The Indianapolis journal., 1896-12-06
FULL OF DIssENSIoNS
MAYOR TAGGART's ADMIyIsTRA ALTON
INA saUALLY WAY.
The Austin Scandal Smelling Loud
Board OF safety Scandal, Too
QuarreIs OF the Boards.

There is an air of disquietude and unrest
brooding over the City Hall on account or
the Austin investigation. or. rather, on ac-
count Of the fact that 1t became necessary
for the mayor 10 give out portions OF the
damaging testimony he accumulated. Fail
ing in his attempts to have the unpleasant
affair hushed up in secret caucus of the
Democratic members of the Council the
mayor invites that body 10 start the music
with apparent franlCness.
THAT sounds very nice in print" said
one of the Democratic councilmen yester-
day. and il may cozen the public into be-
leYing he really wishes us to proceed But
the boys are afraid that if they go against
the wishes he expressed in the caucuses we
held that he will remember it against
them
The Democratic councilmen would feel
nightly relieved If their brethren of the
minority would open the ball On the other
hand, the Republicans. several of them, al
least, feel that as the fight started in the
house of faith that it ought TO be settled
there. However. there is a possibility
which strongly borders on a certainty that
If the Democrats do not do something, and
that right soon, the Republicans will.
Mayor Taggart is getting mighty tired Of
the internal dissensions with which his ad-
ministratiOn has been marked Looking
back over the year his minds eye is fas-
tened upon innumerable dark spots that
have been painted there by pickering. jeal-
Gus men with whom he surrounded himself
at the inception OF his administration.
There has been a strong undercurrent OF
ill-feelinS between the Council and the
Board of Works which has manifested it
self on more than one occasion. Then there
has not been perfect harmony between the
boards. When it came about last summer
that the work on theenew wing of the City
Hospital would have to cease on account
of inadequate appropriations, there was al
most an open breach between the Health
Board and the Beard of Works. The
Health Board indulged in a number Of 4
tOld-you-sos" that were exceedingly exas-
pCrating TO the other board. Since then
there have been many complaints made by
the Board of Health about the unsatisfac-
tory character of the work that being
Board of Safety and the Board of Works
got into "a difficulty about the ac-
sgP@nee be o Board is Of snfeFv took pe
session IL found that work had
not been done according to contract. and
there was some tall hustling to untangle
the snarL These are some or the Few
trifiing differences that have made life in
Mayor Taggarfs official family one con-
the time by the press. Just last week the
Board Of Health found reason to quarrel
with the Board of Safety for failing to
maintain the reputation of the hospital and
the integrity Of it's nurses by whitewaSh-
ing Patrolman Walker Such a hue and a
cry were raised over this affair that the
Board of Safety reversed itself yesterday,
although IL went against the grain-
Meantime all of the departments have
had combats with the city controller over
his determination TO cut down appro-
priations that were looked, upon as neces-
slry to carry on the city government. He,
on the other hand, has Iound rough road
10 travel when il became necessary to
ask for favors at the hands of the
Council. generally receiving them only by
making concessions and recommending ap-
prOprations that the Council demanded.
notably, one of s., 900 for improving gravel
streets which he had to do in order 10 get
through one for 5000 TO clean improved
streets.