The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-01
DEBT MAKING TO GO ON
MAYORS DECLARATION YESTERDAY
AT HIS CABINET MEETING,
But the City's Resources VIII Not Hold
Out-Afraid of BeIIe-Street
Sewer Project.

NO sooner is the announcement made that
the citys credit and ability to make debts
has been increased than II is followed by
the announcement that the debt making so
successfully inaugurated by Mayor Tag
CARTS administration is to go on to the full
limit and until the power to make debts
and issue bonds has been again exhausted,
as it has practically been during the last
six months. AT the meeting of his cabinet
yesterday afternoon Mayor Taggart gave
the first official utterance on additional
park bonds since the Democratic city con-
vention. The mayor said that, no matter
if the park law is sustained, the method
of raising money to improve parks by as
sessments will be abandoned and money
will be borrowed on longtime bonds for
this purpose ''in order that future genera
tions may help pay for the park system"
The mayor also announced that the Belle
street sewer will not be built. The admins
tration is afraid of the political effects of
such an Improvement Residents in the Vi
entity of jackson Park and other North
End neighborhoods, he said, will be mate
rally benefited by the work that is being
done the state ditch, and he believes
that they will be given relief from
overtloWs through that channel He also
said that the work that has begun on
j
Ill it is gradually cleaned out and widened
from source to outlet. Acting on his sug-
gestion the Board of Works will ask the
Council for appropriations for charging the
drainage capacity of the state ditch and
Pogue's run. The mayor was unable to es-
innate just how much money will be neces-
sary for these purposes, but said that 1t
would not be very large amount.
The cabinet meeting was attended by
Messrs. Downing and Anderson, of the
Board of Works; Messrs. Mack and Morse,
of the Board of Safety; DR.. Fields, of the
Board Of Health; Controller Johnson and
Deputy City Attorney Bell. Controller
Johnson submitted figures to the citys
financial condition, already published in the
Journal showing that the tax duplicate
has been increased to Sill, 702 500-exclusive
of $500, 900 assessed against the Indiana
Manufacturing Company, but under contro-
versy-as against $10S, 2S5, 915 last year.
gross increase of $9,46,5S5. 60-cent tax
levy on this amount would produce $i1O.94S.75.
This, with estimated receipts of $250,0OO from
miscellaneous sources, would make total
revenue Of $3.50, 1875 This was estimated
increase on miscellaneous items of $4,000
over this year and about $5S,O00 on taxes.
The appropriations OF the various depart
ments, he said, must be mace 10 consist
with this revenue. Just whether the reVe-
nue. was sufficient could not be determined,
he said until after the departments nave
ssSVe will have TO cut our cloth to fit the
revenue after the estimates are made gen
tlemen," he said. 49,, Go.
charges such as interest on bonds, sala-
ries debts and bonds OF the SUBURBS, ETC.,
which will have to be met in any event
and that curtailing will have to be done in
other directions. -, =, ~. -.
Il think every department will do its ut
don't we will have to help them trim, Mr..
Controller" said the mayor, with a slight
smile MIR. Johnson don't IKE TO cut your
estimates he said to the officials present
with the figures given 1t seems that we
will be able to get along without increasing nc easing
it instead Of increasing it. -. .,,,u
Mr. johnson said that he thought TINS
could he done after the next appIaASeiiiei4'
THE PARK NIGHTMARE.
The mayor did not say how much money
he thought would be necessary to expend in
improving parks in the event the park law
is upheld and the land already contem-
plated is purchased, neither did he say
whether the $S50,OOO already borrowed and
lying idle will be sufficient to buy the Fall
creek bottoms, the river bottoms and the
small tracts of political favorites. w. n.
Harding, in a recent speech, declared mat
if the fair value of the land already picked
out were known, it would be nearer $oOOOO0
or 500 600 than $350, 600. This being the case
the mayor, will have to borrow money ley, 10
into parks. The present constitutional limit
of indebtedness is 81, 1918. Outstanding
house bonds aggregate 1,424,5OO With these
added the city has power TO go IN uepl
but $2410O0 at the present tirne e. 81, me ne m
crease i'll the tax duplicate OF s., 4l6,oo9, at
per cent, the constitutional limit, VIII IN
crease the city's credit $lSS, S3l.IO. Addlng
this to the present cred1t aplliy OF phil
tt,o iriS I I'm BILE
to borrow $429, 5497 TO- providing II mas no
scruples about exhausting the citys credit
to the constitutional limit Deductlng the
$3.50 900 that Mr.. Harding says will DE neces-
sary to purchase land in addition 10 the
$350OOO already lying idle, the e admlnlstra-
parks, very inadequate sum, When II is
taken into consideration that leVeeS along
White river alone are estimated 10 COST
$500 900.
This leaves absolutely nothing for the
purchase of water works, so forciDly de-
handed by the Democratic city platform:
on that subject the mayor was silent and
what plans and resources, II any, ne mas
for accomplishing this feat have not been
made public. AS the financial condition or
the city for next year was to have been
discussed yesterday, there was some curl
osty as to what the mayer woqa ed haye 10
present yesterday. The mayor said that
appropriations for maintaining parks, Gar
field, University Square, Military Park, ST.
Clair Square and others, will be MADE from
the general fund, as Lney were idSb year,
in anticipation of needs on that line, no
matter what may be the ultimate fate of
the Park Board. He said that appropria-
lions on this line must not and will not be
greater than a year ago The plan is SIM
ply to provide a maintenance fund Tor
parks in the general appropriation. II the
Park Board is litigated out of existence
the parks will fall into the custody Of the
Board of Works and in that event the fund
would simply be transferred from the de-
defunct Park Board to its successor. AbSo-
lutely no appropriations will be made Tor
improving the contemplated parks from the
general fund this year The mayor will de-
pend on the Council to authorize the Dor
rowing of more money for improving the
parks after the litigation is settled next
year 1t is very doubtful whether the pres
ent Council would pass an ordinance APP
propriating any material amount for I'M
proving parks, anyway, and the admins
tration has hopes of support from the new
Council if one is elected of its own politics.
The mayor admonished the cabinet to be
as economical as possible in preparing es-
Inmates for next years appropriations,
keeping in view the efficacy of the various
departments. None of the members of
the different boards had any suggestions
to offer. They heard the mayors dictum on
economy in silence. Some written recon-
mendations that the Board of Works had
prepared were not read. Mr.. Mack, of the
Board of Safety, timidly suggested that
provisions ought to be made for fire
house on Ash street now that a lot had
bf on bought The naVOr assured him that