The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-08

Hdu hCSu reduced $l,5tf,3VJ, Il ACASdSS "a
THE TAGGART FINANCES.
The total current receipts of the city for
the year 1896 were $500 05456 The current
receipts for the year 1897 will be in excess
of the year 1896, as new territory has been
added to the city, embracing property of
the taxable value of $10,O0O,0O0 This will
add fully 600 to the city's current reve-
nues annually. The current expenses have
been at least correspondingiy increased.
During the present fiscal year the city has
issued park bonds OF the face value of $780,
600. for which it received the net sum of
1878, 5000. 1t has issued station house bonds
of the face value Of $4,000, for which it
received the sum Of $160, 613.17 total realized
from bonds, 1884 443. 81. Charged against the
money realized from the park bonds are
items aggregating the sum of $7,501.9l.
There has been expended from the funds
realized from the station house bonds $685.
62z 40. Total expended of these funds ST.
124.40. Balance from bonds now unexpended,
$493, 3lS.9l. There is now in the hands OF the
treasurer belonging to the city sum total,
inclusive OF the money realized from these
bonds, of $3.50, 122.5S against this sum there
are outstanding warrants amounting to the
sum of So, 065.50; total available cash, $780,
056.OS; belonging to the park and station
house funds IS, as we have seen, $493,3lS.gL
Total sum OF money now in treasury SUBJ
S3711.
There has been expended thus far in the
present fiscal year commencing Jan / for
current city expenses the sum of $54S, 10,
an average of $66,03S per month. The
amount now in the city treasury is not
sufficient to conduct the current business
of the city for one month at the same rate
of expenditure, and the city, business from
early in the month of October must be con-
Quoted with borrowed money or anticipated
taxes.
Referring back to the bonded Indebted
ness of the city at the time Thomas Tag
CART became mayor we have observed that
the debt was 500. OF this sum $5O00 900
were the guaranteed bonds known as the
Belt Railroad bonds issued in 1876. These
bonds We're retired in 1896, the Belt Rail-
road Company paying the $5O0,OO0 together
with the unpaid interest, into the city
treasury. which in turn was paid over to
the bondholders and the bonds Cancelled,
and not cent of the city's revenues were
expended in the payment of these bonds.
No sooner the city relieved from this
guaranteed indebtedness than the admins
tration plunged 1t into an Indebtedness of
$4,000. for which the city alone is liable.
Basing our Judgment upon the facts as
shown by the expenditures Of the present
administration we are justified in saying
that If continued in power for two years
more Mr. Taggart would hand over the
debtedness increased to the constitutional
limit, and the opportunity of the city to
purchase and operate its own lighting and
water works plant destroyed for thirty
years to come.
| have not time in a single address to
discuss city contracts generally, but will
call your attention to one contract eSpe-
cially deserving the condemnation of the
citizens of this city. and that is the con-
tract with the Indianapolis Sanitary Com
pany to destroy the garbage and vault
cleanings of the city at the fixed price of
$4,000 year.
The contract provides that this filth shall
be burned and destroyed in furnaces heated
to high temperature This company has
only one small furnace, with a capacity
sufficient to destroy about one-fifth only
of the garbage delivered to it. All the vault
cleanings and about four-fifths. of the gar
bage is dumped out on the Sellers farm
and little dirt scattered over it. The
stencil from this filth fills the atmosphere
OF the entire neighborhood, and with every
southwestern breeze its naseous. DEATH
breeding vapors are blown into and through
the city. / am reliably informed by those
in a position to know that the contract
furnished clear profit to the Sanitary
Company of at least $1,000 year.
PUBLIC PARKS.
! l am in favor of public parks for the
people SO located as to make them Access
sible to the residents of the different sec
tons of the city. 1 am in favor Of the
Fall-creek system of parks, the Indian
apolis Sentinel to the contrary notwith-
standing, and no word eyer escaped my
lips, either in private conversation or in
public speech, that justifes an inference to
the contrary. Why shouldn't L be when l
own property on the banks of Fall creek,
and which property the present Park Board
system
But l believe in dealing with the park
question from business standpoint and
not. from a standpoint of sentiment. have
said in public, and l now repeat it, that
l am opposed to buying up all the waste
lands ana river bottoms up and down White
river for the reason that the people do not
want public park located down south of
the Belt Railroad in the river bottoms, and
the attempt to so locate d park is for
private gain and not for the benefit of the
general public The people south of Wash
lnston street nave CARRIED Park, which, II
properly cared for, Will be the most beauti-
tul park in any of our Western cities L
favor park in the northeastern part of
the city because the lands there are located
on beautiful watercourse and are not sub
Ject to overflow. They possess natural
beauty, a variety of natural forest trees
and can be fitted into an attractive park
at comparatively small cost, and be within
reach of the residents of thickly popu-
lated district
The recent Republican city convention very
justly criticised the present city admins
tration for its weak and vacillating course
with respect to public parks, it's extraya-
gance and want of. business foresight in
the purchase of park sites already made:
It's creation of unnecessary park officers for
the dement, or political friends; it's prema-
ture sale of $350,000 of city bonds to raise
funds with which to establish a park sys-
tenn, and its unfair and unjust methods OF
assessing the property of the small property
rich.
Here, gentlemen, is a map of the civ
and this line shows the boundary of the
district which has been assessed for bene-
nus: Ihat is a black and crooked dead line
ana from 1t you can see how just are the
criticisms on this would-be business adj
ministration made in our platform The
property assessed is nearly all the small
homes of citizens of our city possessing
small means.
When we observe that Mr. Flack and
Mr. Holt, two of the largest properly own
ers IN the city, were instrumental in draw
ing this black, crooked line so that their
own property should escape the burden of
the taxation, we can readily see a practical
rich tread upon the poor apparently dead
to all human feeling except the passion to
get and the passion to keep" When we
see TINS outrageous attempt to burden and
Cypress the poor, we know from this sow
ing or the wind, this administration win
reap the Whirlwind. Justice travels some
times with leaden foot, but she strikes with
iron hand" W
But Mr.. Taggart had no sooner pub
lished the notice Of the property to be as
sessed for benefits than the plan and
method OF assessment became so unpopular
with the people that a general uprising
against this Ubiquitous and rotten system
OF taxation was imminent and Mr.. Taggart
became so alarmed at the situation because
there was another election close at hand
lie mad long-cherished desire to succeed
hlmselt as mayor of this beautiful CITY and
parks or no parks he was determined now
sible. PoS-
THE PARK BOARD SCANDAL.
But we knew very well that he could not
let the searchlight of publicity in on his
methods of taxation for the Improvement
and building of parks, and succeed himself.
and so he called in around him his astute
advisers, and after careful consultation if
was agreed that in order to hold off the