Twelve or thirteen years ago, when the great Chicago fire had destroyed the Archives and Record books of Cook County, the creation of a substitute to make possible purchases and sales of real estate was felt to be indispensable. There existed two private concerns that had saved their extensive collections of abstracts from the records and they had merged in order to extort enormous prices for abstract copies. (They laid under contribution) the unfortunates who had to sell a lot or a building and were compelled to deliver the buyer a good title of possession. The evil became so intolerable that relief through the County Board was demanded especially by the Germans. The county therefore bought for $40,000 the collection of a private firm (Peltzer) and put it under the administration of the Recorder whose duty it is to carry them further, to complete them as much as possible, and to furnish copies for moderate fees.

This arrangement proved very satisfactory and the majority of the middle and small property owners were very well satisfied with it. Not so however, the immensely rich abstract firm whose appressive monoply was broken, nor the greedy real estate dealers and lawyers , who were believed to have shared in the profit from the excessive prices on furnished abstract. These individuals 2tried from the start to cast susoicion on the books of the Recorder. The more they succeeded, the higher the blood taxes they can collect for their abstracts. They would enjoy immensely seeing the abstract business of the county abolished, and the Record books of the archives sold. But as this desire would have to confront judicial decisions, their next step is to have the Record books leased to private people for the paltry sum of $3,000 a year.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a circle at the present County Board that favors the dissipation of a highly valuable asset in favor of a covetous monoply.

To the shame of the Tribune, be it said that this great newspaper that otherwise flows over with hyoocritical reform phrases, recommends highly the rascality, contemplated. (The Record books that were bought for $40,000, and have been kept for twelve years in the hands of individuals who can charge any price for copies already have a value of at least 1/2 million dollars). If another $35,000 to $40,000 would be used for their completion, their value would be at least 1/2 million dollars. The yearly net profit for the county is already #3,400. But the property owners who receive copies from the Recorder gain much more than this by the low fees that are charged.

The Republicans have the majority in the present County Board. The responsibility 3rests upon their shoulders. As for the German members of the County Board, they should not forget that the inauguration of the County Recorder's Office followed the desire and the interests of many German property owners, and that these in general are well satisfied. In the plan to dissipate the record books, there is so much money involved for the interested private individuals that those members of the County Board who favor it, would have to bring up exceedingly strong counter arguments to exculpate themselves from the suspicion of corruption.