The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-19

MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS LOOK UPON
1T WITH TERROR.
System Is Going to Cost Much More
than the Public Has Believed
New Telephone Exchanges.

It was stated yesterday that the land for
the White river park system, the Pogue's
run system and the Miller park will be pur-
chased Immediately. 1t is not now probable
that the land on Fall creek east of Central
avenue, which has been looked on favor
ably. will be bought. The engineer corps,
which was laid off a short time ago, will be
taken on again Monday and win proceed to
measure the acreage of the land for the
proposed White river system. Stated SIM
ply, the White river system, now planned,
will extend from vorster avenue about three
miles north and will be approximately three
quarters of mile in width, embracing the
river.
The plan in the city offices is to give moth
ing to the public except that which comes
out in the routine meetings and action of
the boards or is of minor importance. When
any matter like the park business has been
discussed the Board Of Public Works, the
mayor and the city engineer have shut
themselves UP in an ante-room When asked
afterward what the status of the business
was they have replied in guarded sentences
that really expressed nothing. Nevertheless
it has been gathered from source which is
as reliable as possible that the board is
facing the problem of how to carry out the
park schemes and slip out of the way of the
consequent storm 1t is stated that the least
sum for which rural parks may be made is
$3.50 an acre. There will be 1000 acres in
the White river system if the land connect
ing with Indiana avenue now belonging to
the Water Company is taken in, and it is
stated positively that it will be. There will
be 100 acres of the Pogue's run system and
four acres of the Miller Park. The total
Ia ba afo1 nxy-
pense of converting the land into parks will
be Sl,6o6,00o. This does not include the cost
of the land 1t is expected that out of the
$Soc,OOO that has already been borrowed for
park purposes 100000 will cover the cost of
the land leaving $4,000 to put to improve
ments.
But a few people," said prominent
business man, "in this city of nearly 100000
realize what the Board Of Public Works
has on hand. L doubt whether the members
of the board fully realize the stupendous
work that is before them if they carry out
the park scheme. Even if they realize it and
long to shrink back from the task they cam
not do 1t now. The mayor and other city
officials have expressed the assurance that
they will be able to cope successfully with
the work. 1t is too late now to turn back.
The administration has been advised over
and over again to wait for the next session
OF the Legislature and introduce a bill pro-
Y1d1ng for the creation of a park board.
The administration has turned up its nose
at this advice and persists in going ahead.
1t will not be long after work on the park
systems begins until the administration will
realize the pity that will exist that there is
no park board"
Yesterday after a discussion of the park
matter and its financial face it was sug-
gested that with the plan about to be adopt
ed to buy the water plant for 100000 cash
and yearly payments of $4,000 more than the
regular annual rental of $4,000 for fire hy
drantS, the one-seVenth reduction of the
wages of firemen because the appropriation
was running short $1,000 on the year, an or
d1nance in the hands of a Council committee
raising the salaries of firemen 10 per cent,
and the fact that the police Superintendent
is in daily fear lest an epidemic of crime
may break out in the city which he will be
totally unable to control because he has
force which is not half large enough, the
Taggart administration confronts about as
stormy a time as the present rulers of Spain.
Where the money is to come from said
one city official, Il can't see. OF course it's
easy to see that Indianapolis can't live and
pay it's debts 90 cent tax levy. The
showdown has got to come before long:
will run short 1900 by the end of. the year?
This will be made up by not filling vacap-
cies., Indianapolis now has police force
one-half as large as that of any other city
in the country in proportion to its size. The
park system will be a great and beautiful
feature of the city but it will be the most
expensive luxury the city ever secured. I
don't blame those of the officials who have
to do with park scheme for looking into
the future with shaky knees"
That which is set out above is the real
feeling In the offices Of the city government.
1t does not come out at the open meetings
of boards, but it is considered more than
anything else that turns up nowadays in the
basement of the courthouse.
1t is not known when the work on the
parks will be begun. but it is asserted that
it is to be pushed through just quickly
as possible after the land is purchased.
Though plans for the details of the parks
have been drawn the final arrangement has
not yet been thought Of