The Park Governments of Chicago 19 



The actual directing head of the West Park system is not the 

 Superintendent, but the Secretary, who is primarily a politician. 

 The note of political control is more pronounced in the West 

 Park system than in either the South Park system or the Lincoln 

 Park system. The Commissioners and the Secretary have sought 

 to avoid the scandals that characterized the administrations prior 

 to Mr. Eckhart's time. Apparently they are trying to do as well 

 as they can without eliminating political considerations in park 

 management. They are striving to meet the needs of the district 

 for additional park and playground facilities, in which they are 

 hampered because the revenues are not commensurate with the 

 needs. Instances of inefficiency, unbusinesslike methods and 

 waste on a small scale are certain to develop, however, when 

 political motives are allowed to enter in park management. 



A few such instances, illustrative of the point in question, are 

 presented herewith. 



William Holliday, a mechanic employed to repair automo- 

 biles, was carried on the payroll for 243 continuous days, Sundays 

 and holidays included, for 10 hours a day at 70 cents an hour. 

 Holliday's bills were paid at once, without proof of their correct- 

 ness. Moreover, $395 was advanced to him from the contingent 

 fund. On March 1, 1911, Holliday was placed on the payroll 

 at $4.50 a day. On September 1, last, he was still on the payroll, 

 but no deduction had been made from his wages on account of 

 the $395 over-payment. Automobile parts and supplies used by 

 Holliday in repair work were purchased by him personally. On 

 September 1, 1911, $9,212.52 had been paid Holliday in cash, of 

 which $5,111.27 was for supplies and parts. The reason given 

 for allowing Holliday to make these purchases was that he could 

 secure a larger discount than the Park Board, which he would 

 divide with the Board. Examinations made by the Bureau indi- 

 cate that Holliday not only charged the Board full price for 

 articles on which he obtained a discount, but in some cases he 

 charged the Board more than the list prices in the printed cata- 

 logues of the dealers. He was paid by the Board $30 for a cylin- 

 der which an auto company furnished him free of charge. More- 

 over, the park records show no refunds or credits for articles 

 which Holliday returned unused, and for which he received either 



