The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-21
A FEW THINGS SUGGESTED
The Important Features of Mayor Dem
ny's Special Message to the Council.
Councilman Darnell Has a Resolution Passed
Providing for an Investigation as to Sc
rious Charges Made by o Newspaper.

AAos uateCC UEOubub w III NOuuCil 1850
night was the opening of sealed bids for the
building Of a bridge ACROSS Pleasant run, at the
Willow-street crossing. and for grading and
paving portions Of various sidewalks throughout
the city. Councilman Thalman opposed the
building of the bridge on the ground that 1t
would be an unnecessary expense. as
the Council has already borrowed
so. 900 to meet expenses, and will
be compelled to borrow $50. 900 to meet next
months bills. Councilman Pearson favored the
reference of the bids to the committee on con-
tracts, claiming that il was at least due to the
contractors to be given such consideration, and
that al intelligent decision could be made at
that time. Councilman Swain conceded In this
opinion, although he wanted to be understood as
favoring the greatest possible economy for the
city. 1t wasi decided, though, that the bridge
should be built. and the opened bids, both for it
and the sidewalks, were referred to the commit
tee on contracts.
Councilman Darnell presented . communities
ton from Catharine A. Miller. claiming that the
real estate now known as Miami street has new
er yet been accepted by the public as a public
street, nor has it been condemned by the city
for such purposes. 1t was asked that and inves-
tigation be made before any contracts for i'm
provement DO awarded. The Communication
was received by vote after some discussion.
At this stage of the proceedings Mayor Denny
addressed the Council, presenting his special
message.
In the beginning of the message the Mayor
called attention to his having bad copies Of .
number Of bills prepared which he will furnish
4 m n ole ru> vA,-1 A@r11 hA -
pointed not later than next month. Their pro-
visions and Importance be thought could be
more satisfactorily explained orally TO the COM
mitfee. In reference to the creation OF q police
judge the message was to this effect:
After an experience of nearly three years, I am pre-
pared to say that, for at least three-fourths OF the
year. the work of the police court, including the prep
sration Of the monthly and semiannual reports of
collections. listening to appeals for the remission Of
penalties. and the transaction Of the many other mat
tiers OF business connected with the court, is all that
any one person ought to be required to do. / mean
TO cast no unjust reflection on the arduous labors OF
the able judges of our county courts, and make no
comparison between the character and importance of
their work and that of the Mayors court, when l say,
that / believe the labor performed by the Mayor in
the police court is equal to any one of theirs. When
we consider the constant increase in the police court
the year round, it is nos improbable that those who
may be called on to preside q ere in the future. unless
relieved of the other duties OF the Mayors Office. may
fail, from mere physical inability, to perform the
work that the law now e~Djoins.
The recommendation in regard to building an
addition to the station-house, for police court
purposes, made in his message OF January last,
the Mayor renewed, and in referring TO this
project he said:
The press, In SO far as comment was made st al,
cid not approve of my previous suggestion of selling
tte remnant of the Tomliuson property and using the
proceeds in building an addition to the present police
headquarters. But with all due respect to those who
oppose my recommendation. / say again, that / do not
believe you can do better than to sell the remain
price can be obtained for them, and use the proceeds
in building a cheap addition to the Central station.
house. for the use Of the Council. Board of AEnder-
men. City Court and city officers. We/ are morally
bound to use the Tomlinson bequest assoon as posi-.
bic IN making some such improvement. There is not
enough left to erect the Hnd 81 a city building we
would al Ike 20 have, SEd il is not likely the city is
going 70 De able 70 add a sufficient sum to it in the
near future to do so. Hence, 1 see no better plan
open than to carry out my former suggestion. II the
press, or any citizen. will point out a more feasible
plan under the present circumstances, / will gladly
concur, and withdraw the foregoing recommendation.
He also recommended q change 10 the police
court law, concerning which bis message reads:
The act of 1875, being Sections 1904 to 1921 OF
the R. s. 1881, win form a good basis for a police
Judge bill; but numerous improvements can be made
IN it. That act was framed for all cities of over elk
thousand inhabitants. / think the contemplated bill
should apply TO this city only. / know of no other
city in the State that is asking for the enactment of
such q law as this city needs: II the passage of such
a bill is secured, l do not think it shou d leave the
selection of police judge to the discretion of the
Council, as the law Of 1878 did, but should require
such selection to be made | think the present iuris.
diction of the court should be enlarged as to some
classes of cases. A salary of 81, 500 q year, being the
same as circuit judges receive. should. be provided,
and. of course, all fines and fees should be paid into
the city and State treasures. as now required. Some
one reasonably well learned in the law would always
would any longer remain for selecting q lawyer for
Mayor, that would not equally apply to q man Of any
other business. The salaries OF the two officers COM
bined need not reasonably be more than $4,000 o
year, or 81. 900 more than the Mayor is now paid.
After renewing his recommendation to refund
the $ll0, 600 Indebtedness that natures Jan. /.
1889. he PASSED to ire department expenses, as
TO which he had this to say:
showed. at the beginning of the year, that the
cost of maintaining FIVE out of the seven expensive
departments would necessarily be increased this year,
and, therefore, the more strongly urged q reduction
in the expenses of the other two. where it was possi-
sible for you to control the matter. One of the de-
| partments referred to was that Of public light. and
the other was the fire department. After a long
delay. q contract for the public lighting has been
entered into. by which Q very satisfactory saving has
been made for the future. Within q few days after l
unlimited my suggestions to you. in January last.
city occurred on South Meridian street. suppose it
would have been almost impossible for the fire com
mittee to have satisfied the public that any cut could
safely have been made IN the fire Department at any
time since that confagration occurred; and hence /
do not wonder that the committee has not reported
as to the propriety of closing one house and cutting
off one man in each of the seven engine companies.
But now that the panic which was created by that
Qe has SuOSiQed, i deem IL 10 De my duty 10 again
invite your attention to this matter. l know as well
now as L did last January that the fire
department is costing entirely too much in proper
ton TO the city's income; that for this department TO
absorb more than one-seventh of the city's gross re-
ceipts-not including the large water charges-is out
of all proportion to the cost of the other departments,
and that for this state Of things to be allowed to con-
tinue indefinitely is wrong. / do not suppose that
such q condagaJion as the one above referred to IS
likely to occur again in a lifetime. But If q fire
should occur at any time under the uofavorable con-
ditions attending that one, the department.. as it now
exists, could not check it. else that one would have
been checked. But 1 Will not, in the face OF what /
believe to be an adverse public sentiment. say or ad-
wise more than / have already done concerning this
matter. i only know that the city. with it's largely re-
duced income from what it had a few years ago. can
not, from the stand point of q prudent business man
acting for himself, afford TO continue the expenses of
the fire department st the present standard. Having
tried to be consistent about this matter in everything
I have said and done, I now leave the matter in your
hands, not expecting to again say anything whatever
on the subject"
In regard to the tax limit the Mayor thought
the committee on legislation should consider the
question of an increased property tax, as he did
not believe the city could get along even with
an increased saloon tax and special vehicle tax
unless there was an increase in the present rate
of t~sxation, without making temporary loans in
anticipation Of current expenses.
Referring to the condition OF the streets
caused by laying natural-gas mains he recon-
mended that the city attorney be directed to
bring suit on the companies for damages, unless
the streets are at once restored. The message
then continued as follows:
ITnless more care il exercised bv the contractors OF