The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-27
WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY
RESTS.

Residents in the northeastern part of the
city have made a vigorous protest relative
to the ignoring of their section in the loca-
ton of park grounds They are right
When any class of citizens have as well
defined a grievance as they have in this
case it is not only their right but their
duty to protest, but before making it they
should study she situation well to know
where it should be delivered Briefly, the
situation is this OF the $3.50, 900 appropri-
ated by the Council for park purposes
about 100000 has been expended in the
purchase of land and $4,000 is held by the
board as an improvement or labor fund.
The board has assessed benefits to the
amount of 100000 which will have to be
paid by people who are already oppressed
with taxes. The purchases already made
by the board are largely of lowlands in
the river bottom west and northwest of
the city which will be very expensive to
improve. They do not include any pro-
vision whatever for a park northeast of
the city. The land which residents in that
part of the city would like to have pur-
chased is far better adapted by nature for
park purposes than any the board has pur-
chased and could be improved at far less
cost. The board would like to purchase
this land and would do so if it had the
money 1t would have the money had not
$4,000 of the original appropriation been
diverted and set aside by the Council
without any legal authority, as a labor
fund. This was done by the friends of
Mayor Taggart at his instance and re-
quest. Thus, as a citizen expressed it at
the meeting Tuesday night, THE Park
Board is without money and we are with
out a park 1t does not require much
consideration of these facts to show where
the protest of the remonstrants in the north
eastern part of the city should be directed.
1t should be aimed at the person
who is responsible for diverting $4,000 of
the appropriation to labor fund before
an acre of land had been purchased. 1t is
possible the Park Board may be able to
make the Pogue's run purchase at some
future time out of the proceeds of the
benefit assessments, but if that $4,000 had
not been diverted they could do so at once
and, as the Journal understands, would
willingly do so. The object of that diver
sion is plain. 1t was for the purpose of
employing a large number of laborers dur
ing the approaching municipal campaign
and when they cannot be employed advan-
tageously because the board has not
adopted any plan of Improvement. Not a
dollar should be spent for labor until a
general plan of improvement has been
adopted, and until that is done the entire
sum appropriated by the Council should
be expended in the purchase of land. AT
the meeting Tuesday night one speaker
stated that when the claims of the north
eastern part of the city were laid before
the. MAYOR he said: You have my UNI
divided support" If the mayor means
this he can direct the controller to rec
ommend the transfer of the $4,000 to the
general fund so the Park Board can pur-
chase the Pogue's run property. Thus far
the effect of his undivided support has
been TO cheat the northeastern part of the
city out of any share in the park pur-
chases. Seven hundred and fifty thousand
dollars is a vast sum to be expended for
marks. but since the money has been APP
propriated and the benefits assessed let it
be expended to the best purposes and with
out scandal.
l1o