The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-12

If the figures had been given any council
man might have discovered that the board
would have to ask but few favors of the
Council when it came to buying the land,
5000 o. lew tracts we're worth more imam
WHAT THE MAYOR COULD SAY.
That is not all; the mayor would have
been in very good position to win the
county organization. 1t would at once have
made his friendship and cooperation doubly
valuable to the many candidates for county
nominations To such he could have said:
I'VE are going to have big sum of money
this summer to employ labor. 1 and the
Board of Works will have many laborers to
employ. Help me capture the county
ganization and 1 will help you elect your
selves with the taxpayers money. Look
what we did with the Pogue's run fund
last fall That made hundreds of votes for
republican stronghold" Such persuasionS
would nave been very potent with candi-
dates at this time and would have aided the
mayor in great measure toward capturing
the county organization, it is claimed
1t Will take a tWo-thrds vote, it is claimed
by the anti-park scheme members, to trans
Ter the money. The administration claims
that the money can be transferred by ma
Jor1ty vote. The anti-park scheme members
declare there will be a warm fight if any
oody tries to claim a majority vote will
transfer the money. They declare in en-
phatic terms that there is not the necessary
tWo-thirds in favor of the mayors plan of
converting the peoples money into a gigan-
tic campaign fund, and that he win have
Iharder time accomplishing his designs than
he had year ago, when he got the Pogues
run appropriation by dickering with a Re-
publican who had some personal purposes
to accomplish in the way of getting new
bridges, etc.
There were some of the Democrats not
invited, or, at any rate, not present, at the
caucus. They know everything that oc-
Cured, however, as they have since been
posted. Mr.. McGrew, of West Indianapolis,
is seriously i'll with typhoid fever, but no
one has heard that there was anything
wrong with either Commodore Higgins
have been on the streets this week, appar-
emily. in their usual robust health But then
higgins has been particularly outSpoken
against the White river and Fall creek
'shoestring" parks Mr.. McGrew wants
something for West Indianapolis Mr..
Scanlon wants the South Side remembered.
Other South Side interests were not forgot
ten the other night, although President Ma
honey made nice little parlor talk in IA
he is candidate for county office, SUBJ
gect to the approval of the mayor, who
hopes to boss the county organizast tito and
Tor the next state campaign Other coun-
cilmen who were opposed to issuing any
more bonds are also limited at as candi-
tered by the Taggart henchmen, and will
be while there is a show of getting them
" appropriate money
AN UNANSWERED QUESTION.
There was one question not answered the
other night; that was as to how much mon
ey the administration would have available
for hiring heelers and, incidentally, Sim
proving the lands that are to be bought
from the assessments Of benefits on abut-
ting property When asked about that the
mayor did not know; he said he did not
he xfyi4I \, h
locked UP in the safe of the park office,
where they have been kept since they were
made up by the park assessors. The coun-
cilmen say that when the benefits that have
been assessed against property owners are
known they will go a long way toward
maSing up the $1,0OO,OO0 that the mayor now
admits in private caucus will be necessary
to get the park improvements under any
sort of Roadway. At the public conference
of city officials, when handful of repre-
sentativeS of the commercial organizations
were present, the mayor gravely announced
that $1S0,O00, with the money hands,
would make a handsome beginning. He was
not disclosing his political schemes on that
occasion. Neither was he on Tuesday night,
but there were q few men present ShreWd
enough to see through his devices. 1t was
not safe to say publicly, when representa-
tiVeS of every newspaper in town were pres
ent, that it would take 81 coo, 900. The coun-
cilmen who take time to study out the stu
alton say that if they make the transfer
they will be started rolling down a hill
that has no bottom. once the land s'bought
they would be subject to criticism IL thSy
failed to make an appropriation for 'im-
provements." When the first were eX
hausted another must follow and so on,
year after year Many believe it would have
been wiser to raise all the money by as
sessments. Mayor Taggart was outspoken
against assessments last fall, but has modi-
fled his views so as to touch abutting prop
erty. This still leaves a large amount for
improvements, no one knows how near ST.
10000, but does not begin to provide for the
demands that will arise.