802 ILLINOIS 



A commission for the study of public utilities in the state, and the Illinois park commis- 

 sion were created. The Starved Rock State Park was set aside (formally opened May I, 

 1911) between Ottawa and La Salle where in 1770 the Potawatomi besieged the Illinois as 

 a sequel to the murder of Pontiac. The legislature appropriated 5,000 for a monument 

 at Edwardsville to commemorate the looth anniversary in 1912 of the beginning of republican 

 government in the state, and 85,000 for a monument at Equality to General Michael Kelly 

 Lawler (c. 1820-82), an early settler and a veteran of the Mexican and Civil wars. 



The law of 1897 regulating the practice of architecture was amended and commissions 

 were created to revise and codify the building laws and to investigate the coal mines of the 

 state. Provision was made for strict sanitary inspection and sanitation of all places used 

 for the preparation of foods, the act to be enforced by the state food commissioner; and the 

 entire dairy and food products law was amended. Common drinking cups are prohibited 

 in public places and on railway trains. Intoxicating liquor is not to be sold within two- 

 thirds of a mile of any soldiers or sailors home and the act forbids the drinking of intoxicat- 

 ing liquors on passenger cars or in railway stations or the boarding of a railway train by an 

 intoxicated person. Under this law 1 1 railways operating in the state stopped the sale of 

 intoxicants on passenger trains. An attempt to repeal in 1911 the municipal and township 

 local option law of 1907 was unsuccessful. 



A workmen's compensation law of the elective type applies to certain dangerous industries 

 only and election by the employer is presumed in the absence of written notice from him to 

 the contrary. The law abrogates the defence of assumed risk (held constitutional by the 

 state supreme court, June 6, 1912) and of fellow service and requires that compensation be 

 diminished for contributory negligence; if an employer intentionally fails to comply with the 

 statute, a suit for damages is permitted in lieu of compensation. The employer may insure 

 his employees o.r may maintain a benefit fund provided he does not reduce the liability fixed 

 by law. To be compensated, disability must continue more than six working days. The 

 maximum compensation for death is $3;5OO or four years' earnings, and the minimum 

 $1,500. If there are no dependents, compensation is limited to 150. For total disability 

 the compensation is 50% of weekly earnings for 8 years (not less than 85 nor more than $12 

 nor more than 83,500 in all) and, if complete disability still continues, a compensation for 

 life (not less than $10 a month) equal to 8 % of the death benefit. For partial disability the 

 compensation is 50% of the wage decrease, not more than 12 and not longer than 8 years. 

 The ten hour law for women was extended to public institutions, public utilities, places of 

 amusement, restaurants, mercantile, telegraph and telephone establishments and on June 

 21, 1912 the state supreme court upheld the constitutionality of the law thus amended in a 

 test case brought by a hotel proprietor. Physicians are required to report cases of occupa- 

 tional diseases, and employers must arrange for the examination once every calendar month 

 by a licensed physician of all employees in dangerous processes likely to result in such diseases. 

 Miners' and mechanics' institutes are established throughout the state to prevent "by 

 educational betterment" accidents in mines and other industrial plants; and $30,000 was 

 appropriated for the use of the mining rescue station commission in equipping rescue cars 

 and stations and in carrying out educational work. A coal mining code provides for a state 

 mining board of five (two owners, two miners and one hoisting engineer). Itcontainselaborate 

 provisions for safety and forbids the employment of boys under 16 without certificate. 

 Pension funds were created for park police, for employees of houses of correction and for 

 municipal employees in cities with a population above 100,000. A law in effect July i, 1911 

 authorises county pensions to needy widows with dependent children. 



The law for the commission form of government was slightly amended in 191 1 and a new 

 scale of salaries for officers under this form of government was adopted. The constitution- 

 ality of the law was sustained (December 21, 1911) by the Illinois supreme court. To the close 

 of 1912 the following cities had commission government; Braceville, Carbondale (in effect 

 May 8, 1912), Clinton, Decatur (election January 17, 1911; in effect May I, 1911), Dixon, 

 Elgm (election January 21, 1911; in effect May I, 1911), Forest Park (election Novem- 

 l>er 7, 1911; in effect April 30, 1913), Hamilton, Harvey, Hillsboro, Jacksonville (election 

 January 31, 1911; in effect May I, 1911), Kewanee (election January 27, 1911; in effect 

 May I, IQII), Marseilles, Moline (election January 3, 1911; in effect April 6, 1911), Ottawa 

 (election January 17, 1911; in effect April), Pekin (election February 7, 1911; in effect May 

 i, 1911), Rochelle, Rock Island, Springfield (election, January 2, 1911), Spring Valley and 

 Waukegan (election February 14, 1911). Cities may vote to discontinue minority represen- 

 tation. For counties of 150,000 inhabitants or more (in 1912 Cook county only) the civil 

 service law was extended to almost all county employees. 



On September 27, 1912, a decision of a Federal district court, in an action brought by 

 the receivers of the Chicago, Pcoria & St. Louis Railway Co. involving the validity of the 

 2-cent fare act (in effect July I, 1907), held this law ineffective as to this railway, since its 

 enforcement would compel passengers to be carried at a loss. 



Finance. The general revenue fund for 1911 and 1912 was $7,750,000. On October I, 

 iqio the balance- in the treasury was 84,424,610; the receipts for the two years following, 

 $>6,957,i88; the disbursements, 825,882,588; and the balance September 30, 1912, 85,499,210. 



Education. The school fund was increased (1911) from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000; the 



