The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-16
APPLIES TO ALL STREETS
WAsHINGTON-STREET REsURFACING
RAISES IMPORTANT QUESTION.
Shall City or Property Owners Pay
Meeting of the Business Men
Yesterday.

bcAA-otISGl stSJiiclt paw lNSulh-
ed in the appointment Of a committee TO as
certain whether the action of the Board of
Works may be legally resisted. V. t. Ma
lott referred to the fact that as most of
the property owners could not claim TO be
residents of that thoroughfare it might be
necessary to appeal to the Legislature for
relief, as the ordinary remonstrances would
doubtless be ineffective under the charter.
AT the conference it developed that the
specifications adopted by the Board of
Works contemplate the paving of the space
between the street-car tracks with brick,
half Of the cost of which is to be borne by
the property owners on each side. George
j. Marott inquired of City Engineer Jeup
If the company should not be required to
pay portion of this expense. Mr.. Jeup
replied that it undoubtedly should be so re-
quired, but there was no law for it. Mr..
Marott wanted to know why the street
could not be repaired again this year and
next year and until it came time to give
a franchise to a new company or a new
one to the present company, when the city
could compel part of the expense 10 be
borne by the company.
Charles Mayer suggested that the COM
mittee might make such a suggestion to
the Board of Works. Mr.. Marott explained
that it would be only a short time before
something could be done toward requiring
the street railroad to pay part of the ex-
pense of making street improvements He
called attention TO the one hundred miles
of streets IN this city and added that this
subject was not one which interested
Washington-street property owners alone.
About thirty Washington-street business
men attended the meeting. Among those
faf
the Stevenson building; A. E. Metzger, V.
II. Malott George J. Marott, Alpheus III.
Snow Charles Mayer, George A. Dickson,
John Huegele, j. e. Schaf, Henry D. Pierce.
j. c. Schaf stated the purpose of the meet
ing. V. r. Malott suggested that there
should be some sort of a regular organiza-
ton. This idea met general approval. Mr.
Malott suggested Mr. Schaf for chairman,
but Mr.. Schaf asserted that he only repre-
scented the interests of his wife and would
prefer to have some one act in that capa-
city who himself owns property. A. f.
Metzger then nominated Mr.. Malott for
chairman. He was elected. Mr.. Metzger
was chosen secretary after Mr.. Malott took
the chair. BY invitation Of Charles Mayer
who had talked with w. S. Moore, of the
Board of Works, i'll regard to the improve
ment, City Engineer Jeup was present. Mr.
Jeup explained that the board proposed to
remove the present asphalt surface and
about two inches off the top of the base
replacing 1T with Portland cement and a
two-inch coat of asphalt excepting that
brick cutters four feet in width are to be
used and the space between the street-car
tracks is to be bricked. The grade of the
street is to be raised four inches in the CEN
ter. The cost is estimated, Mr.. Jeup said
at So lineaI foot, each side The expense
us to be born by the abutting property own
ers, he said. He explained that last year
about $1,000 was paid for reJairing portions
of the street by the city.
ALL OTHER STREETS INVOLVED.
In opening the discussion of the stua-
ton as disclosed by the engineer Mr.. Malott
said that, as he understood it, this is the
first street so far that the board has under
taken to replace at the expense of the prop
erty owners. In other cases they were kept
up either by the guarantors or repaired by
the city. The question of whether the ex-
pense of replacing the street should be
borne by the property owners or by the
city was being raised for the first time
He considered that it ought to be settled
now once for all whether the people of
indianapolis should be required every seven
or eight or nine years to repave, and
whether they could be so required under
the charter Mr.. Jeup had informed him
that the city attorney had held there was
authority in the Board of Works to order
it, if 1T should so desire. If there is a
street where the question could be more
Washington street which is used by every
one in Indianapolis.
Mr.. Schaf asked the engineer if Ohio
street was to be improved in the same way
as Washington street. He asserted that it
is in worse condition than Washington
street from Alabama street to Senate ave-
nue.. The engineer replied that Ohio would
not be reimproved for year, but that
Pennsylvania, from Washington to Ohio
street, would. Mr.. Schaf said he was under
the impression that property owners were
told when street was once improved It
was improved for all time, that they would
have to pay for it but once. He was not
certain there was any ground for such an
impression, but thought that at ut it had OBJ
tanned. Mr.. Schaf asked If $1,000 had been
thrown away last year in useless repairs,
why the city could not pay $4,000 for re-
pairs that would make the street good?
II do not see where this thing is going to
end" said Mr. Schaf, IF we have to inn
prove Washington, OHIO, Pennsylvania, Hill
nois and other streets again in the next few
years.
Charles Mayer said he had informed a
member of the Board of Works that he re-
garded this proposed improvement as an out
rage, that the property owners could not
pay for street Improvements every year
He had been informed that it was with the
board a question of whether it was wise to
continue pouring money into a hole in
definitely, or to improve it in a substantial,
the city attorney said and other attorneys
who had given the subject attention, that
the board has the power if it has the in
clination, to pursue the course 1t has out
lined. 1T is a very serious question said
Mr.. Mayer. None of us are in favor of
improving a street after we have once paid
for it.
BOARDS AUTHORITY QUESTIONED.
A f. Metzger believed there was a ques-
ton of the boards authority to tear up
street after it was once improved, and then
put down new pavement. The charter
seemed to give the board only power to
make improvements and repairs, not to de-
stroy improvements already made Il think
we ought to organize, employ legal talent
and take steps to ascertain our legal
rights said he.
Alpheus Fl. Snow said he supposed no one
present was we'll enough acquainted to de-
terrnine off-hand just what the situation
was, and he moved that the chairman be
directed to appoint a committee of six TO
investigate not only the legal phase of the
boards action, but the entire subject, and
report at a meeting to be called by the
chair There We're two or three seconds to
this. II. d. Pierce referred to the fact that
on many streets advantage of the Barrett
law had been taken, and the last payments
in such cases would not be made for ten
years. The Washington-stree pavement
might not come in this class, but he ques-
of ordering a new improvement on street
before the first was paid for. Then he
pointed out that there might be some en-
tanglement in the nature of questions as to
the validity of. improvement bonds issued
in such cases.
a. E. Metzger Henry ID. Pierce, Charles
Mayer. A. G. Harris and j. +. Schaf mem
bers of the committee to investigate the
subject Mr.. Harris was not present, but