The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-09
DUBIOUS FOR THE PARKS
COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE
WILL MAKE NO RECOMMENDATION,
Nor VIII They Reveal Their Proceed
SprinkIinE of Capitol Avenue.

Tie Council committe on finance met last
night TO consider the park appropriation
ordinance. After discussing the matter for
a long time, the members of the committee
reached the conclusion that they could not
agree a report and decided to report
the ordinance to the Council next Mon
day night without recommendation. The
members OF the committee declined TO talk
about their argument while behind closed
doors.
The greatest objection urged against the
ordinance is that 1T simplye appropriates
SS5O,0O0 for the use of the Park Commits
sioners, without limiting this board to any
specific expenditures. The members Of the
committee thought the ordinance should de-
fine what land is to be bought and make it
obligatory upon the Park Commissioners to
buy the land designated The South Side
members objected strongly to the idea of
making a park OF the entire bank of Fall
creek, without giving some similar park
to the South Side along Pleasant run. 1t
was urged the other hand that the
South Side has the only park owned by the
city-Garfeld Park-and that the plans of
the Park Commissioners contemplate sew
eral small parks at various places on the
South Side. This was claimed to be merely
bait for the votes Of the South Side, with
out really giving the South Side its pro-
portion of the money to be used for parks.
After the meeting was over the members
denied that they had refused to support the
ordinance because of the fact that there
was not provision for the particular parks
they might want in their respective wards,
but each had some vague reason to assign.
Most of them even denied the facts as
stated above. All agreed that the commit
tee did not want TO give the park board
the unrestricted right to spend the money
appropriated for parks according to the
views of the commissioners, which might
De changed after the. appropriation had
been made. ~.
Councilman Wolcott seemed to take the
lead In the argument for the ordinance, and
his strongest opponent seemed to be Mr..
cooper who was somewhat red and angry
when the meeting adjourned. Some kind
Of report on the ordinance had been pre-
pared and the members arose TO get
their overcoats and hats. Mr.. Cooper said
well, i won't sign that report. II will
have to be changed before L put my name
to it,
There were other similar expressions from
members and Mr.. wolcott folded the paper
and put ii in his pocket.
The committee decided to report favor
ably the ordinance appropriadng s2o.0O0 for
the purchase of land for the erection of
new police station. This report was unani-
nous.
Later in the night it was learned that
four members of the commissioners
Clark Dewar and one other. whose name
could not be learned-had signed n report
on the ordinance recommending that il be
returned TO the controller, with instructions
| to have it drawn so us to particularly
specify the parcels Of land to be bought
with the money appropriated Several
members object to the purchase of any
land along the river bottom, and take this
means to make it certain that none of the
money they vote TO appropriate will be
used for that purpose