The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-01
Reform of Municipal Methoas

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal
The communication in the Journal Of the
Nth inst. signed ~. l.. See. referring to
our municipal blunders and your editorial
on the same subject of to-day, encourage
me to continue on the same line, with a
view of creating sufficient interest in the
matter to ultimately bring about a change
for the better. l believe it is pretty gen.
Iferaly understood by this time that many
OF the much lauded provisions of our char
ter have proven to be failures, possibly the
fault of putting them into execution. many
oil which should be changed so as to pre-
vent the possibility of any misconstruc-
ton. NO one with any sense Of justice will
contend that our present system of assess
ing the individual for public improvements
is right, and consequently l believe that
the public is now ready to make a change,
but, unfortunately, a constitutional provi-
sion prevents prompt action. and II will at
best require five years before another more
equitable method of distributing the public
burdens can be inaugurated. Now, in view
of this fact. recognizing the present waste
ful methods adopted in our municipal az
tdlrS, ana or the additional fact that our
community will iTretrieVably remain IN debt
under the provisions of the Barrel acts
also, that properties are being confiscated
proVementS, il certainly becomes q matter
which should receive the attention of our
commercial bodies, who stand sponsor to
our city aHalrS, for the purpose OF fOrmu-
lating a better system of municipal gov
eminent, on the lines already suggested
one which will meet the public demand,
and, with due regard to the experience for
which we have so dearly paid under the
provisions of the charter, heralded and
lauded to the skies by a community ready
to embrace anything to deliver 1t from the
then existing rotten state of affairs. Large
bodies move slowly, and we cannot expect
so important a matter to be disposed of
at once, but there is sufficient time to de-
liberate on this question until the next
General Assembly meets when a new bill,
embodying the principles involved, could be
prepared and introduced in order to get the
subject matter before the people in proper
manner.
Answering the question of your corre-
spOndent relative to repreSen tatiOn without
furnishing the munitions of war (cOntribut-
ing towards defraying the public expenses
] coincide with his views, in so far as they
refer to the distributing of funds collected
for that purpose in a political sense L
would object. In the matter of getting at
the parties who successfully evade the pay
ment of taxes many theories have been adj
vanced. One in particular, which carries
sound logic with It, appealed TO me, ana
as it relates 10 a much-talked-of matter,
the 3-cent-fare controversy. / will state the
argument, which is TO this effect: To collect
a scent fare but to compel the company
to pay "A large sum of money annually into
the city treasury for its privilege, common
Surate with the Qincrence III the idItS
possibly in this case. 800. 00O-as this would
compel the nontaxpayer to indirectly con-
tribute to- the public treasury, when you
could reach him in no other manner.
The old adage, there is more than one
way to whip the devil around the stump.
is exemplifed in the manner in which we
are getting around the constitutional pro-
vision limiting the public Indebtedness to z
per cent. of the tax duplicate, as shown
by ~. L. See" in HE recent coImmunica-
tically a dead letter, really not accomplish
ing the purpose for which it was intended.
Furthermore, it is out of date, not prac-
teal considering our changed methods OF
financial manipulation, and should be abo'
ished as quickly as possible to make wa
for system more in keeping with the pres
ent ideas on economics and good fnancier-
ing. l trust that this matter will be taken
up by the commercial bodies Of the city,
in the spirit in which it is offered with
the view of promoting the welfare Of
the community on the principle Of
the greatest good to the greatest num-
Der at the smallest possible expense, and
that justly distributed. -r.>-
Indianapolis, June 30.