The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-30
A NEW CITY HALL.
Ii is Needed. but There Are Good Rea-
sons for Waiting Awhile.


To the Editor of the Indan apois Journal:
Mary Dean is most always right. but
never more conspicuously so than in her
late protest against marring the beauty of
our half million courthouse by any kind
OF q building within the grounds. 1t must
nave been a narrow minded man who first
suggested it. The tffiag Is so preposterous
that after her criticism it seems to me it
cannot be seriously entertained a moment
But there is a question connected with that
City Hall matter that demands the atten-
ton of everybody. We may need Il city
hall, but is this the time 70 build it? The
basement of the courthoues is not. III its
present condition. very well adapted to city
wants. but under the circumstances can ii
not be made to answer for a while? First.
let us bear in mind that we are vet i'm debt
for it to the AMOUNT OF 5000 900 and are
paying per cent. interest on that debt
True. it belongs to the county, uut Indian
apoiiS being 80 per cent. of the county the
brunt of the burden comes upon the city
True, again, the city paws rent for the
rooms 1t occupies. 81 900 D year. but il paws
four-ti1ths of it into its own treasury as
it will not when it pays to the Lorraine
or any other hail. and it makes very little
difference in results whether we pay 81 900
per year or $4,000. But everybody now sees
that that grade and stone wall around the
yard and that artificial till is a perpetual
eyesore. Not man or woman in thou
sand but would rather see the whole square
in the condition University Park is except,
of course, the supercultured few who have
travelled. you know. 1t would cost but
trife TO remove that accumulation of gravel
on which neither trees nor grass can ever
be induced to grow and restore the lawn
to its original level and its original rich
earth that will support such Il grove and
sward as make University Park a thing
of beauty. This ought to be done wholly
irrespective of its bearing on the interior
of the courthouse no matter what it costs.
But If this is done the basement will be SO
improved as to light and ventilation that
the rooms will be bearable, If not enjoy
able, until we greatly reduce debt on
the house itself and are otherwise better
prepared to build. If the rooms on the first
moor, as 1t Will be then, are not sufficient,
there are a great many rooms in the upper
stories now practically unoccupied which
could be as easily reacl.ed by the lift as
the rooms in the Lorraine or any other
office building. The saving to the county,
OF which the city is so large a part. is not
to be despised, while the convenience 10
the people having business with city Off
GERS would be immense.
Common business sense would take several
collateral facts into consideration in de-
termining any change in the present situa-
ton. even the moving into other quarters.
First. more than half the homes in the city
are mortgaged under the Barrett law for
public improvements that We're absolutely
Indispensable or will be mortgaged before
our system of sewers and streets is COM
pleted. This cannot be avoided and should
not be. 1t could not be postponed and the
City Hall and all that appertains to it can
be and ought to be without being aban-
doned. The burden of these improvements
presses hard upon those who have small
homes only partly paid for. Indeed. hum
dreds have had to let their homes go to pay
the taxes and assessments. The fact that
more than half the voters in the city never
pay / cent of taxes and that more than
once some of these nontaXpayers have
been, Ii they are not now, members OF the
council, does not justify inffcting add-
tiOnal burdens upon those who do paw
county patch up the courthouse that
we, as a city, can continue to pay to
as county so much need until we in the
city have somewhat recovered from the
strain now upon us account of the nee
essary street and sewer assessments now
upon us.
We must have city hall. We must have
new postoffice. The two hundred feet
square now owned by the government is
insufficient for the site of the new post
office. 1t will be sold cheap. Government
always sells cheap and buys dear. We can
wait for that. Even if the bill passes at the
next session it will be ten years before we
can get possession, and then year or two
before we can adapt the buildings to our
use. But that is not long to wait. Will 1t
justify us in moving even into more Iuxur-
tically we pay no rent where we are The
improvements needed in the yard and in
the house must be made and will be in the
near future anyhow. NV suggestion is to
adapt the courthouse in the first and in
the upper stories to the convenience of
the city. and let the city offices adapt
themselves to the conditions resign; and
then let us all pull together until we get
little over our street expenses and be
ready to buy the present postoffice prop
erty-the whole of it. We will need it all
a hundred years hence and then let be
happy. u L. SEE
indianapolis, Oct 2S