The Park Governments of Chicago 175 



city comptroller; and in the park departments of recreation, re- 

 fectories, etc., one director or manager would save the salaries of 

 several. Likewise, one general superintendent or director over 

 all parks would save the salaries of several chief executives. 



The Bureau believes that if all of the park governments 

 were consolidated with the city government an aggregate annual 

 saving of not less than $500,000 might be effected. The de- 

 tail items supporting this amount are shown in the summary 

 (page 181). 



SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS OF PART FOUR 



Electric Lighting and Heating Plants. 



1. The West Chicago and Lincoln Park Boards con- 

 tracted with the Sanitary District for electric current 

 soon after they learned that the district would sell it 

 cheaper than the Park Boards could generate it. Their ac- 

 tion in this matter is to be commended. The South Park 

 Board, on the other hand, proceeded with the construc- 

 tion of an expensive steam-driven electric plant, although 

 it might have foreseen that it could not compete in cost 

 of producing electric current with the Sanitary District. 

 This failure on the part of the South Park Board to co- 

 operate with the Sanitary District resulted in a needless 

 expenditure of approximately $319,000. 



2. One operator to each watch should suffice at the 

 Washington Park power house of the South Park Board 

 after it is changed to a static station. This would reduce 

 the present pay-roll approximately $1,600. 



3. The West Park Board has three substations, where- 

 as one would have sufficed. With one central station at 

 Garfield Park, four operators could have been dispensed 

 with, at an annual saving of $4,000. A considerable 

 amount for cost of equipping the other two stations could 

 also have been saved thereby. By consolidating the du- 



