20 Chicago Bureau of Public Efficiency 



cash or a credit on other purchases. The transactions of the 

 West Park Board with HolHday furnish a striking example of 

 waste of public funds. 



In April, 1911, employes of the West Park Board were used 

 for several days to do work about a political club house, of which 

 club the Attorney of the West Park Board is president. They 

 were engaged in sodding the lawn and in trimming and planting 

 trees. The sod was brought to the club house in a West Park 

 wagon. Bureau investigators observed the West Park Attorney 

 directing the work of the park employes on the club house 

 grounds. 



The South Park Board and the Lincoln Park Board each 

 has one attorney. The West Park Board has a $3,000 attorney, 

 an $1,850 assistant, a $1,200 stenographer and special counsel 

 when occasion requires. The stenographer, instead of making 

 his headquarters at the administration building of the park sys- 

 tem, occupies a part of the downtown office of the park attorney, 

 where his name appears on the door as a practicing lawyer. 



Joseph P. Kinsella, a member of the Illinois Legislature, and 

 brother-in-law of the Republican committeeman for the Sixteenth 

 Ward, has held for several years a very favorable concession in 

 Humboldt Park, granted him without advertising or public bids. 

 Mr. Kinsella pays the Park Board $600 a year. In return he gets 

 living quarters for himself and family in the park building, with 

 light and heat. In addition to the right to maintain refectory 

 service in the pavilion, he is allowed to operate candy stands 

 throughout Humboldt Park. Kinsella has also operated a pay 

 cloak room, rented skates, sold skate straps, and was allowed to 

 keep a piano in the assembly hall, for the use of which he charged 

 $3 a night. The hall was used 245 times during 1910 for dances, 

 receptions, etc., which made it possible for the piano to earn $735 

 during that year. Although he has the exclusive refreshment 

 privilege and abundant table facilities, Kinsella sells only soda 

 water, ice cream, candy, peanuts and cigars during the summer 

 season. There is no place in Humboldt Park where the public 

 can obtain lunch or cofifee, except during the skating season, when 

 Kinsella meets the demand. Coffee and lunch should be served 

 in this park, as in others, during the summer season. 



