastings, mayor of Highland Park, as the leading spirit, has been given national publicity. Will Payne is the author of the ar- ticle, which takes up two full pages in the Saturday Evening Post. After relating the way in which the Association of North Shore Muni- cipalities developed, the author de- scribes the organization in detail, tell- ing of its objects, and the unique idea involved. The article announces the experiment as linking separate cities which do not wish to be placed under Chicago's corrupt domination, and which prefer to maintain their own identity, into one really large business corporation, is unique in civic history. Payne declares the idea a "business man's scheme," holding that efficiency is the domi- nating idea. - He dwells on the pro- posed project of one filter plant for the north shore, of cooperative buy- ing of supplies, of uniform engineer- ing methods, etec~Highland Park Press. RUSSIAN AUTHOR WILL SPEAK AT WINNETKA Son of Leo Tolstoy to Appear at Com- munity House Last Week in February. On February 24, at Winnetka, the Community house will have a speaker, Count Ilya Tolstoy, second son of the famous author, Leo Tolstoy. Count Ilya came to this country for a double purpose. He desires to familiarize Americans more intimately with the life of the great Russian thinker and novelist, and to describe his last days and departure from home at the age of eighty-two. The second purpose is to interest Americans in the creation of a home for aged literary men who have ren- dered valuable service to humanity by their work, and, who find themselves in need toward their declining days. The project is to build such a home in Yasnay, Polyana, near the birth- place of Leo Tolstoy. Count Tolstoy has brought with him credentials from the foremost authors' society of Russia and from the Tol- stoy Museum of Moscow, where most of the original manuscripts of Leo Tolstoy are treasured. GAMES POPULAR. The baseball games being played, each Wednesday at Community house, are proving of great interest to the younger generation, and considerable goodnatured rivalry is being en- gendered. PUBLICHEALTHAND FILTERED WATER INTEREST CITIZENS Mass Meeting Held Wednes- day Night Debates Ques- tion Both Pro And Con ENGINEER APPROVES Glencoe To Watchfully Wait-- Winnetka Would Not Charge Exorbitant Rates A number of residents of Winnetka assembled, Wednesday evening, at the i Woman's club building, to discuss the proposed filtration plant. There was also present a delegation from Glen- coe, as Glencoe is interested in the matter, getting its water from Win- netka. Though rather a small attend- ance, there was no lack of interest shown. Village President Presides. Village President E. A. Rummler presided and introduced the speakers. S. A. Greeley, a civil engineer and member of the village board, was the first speaker. Mr. Greeley emphasized some of the main points of the ex- haustive report given in the Weekly Talk last week. He said that frequent analyses of the Winnetka water showed it contained entirely too "mue . bacteria for the safety of public health. Hansen Talks on Purity. Following Mr. Greeley, Paul Hansen, a member of the Illinois State Bureau of Public Health, was introduced and endeavored to show the necessity of a filtration plant to secure pure water and insure public health. He said that though there may be no typhoid bac- teria, other diseases result from im- pure water; that sterilization was very uncertain in effect, but that filtration would do effectively what sterilization would not do in the way of purifying the water. Urges Water Filtration. The director of the Illinois State Water Survey was next introduced and heartily supported the findings and recommendations of Mr. Greeley, as also did Mr. Hansen. The speaker strongly urged the necessity of water filtration in the interest of public health. He said that Evanston had an exceptionally fine plant--the first model plant along the lake shore. He said that water filtration--both water from wells and running water--was fast gaining in popularity. Opposition Is Shown. When the time for general discus- sion came, well-defined opposition ap- peared, especially when it came to the matter of financing the proposi- tion. Mr. Wallace took a strong stand against the entire proposition, mainly because he thought the village could not afford to incur that amount of in- debtedness. At the rate the village had been able to liquidate its bonded indebtedness in the past, he figured that it would take 51 years to pay the $85,000. He said he would favor rais- ing the money, or at least a large por- tioh of it, by special assessments. Chemically Treated Water Safe. Mr. Wallace contended that the lake water, under chemical treatment, was reasonably safe for domestic purposes. He said that there was only one solu- tion of the pure water problem, and that was to get legislation to cut off sewage from being turned into the lake. Mr. Wallace declared he would fight anything that would exhaust the bonding credit of the village. Glencoe Watchfully Waiting. Village President McRae, of Glen- coe, said that Glencoe was interested, but was in the attitude of "watchful waiting," and he wasn't ready to com- mit Glencoe regarding the rates for filtered water it would be willing to. pay, but that he thought the town would be willing to pay a reasonable rate in relation to the cost of furnish- ing filtered water.