Milwaukee. and Saint Louis combined. There is a marked increase in the importation of No• and oats. For the decade ending with 1900. the an nual importation of hogs has averaged over 8. 000.000 head, and of cattle and sheep over 3.000, 000 each. There has been, recently, a large in crease in the importation of butter and dairy products—the imports of butter for 1900 being 244.0110.000 pounds.
As a natural consequence of being a collecting and distributing centre, Chicago has developed an extensive manufacturing industry. According to the census of 1900, the manufactured products reached a total value of $SSS,750,000, and there were 2(12.600 wage-earners employed—an increase of 37.8 per cent. during the decade. A large per cent. of the live stock received in Chicago is slaughtered and packed there, the total value of these paeking-house products in 1900 being $248, 811.000. For two decades the average number of hogs packed annually has been about 5,000.000 head. This is considerably over a third of the total number packed in the \Vest during that period. Over 25,000 men are employed in the in dustry. Every part of the slaughtered animal is utilized. thus giving rise to the manufacture of important by-products (such as soap and can dles), the value of this product alone in 1900 be ing over $9,000,000. The tanning of leather is of almost equal importance.
The convenient location of Chicago with re spect to the coal-fields of Illinois and the iron-ore regions of Lake Superior contributes greatly to ward the industries which depend upon these two supplies. The iron and steel products in 1900 reached a value of $31.461,000, while the foundry and machine-shop products passed $44,561,000. The demand of the surrounding region for agri cultural implements gives rise to another impor tant branch of manufacturing. The output of agricultural implements in 1900 amounted to 824, 848,000. Chicago is a centre for the manufacture ( t harvesting machines. The McCormick, and the Deering Ilarvesting Machine Works are the two hi rgc•-t harvesting machinery- manu Iactories in the world. The former's area is 150 acres. Being it lumber - market, the city has developed extensive manufactures of lumber, the value of the manlifa•tures of furni ture being estimated at $12,311.000, and the lum ber and planing mills products at 87.530.000. Owing to Chicago's prominence as a railroad cen tre, the mannfneture of dependent products is naturally great. The products itemized in the
census report as "Cars, steam-railroads, not in cluding operations of railroad companies," amounted to $19,108,000, and the "Cars, and general shop construction and repairs," to $8, 145,000. Chicago is the leading clothing manu facturing centre of the West, the total product in 1900 exceeding 857.000,000 in value. A like posi tion is held in the printing and publishing busi ness. this output in 1900 being estimated at over 832.000.000. There is also a long list of other important mann facttires—elect rical apparatt, bicycles, tricycles, roasted and ground coffee, etc.
(tovEuxm•xT. The Constitution of Illinois pro vides for uniformity in the government of mu nicipalities, prohibiting special legislation. Chi cago is, accordingly. governed by a general act If the Legislature passed in 1875, and by such subsequent acts as have in some measure modified the original act. The council is unieameral, with 70 elected members, there being two front each of the 35 wards. ..kn elected mayor presides at the meetings of the council, and has a vote in ease of a tie. Ile also has a veto, which may he over ridden, however, by a two-thirds vote of the (4)011 (41. Some of the powers vested in the council have been delegated by it to special departments —i.e., police' department, etc. These departments are in the hands of single commissioners, who are appointed by the mayor, and terms of office expire with the term of the mayor (two years). The mayor is further fortified with the power to remove these commissioners; but such act may be disapproved by a two-thirds vote of the council. The legislative function of the school department is intrusted to a board of education of 21 members, who are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council. The trustees are appointed for a term of two years. and serve without pay. Civil-service methods prevail in the administration of affairs, the regu lations being prescribed by the State Civil-Ser vice Commission. Owing to prohibitive legisla tion, the township and county government still exists. Township officers are elected in meetings, as in the rural districts, and the county elects a hoard of commissioners. These organiza tions are an important factor in the financial affairs of the city.