The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-17
ALL TALK AND NO PRACTICE.
The Common Council, Instead of Re-
trenching, Increases Expenses.
The New Water Contract Adopted for Sixteen
Months, with Few Changes-Many New
Street improvement Ordinances.

II the number Of street and alley improve,
ments proposed in. Council last night indicates
the sincerity Of that body to retrench, but little
reliance can be placed in Office and street opin-
ions: 1--WE must cut everywhere. and especially
in the matter of paving, curbing and making
sidewalks" There is long list of this class of
work already provided for, but. Notwithstanding
the throes of the financial committee in adjust
ment reduced tax duplicate to old-time ex-
penses, the additional number of improvements
last evening was something startling. None OF
them amounted to much, nor did it appear that
q crying necessity demanded the improvements,
as they were arranged mostly for distant
and only partially settled quarters of the city.
yet the aggregate reached several thousand dol
lars. They came up in the shape of bids from
nearly every contractor in the city Councilman
Haugh, though, wanted to get at the city's part
of the expense and changed the usual order of
motion by moving the reference Of the bids not
only to the committee on contracts, but to the
finance committee, Mayor, city attorney and
city engineer, to report at the next meeting
what Indianapolis will have to pay for the inn
proyements proposed. It passed without dis
cusson.
When the city engineers Communication rela-
tive to the appointment of Hamilton Mccoy as
inspector of the Delaware street improvement
was read, Councilman Haugh asked who is to
pay this Inspector, the citizens or the city2 If
the city engineer appointed him the city would
be liable, but if he is selected by the citizens
he questioned the right to call on the city to pay
him. Councilman Cummings and also Mayor
Io~ L.
pect to bear the burden of this expense. En-
gineer Shearer explained that an inspector would
be necessary, and II one was not appointed he
would have to place one of his assistants In that
position. However, he said that Mr. Mccoy had
had no experience in that work and he left the
matter in the hands of the Council, to do it as it
saw fit He would not say whether the city was
responsible or not for the inspectors renumera-
ton. Councilmen Pearson and Edenharter
thought the appointment of an extra inspector
by the citizens unnecessary as the city was to
look to the engineer as the responsible officer
The citizens by their action not INCLINED to
trust him. and DR.. Edenharter thought it an
outrage to place this ban on the engineer.
Councilman Swain considered Councilman
Edenharter to be high horse without any
provocation. He did not think the citizens in
tended any reflection on city officers, especially
when Engineer Shearer told them he could not
give the work his personal supervision After
this it appeared in statement from the Mayor
that clause in the ordinance provided for the
| appointment of this special inspector. He 80
construed it that the inspector was to be paid
out of the city treasury.
Councilman Thalman moved that the question
of this inspectorship be referred to the city at
torney, with instructions to tell Mr.. Mccoy to
go with his work if he, the attorney, found
the ordinance authorized it, but at compensa-
ton not exceeding So per day. Councilman
Swain thought the pay too small for person OF
capacity, but Councilman Thalman asked,
Does Mr.. Mccoy know anything about wooden
block pavementsW
Councilman Swain: 81 think he does. He is,
understand, worker in wood" 1t was after
wards asserted by this gentleman that if no pro-
vision had been made for citizen inspector the
work would rot have been asked for. The
Thalman motion lost on a call of the yeas
and nays by IL to 13. Councilman Edenharter
then moved that the city engineer appoint one
of his assistants to inspect the work. This was
carried. This nulliies the appointment of Nc
Coy.
The appointment Of John Heating in the fire
department. in place of Cook Butler, of hose No
g. resigned, was approved.
Fire Chief Webster recommended the building
of two fire cisterns one on Ash street, near
Tenth, and the other on Park avenue, near
Tenth. each of 1000 barrels capacity. Council
man Haugh moved to refer the matter to the
finance committee. but the fire committee
wanted it and the dispute was compromised by
its reference to the two committees
The insurance on Tomlinson Hall then came
up and caused repetition of the previous dis
cusson on this question. The report of the COM
mittee, in addition to the bids published hereto
fore, said that the agents who placed the $780, 0J0
insurance originally, desire their companies to
be considered on the same rates heretofore made
by them, viz: One dollar and half for three
years on the 800. The names of the companies
are the Lancashire, represented by A. Abromet;
the Phoenix and Continental, represented by
Richardson & Koethe; the Htna, and North
British and Mercantile, by j. B. Leonard, and
the Liverpool, and London, and Globe, Roches-
ter German and New Hampshire Fire,
represented by John s. Spann &
Co. Ii was explained that these
companies would cut the insurance in two, Civ
ing total of 100000, and carry it for three
years for $3.50. which is the the city would
have to pay at the lowest rate offered by nom
board companies, with short rates the $50. 900
at first placed A motion by Councilman Haugh
to give the insurance to the two lowest bidders
was made, but the companies carrying the $780,
600 insurance had several friends, which contin-
ued the discussion to wearisome extent. 1t
was doubted whether the companies whose poll
cies were cancelled at the last meeting of Council
could collect short rates. but the lawyers of the
body thought they could Councilman Cum
mings moved, as a substitute, that the insurance
be given to the companies carrying the original
insurance This was adopted, by II yeas to
nays
The finance committee reported back the
water contract, recommending its continuance
| for sixteen months only, and that water for
drinking fountains be supplied free. The re-
port also recommended the reference of an ar
rangement of uniform rates for consumers to
the water committee This brought up the
second reading of the ordinance, motion of
| Councilman Thalman. When the drinking
| fountain clause was reached Councilman Thai
man moved to strike it out. Councilman Swain,
| as chairman of the water committee, said
| that what was done in recommending the ordi-
| nance had no precedent or custom from
| other cities to support it. He had not con
suited with any one of the water committee, but
| he did not think it was fair to grind the com
! pany down. The water company was just as
much necessity to the city as the city is TO the
| company He thought the finance committee
had gone beyond its duties in entertaining the
complaints of citizens, and ne did not think the
| recommendation for sixteen months contract
was a good one At the end of that time new
| contract would have to be made by the next
Ard hola rUil1 s,afh a