The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-16
RAIDED THE TREASURY
INSPECTORS MAKE THEIR BIENNIAL
GRAB FOR FOUR DAYS PAY.
Mayor Taggart Driven Into SecIusiOn
by the Rush of office Seekers
Gossip of Appointments.

It is announced that the claims of in
spectors, judges and clerks and sheriffs who
served on election day will be paid by Con-
troller Johnson the last of next week. There
are some two thousand vouchers to make up
and this will take several days.
Controller Johnson has a serious question
to decide when it comes to allowing claims
that have been made. The canvassing
board, composed of the 1876 election inspect
ors. one from each precinct, allowed the
inspectors four days pay each, or IS for
each inspector, two days pay each to the
judges and clerks, or 81 each, and two days
pay to each sheriff at $3.50 per day. The
Board of Election Commissioners refused
to concur in the allowances made or to
have anything whatever to do with them.
This will leave the entire matter to Con-
troller Johnson to decide. City Attorney
Curtis sent the board a decision that had
been made by the Superior Court, in which
it was held that under the law twenty-four
hours constituted a day. On this decision
Controller Trusler paid inspectors two days
pay and the judges, sheriffs and clerks one
day. each. AS the inspectors serve both on
election day and the day following, when
they meet to canvass the vote, it is said
that they are clearly entitled to two days
pay. AS they have to go to the city clerks
office the day before the election to re-
ceive the ballots, it is said that as mat
ter of equity they are entitled to three days
pay, but the court did noe so hold when
Controller Trusler refused to make the al
1owances demanded and suit was brought
against him.
Allowing themselves four days pay each
and the two judges, clerks and sheriffs in
each precinct two days pay each, the 1875
inspectors, sitting as a canvasSing board,
have confirmed claim against the city
of 5,160 for election officials alone. If they
had paid any attention to the court decision,
item of election officials. Beside this,
claims have been made for twenty-one
meals to each precinct for which claims
amounting to 5000 on each precinct have
been allowed, making this item S2.O4I5O.
The bills for hauling the booths, printing
and publication are not yet in. The law
says that rentals not exceeding $40 shall be
paid for rooms to hold the election in: The
vouchers have not yet been made up on this
account, but it is said that there will be an
$,170. With these items in, the claims made
aggregate $S,37T50 not including the large
items for printing and publication
Controller Johnson will find need to use
q pruning knife when it comes to allowing
the election bills.
Some absurd claims were made to the
board One man said that it was found
too hot in the room and the stove was taken
down and put UP in another room.
claim was made for the plumbers services
in moving and connecting the gas fixtures
Another man said his stove was taken
down and moved out on the street. 1t was
not reconnected. Some one stole part of the
fixtures. He made a claim for the price of
Numerous other claims were equally alb
Surd.