The Indianapolis journal., 1893-09-10

cerned that the facts should all be ms'e
known. The contract for refunding tnsse
bonds. which. it is understood. wouia
have been consummated at that time
but for the interference OF men con-
nected with and others standing very ciose
TO the administration was so fsvorable on
account of the easy condition OF the money
market then existing. that the inhuence OF
no set OF men IN the city governments OF
outside of IL should have been great enough
TO defeat the negotiations; aDd. III any SET
OF men did. by reason of their selfish inter-
ests. defeat it. the people should know VINO
they are anu what their motives were.
Never before in the history OF the CITY
were Its bonds or the interest maturing
upon them allowed to be detaIifed. It's
credit stood trst-class in the money CEN
ters of the country, but irreparable dam
age has been done TO that credit In the
failure OF the present administration 10
Keep good the city's promises
The last attempt and failure TO reinnd
the bonds that matured July grew out OF
legal and business blunder that cannot
reasonably be excused from any stand
point The attempt TO refund s2l.OOO OF
bonds which bad already been paid OIL and
Cancelled. in connection with the 100000
that matured July !. was wholly unneces-
sary and unbusinesslike. and. from legal
STAND point. certainly unauthoiized'
ss..Sa ss decided the by the oss agents based
upon the opinion Of their attorneys. 1t it
was deemed mportaut or necessary to re-
fund this S2l 900 of Indebtedness why was
1t not done April i, when those bonos ma
turedf IL Is certainly novel proposition.
TO say the least. TO pay Oft the debt with
money In the treasury with which IL could
legally be done. and then. three months
afterward. attempt to refund the canoeled
money obtained for them In the treasury.
TO be used In the ordinary course OF the
clty's business.
ExTRAvAGANCE.
Taxation has been increased and public
license charges added under the authority
granted by the new charter. so that the in
come of the city is now nearly one-fourth
greater than it was four years ago. It
would seem that with this large yearly in
crease OF revenue during the incumbency
of the present administration we ought
now to find the city unembarrassed with
temporary loans. Mayor Sullivan took
charge less than four years ago. With
Temporary loan outstanding OF only ga OOO.
TO which may fairly be added about as
much more duo TO tie county,
on account of an error made
by the treasurer In his estimate
the end OF 1889. This left the city with u
temporary debt of S500OO on Jan. l. 1890.
With the largely increased revenue coming
In each year since that time. you will agree
Win mc. tul0K, Wucn i say tudb bDoTo
ought not TO be outstanding z to-day one dol
lar of temporary Indebtedness But what
are the factsR Ii appears from statement
prepared 10y Controller WOollen Aug. is,
and published In the Indianapolis Journal.
that Sl50.OO0 has already been bor-
rowed this year in anticipation of
the November installment of taxes.
which 10 still outstanding. AS l re-
member the facts, the borrowing OF $780,
600 OF this amount was authorized By ac-
n "a ar al ftFlu
held in June, legal notice of which had not
been given. The unseemly haste In hold
ing special meeting, To provide for bor-
rowing THIS large sum or money 10 bridge
over with. grew out of the fact that tho
street commissioner had for outdoDe the
matter of street.scraping about convention
time. and the pay rolls had to be provided
for In order TO keep the party workers In
line. But the only fact started out TO show
was that the city now owes S150.000. How
much more may have to be borrowed before
the November iDstallment of taxes begins
to come In i am unable TO state. donbt
not that u considerable sum will become
necessary. however. for Mir. Woollen. 10
his card above referred TO. says: The
Sl50.0O0 already borrowed will carry the
city beyond the end of the present, fiscal
year How far beyond he does not say.
AS the fiscal year referred to ended Aug.
81 have no doubt that more money Will
have to be borrowed before the November
installment of taxes becomes available in
sufficient quantities to meet the current
expenses. In view OF the fact that
many special assessments of vari-
Gus kinds have been made against
the taxpayers recently. in addition TO
the regular taxes paid upon property and
that the city no longer has to pay any part
OF the cost OF street improvements i assert
that this financial showing of the present
administration Is not only bad-very bad
but threatening to the future prosperity of
the city. do not forget, either. that only
q few days ago the estimates su admitted by
the different departments for the year just
beginning show many increases over the
expenditures of previous years. A continu-
alton OF this kind OF business man nagems mt.
even for few years. would mean very
serious consequences TO the city and its tax.
payers.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS,
Improvements of streets will so on rap
idly and on substantial basis, for the city
has no longer to Day any part of the cost.
and the property owners are willing to
bear the burden; but while they are build
ing mp and beautifying the city by pay ing
their special assessments for these public
improvements. they have right to demand
that their servants. the city officials. shall
conduct the general affairs OF the city on
an economical basis This has not recently
been done. On the contrary. many
introduced. Some of these increased sx-
pendItures can be- wholly or partly cut of
without detriment so the public service.
Ii should be done at once and shall be, il
the people honor me with the office of
Mayor. Reckless and unnecessary OK pend
itures of public money 10 O crime. and in
times of great depression. like the present.
should not be excused. Unusual liberality
should only be exercised by those ex pend
ing the peoples money where want
and suffering can be relieved by
furnishing work to those who
need bread and are willing TO give @
dollars worth of Improvement for every
dollar received. But cannot dwell on
these questions Of taxation and public ex-
travagance. When we remem Der that the
expenses of the city civil engineers Office
now amount to abont $4,000 a year, as
against IS. 6O0 In 1889. and that q Ions time
contract for electric lights has recently
been made at $50 q year. on q moonlight
schedule. as against the one made by the
last Republican administration. being so
on an all-night schedule, we will no longer
wonder where the peoples money goes.
ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS.
al wish TO speak now for few moments
about one other feature of the present con-
test. which very seriously affects the city's
prosperity end good name. refer TO the
failure OF the present administration TO see
that the wholesome laws of the city and
4.