The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-11
OTHER TOPICS.
Mr.. Charles Offers suggestions ON n
Variety of Subjects.

Mr.. Charles Offers suggestions ON n
Variety of Subjects.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
I think a word or two from al old Re-
publican, who has had considerable exper-
fence as a servant of the people, would not
be out of place at this time. Considerable
has been said about the Office of county
Observation-Disclosures or not it should be abol-
ished. My plan would be to abolish the
Office and assign the duties of the county
assessor to the County Commissioner who
is serving the third year of his term, there
by placing a man in the office who has had
two years experience in County affairs, and
who should be well posted by that time. He
should serve the whole year at not over the
amount per day he now gets. He should
also be made the superintendent of all the
free gravel roads in the county, and see to it
that We get 100 cents worth of work for
every dollar paid FOR repairs OF gravel roads;
ne could also be of great benent in system
en- at its regular term.
There has been something said about hay
ing the law so changed as TO allow munich
pal government to create an Indebtedness
of over 2 per cent. of their taxable property.
/ have seen the time that 1 would have been
glad II such q law was not in existence, but
l have changed my mind, and now believe
that it is a wise provision. 1t acts as a
bride to the untamed- | would. however.
be in favor Of a. change in the Barrett law
for the Improvement OF streets. j think
1t should be so changed that the property
owners elong the street should pay for the
which is now paid for by the city; then
property owners could improve their streets
whenever they wanted to do so. regardless
of the city's indebtedness. as street i'm
provement bonds. ike gravel road bonds.
are not CONSIDER an Indebtedness such as
the constitution provides for. When a
progressive city is obliged to pay &c Fer cent.
of all street improvements. it does not take
1t long to reach the 2 per cent. limit and
then improvements must stop.
I have heard a great many expressions of
late-some of which would not look we'll in
~print-about a society in Indiana formed for
It is said by some that 1t is formed for
the purpose of salary grabbing, but / am
of opinion that 1t is in the interest Of the
dear people. 1t would be very angenerous
that would not be for the best
interest Of the taxpayers, whose servants
heard showing that while the judge of the
Circuit Court of st. Joseph county gets
900 a year his clerk only gets 81, 500, ana,
considering the qualifications required 10 run
the two offices. | can't see how our law
makers can help giving some relief to the
poor, downtrodden clerk. My idea of a fee
and salary bill would be to pay county OFF,
and no more. and l know of ne fairer way
than to pay them for what they do. If
10 cents for 100 words is not enough for re-
cording an instrument of writing, pay more;
If ii lis too much. cut 1t in two. 1t is an easy
matter to ascertain what ii is 'worth by let
ting the clerk Of the COMMITTEES on fees and
salaries copy Brother Fountains speech,
then divide the number of words by the
allow a reasonable amount for being polite
and giving such ormati as is required
in the different offices Of the county
Marion Ind. Feb. O.