The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-26
AS A MATTER OF BUSINESS.

.Neoio ~ Poisties, JuuSinS the TWO CALI
didates by their records as public serv-
ants, and see whether Mr.. Trusler or
Mr. Taggart should be elected. That is
a fair test. and 1t should be the only one.
Mr.. Trusler has been controller of In
dianapolis for nearly two years. More
than any other man he has his hand
upon the current expenditures OF the
city The position demands man of
experience In affairs. of high business ca
pacity. and OF what is called backbone.
First, In his own Office the controller has
kept the expenditure below the appropri-
alton. The controller has attended to
the duties of his office, and no clerks
have worked more hours than those en-
ployed in his office. Moreover. there is
no sort of information regarding the af-
fairs which come under its supervision
that cannot be given promptly. Every
account presented to the controller is
scrutinized, and not more Is paid than
Is earned or Is due. The man who does
two days service is not paid for four,
as was sometimes done under the Sulli-
van regime. No bill in which prices for
materials were so per cent. above the
market price would have been approved
by the controller.
IL Is In the management of the city
debt that the business ability of Mr..
Trusler has been most conspicuously dis
played The last year of the Sullivan
regime the interest on city bonds wss
$lz1Ss66 and on temporary loans ST.
sS5.37-total. $130.631.44 During the year
which ended with August, 1885, the in
terest paid on bonds was s92, 5S and
on temporary loans $1.522 14-total. s94.-
iso.I2 Here We have a reduction Of
S6.450.72 IN the interest account True,
this Is due largely to the refunding of
the 7.3 per cent bonds in per cents,
but the Sullivan regime failed to re-
fund the $621.0O which fell due in June,
1893. because of the hostility of the Dem
ocratic bosses who wanted to get a
bonus out OF the transaction. Coming
into Office with an empty treasury, Mr..
Trusier has paid only a little over half
as much as did his predecessors for tenn
porary loans He has borrowed less
money and has paid less than the market
rate. On longtime bonds it is the rate
of the interest which measures the
amount of the debt rather than the
principal. Upon this fair theory the
money which the city will pay on it's
new bonds to their maturity is IS per
cent. less than it was when Mr.. Trusler
went into office. If the difference in the
rates Of interest were put semi-annually
into sinking fund it would pay the
principal before the bonds mature
Now let us turn to Mr.. Taggart. He
has been auditor of Marion county near
ly eight years. More than any other
official in the county. the auditor has the
power to check wastefulness and loose
ness in county affairs. Passing by the
fact that the compensation of the audi
tor has increased over so per cent. since
he has been in Office, the investigator
finds at the outset that the county was
paying in 1894 from % to 40 per cent
more than the city OF indianapolis for
lumber and other materials, that Ii was
paying more than the market price for
provisions; that its commissioners paid
$4,000 for a $4,000 bridge. Many OF
reach of Mr.. Taggart as auditor. but he
allowed them to go on. During his term
of office county expenditures increased
% per cent. How much Of this has been
due to the unbusinesslike methods of Mr.
Taggart can only be matter CT sur
mise The figures of Mr. Taggart's re-
port made little over year ago,
oh t~ok H.
amounted to quarter of million, and
the "overdraft." which is another name
for debt. was over a quarter of million
dollars. This indicates a looseness that
is at war with the principles Of sound
business When Mr.. Taggart came into
Office the interest charge was $44349.
During the year which ended in August.
1894, the county paid $6s,446 as interest.
That is. under Mr.. Taggart's rule the
interest expenditure has increased over
81 pei cent. There is nothing to show
that many bonds have been issued, but
either high rates of interest have been
paid to the greedy Democratic money
lenders. who dictate financial matters
in this city and county. for temporary
loans. or the debt has been increased so
per cent. by the Taggart regime. The
reports do not tell which evil Is the cause
OF the increase of the expenditure for
interest. 1t may be added that Mr.. Tag
CART is generous with the taxpayers
money. always paying the canvassers
of votes six days wages for two days
services. That sort Of thing may win
the good will of the few favored ones.
but 1t is fair to assume that Mr.. Taggart.
in his own affairs. does not pay for three
times as much service as he receives.
Such is a brief outline of the methods
in office of the two men who are candi-
dates for Mayor. II two men with such
opposite records were candidates before
the stockholders of a corporation for the
position of general manager. Mr.. Trusler
would get all the votes. Why should 1t
be different In the management of city
corporation?