The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-07
MACK'S soft SNAP"
WHAT 1T COSTS FOR DEMOCRATS TO
PAINT THE COURTHOUSE.
hcnn Commissioners to Shoulder
The Enormous Increase.

The painting of the Marion County Court
house was very soft snap" for the Board
of Safety member, Fred j. Mack, and it
was obtained for him by his brother-in-law,
County Commissioner Reinecke. Drains
have been made from time to time on the
county treasury since last July for the
work. and although Mack has now received
nearly $500, there Is over $1,000 additional
to pay, and the end not in sight then. 9th
or painters in the city say they would
have been glad to paint the entire building,
inside and out, for 5000. None of them,
however, had any particular ''pull' with
the old Democratic Board o. County Com
missioners. Commissioner Reinecke said
yesterday that the board had received esti-
mates for painting the tower. and had aft
erward let the contract TO Mack, who was
the lowest bidder. He offered to do the
work for about $500, his brother-in-law
says. the bids of the offers running as
high as $1,000. Mr.. Reine.ke didn't know
what became of the other bids, nor did he
even remember the names of the men who
had bic. There was no semblance of COM
petition In giving the contract for the in
claims of his brother-in-law
The records of the County Commissioners
SHOW, that Fred j.. Mack & Co. We're al
the first work the firm did,. Mr.. Reinecke
said Mack's contract for the tower was
about $50. Aug. 3 the firm was allowed
S2l3.5o, Oct. 70 s60.50-a total OF 1904. Be-
sides this, Mack was given the contract for
painting the basement Of the courthouse for
$50 for painting water closets, which. he
seemed to think, come as an extra. There
Is also an estimate for 1851 by Mack for
vanishing and painting small hall OPEN
ba
been ordered for the different court rooms,
and liz may cost the county as high 81
which was let TO the brother-in-law Of the
president OF the old Democratic Board OF
County Commissioners. on file with the
board Is an agreement by Mack & Co. to
is, the corridors for $500.
Figures procured at the office of the
county auditor show that the Indebtedness
of Marion county has grown steadily since
1892. The total indebtedness OF the county
is now $l.35l.OOo. This sum Is represented
$4,000, respectively; bonded Indebtedness
of $l.05O.690 and $4,000 in l., ID. e. :. time
warrants in the form ,s Of judgments against
ing Indebtedness Was NS9, 1859. Last June
the floating debt. aside from the judgments
4 considerable part of this debt was in
Cured by the purchase Of the ground for
the new jail. which cost $4,000. The coun-
idly from year to year. and will this year
amount TO about $4,000 The COM
missioners think the receipts Will aggregate
S456, 000 The commissioners sold bonds
amounting TO $4,000 TO build the new JAIL
and expected to pay them In five years. In
1897 the bonds fall due, but the Jail fund
has been heavily drawn upon to pay cur
rent expenses. IL was the original inten-
the commissioners either had to draw from
IL or borrow money a new debt of 10000
Is TO be saddled on 10 the county by the
erection of new bridge In the White-river
bottoms. This expense will exhaust the
bridge fund. Such Is the legacy OF debt
left by the Democrats for the Republicans
10 handle.