The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-20
TO MAKE A BETTER CITY
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD GREAT
LIZ BENEFIT INDIANAPOLIS.
Commercial Club "smoker'' Takes Up
This Question--The Potts plan
for street improvements.

Legislation in favor OF indianapolis was
the theme at TIE Commercial Club smoker
last night In the clubs assembly room. The
occasion attracted a large representation
Of the club, and many subjects of legisla-
ton in which the city is interested were
discussed, among them the water works
purchase, a new park board, amendments
to the school laws, a primary election law,
a better method of collecting and counting
election returns, reform in county and
township government, tax laws, etc. State
Senator Martin M. Hugg and Representa-
tives Littleton, Noel and Glossbrenner were
present, and after the views of the various
speakers were presented the representatives
said they would be glad to serve the city
In aiding to secure such legislation as might
prove to be necessary. AS result of sug-
gestions they made, It is probable that COM
mittees will be appointed by the Commercial
Club and Board of Trade to cooperate in
drafting bills to be presented.
D. M. Parry presided over the smoker.
He said that those present had been in
yited to give the Commercial Club an idea
as to what the people want before it under
takes to ask the Legislature for new laws.
Mr.. Parry called on E. B. Martindale, presi-
dent of the Board of Trade. Mr.. Martin
chase. He said that it seemed that the peo-
pie are unanimous in the belief that the
water works should be owned by the city
In this he was willing to acquiesce so long
as the control of the water works was not
left to the Council While good men are
sometimes elected mayor, and sometimes
get into the Council, it is not always SO
and he was not in favor of having the man
agement shuttlecocked every time there was
change Of administration. He favored
such legislation as would permit the pur.
chase at a price not exo1 bitant and that
would leave the control in the hands of a
commission not subject to political changes
Mr.. Martindale said he had been informed
that the present laws are such as to per-
nit commission to get control of the
water works without en- amendment to the
constitutional debt limit of per cent. The
speaker then referred to the street improve
mentS that have been made. He referred
to them as sort of taxation, and said that
If they were Jumped together they would
represent an enormous sum-he would not
undertake to say how much-between So
100000 and $l0,00O,000 There had often been
suffering on account of them-not for food
but for money He thought it was about
time for the Legislature to provide some
means whereby a man, whether living on
the street proposed to be improved or not
so long as he lived in the city, should have
a voice in saying when and how his i'm
provements should be paid for.
HEALTH OF THE STATE
DR.. j. N. Hurry said that the suggestions
he had to make, on behalf of the State
Board of Health, while applying to the
State at large, indirectly affected Indianap-
oils. He said that not hundreds, but thou
sands, of lives are unnecessarily destroyed
annually, that death is occurring where it
might be prevented by a properly consti-
tuted health department. He quoted the
law as being adequate in some respects
especially with reference to what the
Health Board should do, but he regarded 1t
as weak in its provisions for doing the
work laid down. With better machinery
the death rate in consumption could be re-
duced 80 per cent, he said, and there would
be no need of 1900 lives being sacrificed to
diphtheria annually. At this time he said
zVO schools are unnecessarily closed on ac-
count OF d1phtheria. AS an illustration of
what the board could accomplish in a ma
terial way for the State, he said that in
the last ten years it had discovered q
means Of dispCsing of the refuse of the
straWpoafd works, an industry that was
worth to the State $15, 900 600 and which must
pc driven out unless a means of disposing
of It's refuse could be found that would pre
vent the pollution of the streams, the killing
or the FISH and sickening of animals 1t had
round such means. The manufacturers
had faith in 1t and We're willing to adopt III
although TO make sure the plan is practic-
able the board had advised that an ex-
pertinent be made before it was taken up
IL is now being conducted, he said, at Mum
Charles r. Williams. of the News CON
CURED with Mr.. Martindale as to the adj
YEIisatnlllty OF purchasing the water works.
oeDate' pointing out that most of the Eu-
ropean cities of the highest order of civiliza-
ton have already tried and approved munic-
lpal ownership, as have many of the larger
cities In this country. He expressed sur
prise upon hearing Mr.. MartindaIe sneak of
some cltleS that We're willing to sell their
water works, and suggested that no such
case had come TO his notice. Mr. Martin
dale interjected the remark that he had
Deen informed Louisville was ready to sell
Mr.. Williams seemed to believe Mr.. Martin
dale must have been misinformed. 1t being
conceded that the purchase was a desirable
thlng, the next question was how it was to
be accomplished, and this Mr.. Williams
asserted, he believed to be an open question
lie expressed approval Of the Commercial
Clubs determination to secure new park
law. The plan for a separate park board
he regarded as one to be commended While
the Board of Works, in his opinion had done
very Wen IN its preliminary work, he
thought 1t had enough to do in looking after
the duties placed upon 1t by the charter,
besides which ii seemed eminently desirable
TO have park plans made by a board that
would not be subject to change every two
years, or every time a new mayor is elect
ed, as in the nature of things. it will take
many years to develop plans for a park sys-
tenn and the work begun by one board
should not be undone two years later by a
new board Mr.. Williams did not like the
idea of making the office of park commits
sioner a salaried one, and said he believed
the right kind of men could be secured to
do the work voluntarily He regarded it
desirable to have the board free from poli-
tics by all means.
Thomas c. Day discussed the schools of
Indianapolis and the school laws. He
thought amendments were needed, partic-
ularly in the compulsory education law.
Two years ago the Citizens Education Soci-
ETY. had taken up this subject and intro
duced bill, which met with great oppos-
ton, and was only passed after it had been
much emasculated. Instead of providing
that children under fifteen years of age
should attend school twelve weeks, he
serted that the requirement ought to be for
them to attend the entire school term.
AS TO STREET IMPROVEMENTS
In discussing street improvements A. F.
Potts said that it was obvious that the city
had been much benefited by what has been
done in this respect the last ten years but
that now improvements were being forced
that in many cases amounted to confisca-
ton This was particularly true he said