The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-10
1T WILL REMAIN MUD
North Alabama Street Is to Have
No Coat Of the Smooth Asphalt.
Council Fails TO Pass the Ordinances by
the Required TwO-Tbirds Majority
-PesthOuse Ordinance.

The Alabama-street Improvement ordi-
nances failed to pass the Council by the
required two-thirds vote when they came
up at the special meeting last night. When
the session Was called 10 order there were
five absent members. Before the vote on
the first ordinance was taken, however,
all had taken their seats save Messrs.
Krauss ana rlauh. When the report of the
committee was in order. Mr.. Drew handed
up the majority report. which vas as fol-
lows:
> general ordinances Nos. % and "A, 1894, con-
corning AlaOama-street improvements, beg
leave TO report: That the city charter. in
specifying who may demonstrate against
confirmed or modified resolutions for street
improvements does not confer upon any re-
mOnstrat0r the right TO interfere With the
kind OF Improvement decided upon. The
details OF the work are open for discussion,
ana the character Of the Improvement can
be amended before the Board IF Public
Works have confirmed or modified the res
olutiOn. After that time the remonstrance
can only be legally made with a view 10
stopping the entire improvements. II this
feature OF the city charter causes hardship
% the taxpayers. II can be amended by the
legislature. but the City Council has no
right 10 abrogate the charter in this re-
SDect. nor TO make any law not warranted
BY the charter.
Your committee started out with the
popular idea that II was expected TO listen
To the individual opinions and wishes of
the demonstrators as To the kind of i'm
pToVements 10 he made, and 10 procure in
formation in various ways as to the most
desirable improvements. the 'elative cost.
etc. and we have done considerable work
In that direction that may be of value, but
ii has no place in this report. We hear no
complaint that the Board of Public Works
has failed 10 consider the wishes of the
demonstrators up to the time the rcsolu-
tons were amended or confirmed. No
claim is made that they have not had a re-
spectful hearing, but the charter provides
mat the character of the street ImnrOVp-
mentS finally ordered shall be decided by
the board, and not by the abutting property
portant question for you 10 consider is
whether Alabama street needs improving,
Der has but 10 see the condition of the
street TO decide that no documentary evil
dence Is required TO confirm this report
In that particular. The Improvement or
dered by the board is about what has been
adopted in this city heretofore, and ii is
the same as many other large cities are
using at this time, and we can find no good
reason Tor advising you to vote against the
ordnance because OF the character of the
arpr9vement. A continuation of the pro-
this city is of so much importance that no
backward stem should be taken without
good cause. Some consideration should be
shown for the peoples interests throughout
the city, and more than a passing thought
gwen to those who have already paid as
sessments under this law for street inn
provements as well as to the abutting
property owners on Alabama street. A
serious thing to consider is their ability to
Pay Tor the street improvements, but the
Barrett law modifes the hardships some
what by extending the time of payment
over a period of ten years. We recommend
that the ordinances be passed"
AT the conclusion Of the reading, Mr..
Shaner handed up a minority report. The
minority report that the ordi-
nances be stricken from the files. He i'm
mediately moved the substitution of the mi
nority for the majority report, but the mo-
ton was lost. A motion by Mr.. Drew to
adopt the majority report was then adopted
and the ordinances were read, passed to en-
grossment and put upon their passage. The
ORDNANCE for the Improvement of the south
section Of the street was first voted upon.
II was defeated. lacking the two-thirds ma
jority, by the following vote:
~Ayes-Colter, Costello, Drew, Hennessy,
Kaiser, koehring Merritt, O'Brien, Ryan
Nays-Allen. Magel, Murphy, Puryear,
Schmidt, Snaffer, Stott, Young and Cooper.
1t VIII be noticed that the Democrats
voted as a unit with the Republicans who
Favored the Improvement. Mr.. Stein ex-
planned his vote. he said: Il had decided
to vote for further consideration of these
ordinances, but several Of the persons in
terested came to me and, by threats. at
tempted to coerce me into voting against
the ordinances in this body. /, therefore,
vote aye"
Before the ordinance was put upon it's
passage Mr.. Shafier handed up a lengthy
memorial signed By five property owners,
pleading poverty and every other imaginable
excuse for their objections. They attacked
the system OF letting the contracts for pub
Tic improvements, and said the manner in
which bids Were called for were deceptive
and misleading III that the bids were sub
mltted at a given price a lineal foot, but
when the Improvement came to be paid for
1t was found that the total length exceeded
the property frontage by about one-fourth
the total length OF the street. They also
thought the city at large had no right to
any consideration in the Improvement of
memorial were Robert w. Long, j. a.
Church. David Hazard, +. a. Bryan and
Robert Denny.
The vote on the passage of the second
ordinance for the Improvement of the
north section of the street, was lost by the
same vote as that for the Improvement of
the south section.
The ordinance for the repeal Of the form
er ordinance granting authority TO sell the
old pest-house site was called up and
passed, as was the new ordinance authoriZ-
ing the sale OF the property.
| Mr.. koehring introduced an ordinance fix
ing a penalty fer throwing stones at OF
breaking any electric light globe, ETC., post
ing bills or signs upon electric poles or at
| taching wires to them without the consent
of the company. The penalty fixed is a
fine of not more than $50. The ordinance
was referred TO the committee on public
brcakage Of globes by boys with sings
which the company says has cost them
nearly SEQ a month during some seasons of
the year.
NEW CONTRACTS.