The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-21
POGUE'S RUN PAY ROLL
WAY CITY FUNDS ARE NOW USED
FOR TAGGART CAMPAIGN.
Each LabOrer Given Few Days
Work So as to Give Employ
ment to All HeeIers.

If any person doubts that the appropria-
ton of $4,000 for repairs to Pogue's run
was in reality contribution to the Tag
CART campaign fund, all ne will have to do
to be convinced of the error into which he
has fallen is to look at the pay ron in Con-
troller Johnson's office. The latter part of
August the Pogues run repair fund was
exhausted. Aug. IS there were 102 names
on the pay ROLL The total wages for that
week amounted to $64S.20 The week before
there was the same number of men ON the
roll-102-but they received amongst them
Sl6l2O more than on the week of Aug. 49,
as the Pogue's run pay roll amounted to
$SO940 for the week ending Aug. 6. Aug. 20
and Sept. there was no Pogues run pay
roll at all, as the fund had been practically
depleted. During the week ending Sept. 10
the mayor became satisfied that with the
assistance of Councilman Woody, the Re-
publican who dickered with the Democrats
the appropriation would be made. few
men were consequently put to work That
week the pay roll aggregated SS965 only
as but seventeen men We're at work. The or
dinance was passed with. Mr.. Woody's vote
ON Thursday evening, Sept. o. For two or
three weeks no work had been done on
Pogues run, as the funds had been ex-
hausted, but the next day after the ordi-
nance was passed the pay roll began to
pick up and there has been a constant in
crease ever since. Last Friday the Sec
ond pay roll since the ordinance was passed
was approved by the Board of Public
Works. From seventeen the force of Tag
CART voters had beea increased to $780, The
amount paid on the last pay roll was
81 24o.yo, as compared with $3.50 paid the day
aIier the ordinance passed. When the pay
roll is made up Friday of this week it will
show still greater increase in the number
are paid.
An inspection of the controllers books
shows a very peculiar condition of affairs
A stipulated number of men are not en-
ployed constantly from week to week but
warrants paid them also varies consider
ably. Some weeks the men only get in
two or three days work. A man is en-
pioyed a DAY or TWO and then has to give
place to another clamoring for work BY
shlItlng them around in this way it is possi-
bic TO give a large force of men some work
ana at the same time keep up an appear
ance OF economy in Expenditures. The aver
age amount paid the 102 men the week end
ing aug. IL was a. little over IS. Some re-
celved considerably less and others, nOta-
ply the inspectors" got a good deal more
me week before the average was a little
less than IS, with the same exceptions in
faVor OF inspectors and pets of the adj
mlnlStration, who are always given good
rat JOBS Those who are not so favored
grumbled good deal and assert that they
ought to be employed all the time instead
of day now and another at the end of the
week. They do not clamor very loudly and
take half loaf rather than no bread at all.
The $50 men employed the week ending last
Friday received, on an average, $500 and
fraction for their weeks work At $1.40 a
day for common labor mans wages should
amount to $40 a week. OF course the men
who handle picks and shovels have to be
content with part of a weeks work while
the men who have "inspectorships" and
other snaps have steady employment at $15
q week or more