The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-17
A NEW CITY ON APRIL 1
THE ANNEXATION ORDINANCE
SIGNED BY THE MAYOR.
Controller johnson Says the City Will
Now Have the Water COmpany's
Plant Appraised.

Mayor Taggar yesterday morning signed
the annexation ordinances and their first
publication has already been made. They
will go into effect March %, at which time
the corporate governments of the several
suburbs will expire and the places will
come under the jurisdiction of this city.
The subject of redistricting the city into
councilmanic wards has already received
considerable attention from the caucus of
the Democratic members of the Council, the
mayor and other city officials. and was one
of the subjects under consideration at the
meeting at the Gray Club last week. 1t is
pretty generally understood that Haugh-
Vile. West Indianapolis and. Mount
Jackson will be thrown into one ward.
Some rough estimates already made indi-
cate that there will be about 1900 voters to
each ward, or 5000 all told. The vote of
the city alone last year Appropriated LOCO.
An estimate of 1850 additional votes for the
suburbs is regarded as rather high. Coun-
Gilman Dewar, who has been active in
bringing the annexation project to a focus,
says that the new wards will probably be
defined by the caucus with the assistance
of a committee TO be appointed by the pres
ident of the Council. Mr.. Dewar says that
there will be no attempts to gerrymander
the city on the part of the majority in the
Council. He does not believe that there is
much political advantage to be gained
either way by the annexation.
Another point that has in il something of
interest for the future is the subject of the
Brightwood water plant, which now passes
into the possession of the city. Most ex-
cellent water is obtained at a depth of only
$50 feet. The plant is at a high elevation
above the civ free from sewage contain
ination and not accessible from the river,
Fall creek or Pogue's run. so that deep we'll
water would be the only source of supply.
Mr.. Dewar is In favor of the city retaining
the plant and gradually extending it until
it might supplant the Indianapolis Water
Company.
City Controller Johnson seems to nave
other ideas in view with regard to a settle
ment of the water works plant. BY 1899.
when a REIMBURSEMENT OF the property for
taxation purposes is TO be made, he est.
mates that there will be a tax duplicate of
$3.50, 000, 900. which would raise the debt-mak-
ing limit of 2 per cent. to something like
5000, 0O0-a figure that might make the pur-
chase of the water-works plant feasible at
that time. Mr.. Johnson said yesterday that
the talk of having an appraisement of the
water company's plant, which has been in
the air for so long. would develop into
something substantial soon. Appraisers
are TO be named by the clay. who are 10
act in conjunction with those named by the
water company. The appraisers thus APP
pointed are to name another. The water
COllBdils IdS III dlOllS Itciotto tAihI thttt
must be a unanimous report, while the
proposition of the city is that a majority
of the appraisers will have power to fix the
value of the plant, which Will be binding on
both the water company and the city.
There may be litigation over this point be-
fore any definite conclusions are reached.
Talk of the formation of IL trusteeship for
the purchase of the water works is being
revived and il would not be very surprising
if some plan were fixed upon. in spite of
the assertions that have been made all
along that no trustees could be found To
| purchase the plant on the contingency of its
ultimate acquisition by the city, owing to
the fact that there would have TO be a tam
gible guarantee. which would amount TO
an obligation within the meaning of the
debt liAit. 1t is believed that some of the
recent legislation may be of advantage to
indianapolis, although on its face it was
only intended for smaller cities. Members
of the administration see in the increased
territory and taxable property an opportu-
nifty at least to do something towards solv-
ing the water problem.
Between now and April l heads of the
various departments of the city government
will visit the new territory and make plans
TO assume charge. Mayor Taggart says
that about the same course will be pursued
toward the suburbs with reference to i'm
provementS as to other parts OF the city.
The Board of Works will act promptly on
petition improvements and where necessary
will order them without petitions. There is
to be no discrimination, the mayor says.