The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-30
THEIR LAST JOINT MEETING.
The Municipal Lawmakers of 1885
Meet Together for the Last Time.
The Pittsburg Firm Receives the Hospital
Award-Addresses by Mayor McMaster and
President Observation-Disclosures Passed.
THE CITY COUNCIL.

THE CITY COUNCIL.
The Hospital Heating Awarded the PittsburG
Firm-Address by Mayor McMaster.
The Council met last night in special session
the last session of the present body The
mayors desk and that Of the city clerk were
each adorned with large basket of flowers pre-
sented with the compliments of Councilman
Pearson.
The city attorney submitted his report, the
concluding words of which were: "The follow
ing cases remain undecided: In the Supreme
Court six, in the Circuit Court four and in the
Superior Court of Marion county three.
Many of these simply await de-
cisions in other cases involving like questions.
believe there are none now pending about
which the city need have special anxiety, unless
the Supreme Court should decide the Johnston &
Irwin case in sucha way as to practically fix liza
bility against the city in other Pogues cases.
There are twelve Of these pending This litigation
is unusual, and while would not presume to
assert, with confidence, what the final result of
the case already tried will be, will venture an
opinion that the decision Of the Supreme Court
in that case will not be of such character as to
encourage the parties in trying the other cases,
particularly those in which the damage done was
small; and these greatly predominant"
A TROUBLESOME FINANCIAL PHASE.
The committee on finance submitted the fol-
lowing report:
I'm conference with the county treasurer
thereafter the custodian of the city funds) we
are informed, as the act known as the Winter
bill does not specifically require him to make
monthly statements to the city OF taxes col.
ected, will strictly adhere to the construction
of the law as made by his attorneys-which
means semi-annual statements. The first money
therefore, that the city can draw, under his con-
struction, would be on May /, no matter what
that date. This will necesstate the borrowing
of our own money from the treasurer, at such
rate Of interest as can be agreed upon in suffi-
Gent sums to carry the city through to that date
ment, six months later; or, if not borrowed from
the treasurer, from other parties. The BILL as
it now stands, as it is construed by the treas
urer. is certainly detrimental to
the city's interest, and should by
Legislature to more clearly define and set apart
the city's money so it can be used when in the
treasury without subjecting the taxpayers to
pay thousands of dollars interest for the use of
their own money.
the treasurer and his attorney our mayor and
city attorney disagree. We therefore think it
will be well to have a friendly suit brought and
let the courts decide. From our past experience
our city fund, with a ninety-cent levy, handled
with care, will be ample for all general purposes,
aud no extraordinary improvements can be made
without exceeding our revenue on said levy.
For the past year the ninety cent levy, as per
tax duplicate, and from licenses and interest
from the Belt road. amounts to $546, 612 Esti-
So
6l2. The aggregate expenditure for the year.
including interest, is $516, 49, being $40, l43 in
side of the revenues. This is certainly
a creditable showing for the outgoing Coun-
that have been said about it, While errors have
been made and things done that should not have
been done, and things left undone that should
have been DONE it shows that. by majority vote,
there was careful desire to serve the city faith
fully and honestly. Our streets will compare
favorably with those of any Western city in the
United States of as rapid growth and the same
population. Our fire department is second to
none. Our city buildings and City Hospital are
credit to the city. and all this under lower
tax-levy than any other city in tie West of like
population. and, with one or two exceptions, in
the Union. ISAAC THALMAN,
'JOHN r. PEARSON,
up G. TRUsLER,
JULIUS REINECKE."
The committee on judiciary recommended
that the city attorney defend such cases as he
may be required to by the Police Commission
ers Adopted.
The Board of Aldermen having awarded the
contract for the steam-h heating of the City Hos
pital to Kelly, Jones & Co., of Pittsburg, for
&C. 40, Mr.. Pearson moved that the Council
recede from its former action allowing the same
to J. s. Farrell & Co., and concur in the action
Al
the vote was Yeas-Cowie. Haugh, McClelland,
Newcomb Pearson, Rees. Reynolds, Smithers,
Thalman, Trusler-10 Nays-Benj amin, Coy,
Curry, Edenharter. Mack, Moran Reinecke,
Sheppard, Spahr. Wolf-10. The name of the
mayor being called, he voted in the affirmative,
SO the motion passed.
ORDINANCES PASSED.
The following ordinances were passed. Grant
ing the Big Four road permission to lay an ad-
ditiona track across Walnut street, east of their
present elevator track to erect lamp-posts;
to pave with bricks the sidewalks Of
Missouri street, from Maryland to McCarty; to
pave with bricks the south sidewalk of McCarty
street. from Tennessee street to Ann street; to
gravel the roadway and sidewalks of Illinois (ol
Chicago) street. from Morris to Wisconsin street
Mr.. Rees moved that the city civil engineer
be directed to advertise for bids for the erection
of an iron foot bridge across the canal, at the
| north side of Wabash street, as soon as he shall
| have prepared plans and specifications therefor
| Referred to the committee on bridges.
THE MAYORS vALEDICToRY.
Mayor McMaster asked permission to make
| few remarks, and then spoke as follows hi
| speech, at its conclusion, being warmly ap
| pauded:
Gentlemen Of the Couucil-The time has al
most arrived for the severance of our official re-
| lations. wish to say for myself that, for the
most part, these relations have been pleasant tt
| me- have formed ties here which hope will