The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-20

made during the summer vacation and
after that supplies are necessary when the
salaries for teachers This being the case,
year after year the School Board has found
from $1,000 to $4,000 at from 5h to per
cent interest, many times finding combina-
lions OF money lenders existing. which made
II impossible to secure loans for lass time
than the entire six months, at the end Of
which, under the law. money that I1ghtfully
belonged TO the board would be forthcom-
ing. MIR. Bamberger recalled one year when
the finance committee borrowed the boards
own money from the county treasurer. On
terest by borrowing only so much as was
needed from time to time instead of the
entire amount for the full six months. Mr..
Hamburger said 1t would be wholesome to
have the law amended 80 that the school
funds would be available when needed.
SOME BAD ELECTION LAWS.
Mr.. Evans, of the Board Of Trade, dis
cussed the necessity for amending the laws
| governing the election Of school commits
sioners. While the general and city cleo
lions are under the Australian ballot law,
the school elections are under the old sys-
tenn of bringing the voters to the polls in
blocks and putting the ballots in their
hands. The result is that often men of high
qualifications refuse to accept these offices
or take part in the scramble to secure them.
Mr.. Evans also favored a modification in
High and Industrial Training Schools being
represented by undergraduates
Mr.. Patterson, the next speaker, took is
sue with those who opposed street improve
ments and said the objections to them came
rather from the owners of large additions
than individual property owners in a great
many cases.
Mayor Taggart briefly reviewed what
other speakers had said with regard TO
some of the subjects discussed, among them
the water works purchase. He took 1t that
1t was the universal desire for the city to
own the plant. He thought that the lines
laid down in the Hord plan were least OBJ
jectionable except as to the price demanded.
Il do not know whether anybody will be-
lieve me when l say that think that both
the water works and park board ought to be
out of politics, but ] do said the mayor.
This remark was greeted with laughter.
law, that would be free from changes every
time the administration changed. On the
subject of street improvements the mayor
said he doubted if any man in indianapolis
would consent to have those taken away
that have been made. Delaware street had
not been improved because there was diff
ference Of opinion as to what kind OF i'm
proVment should be made No improve
ments had been forced except where they
clined to favor Mr.. Pottss plan. He thought
that in many cases it would prevent i'm
provements and work an injustice.
A new method of assessing real estate for
taxation was advocated by George Wolf
who has had experience in the assessors
office. Real estate should be assessed, he
could not be secured for 81 a day. Under
the present law, he said, it is almost i'm
possible to get men competent for the work
to make the assessments. He thought more
time should be devoted to the work sixty
days might be sufficient in small districts
but in a county like this longer time should
be given. Then fewer men would be nee
essary and might be better compensated.
State Tax Commissioner /. N. Walker in
dorsed what MIR. Wolf said on the subject
or real estate assessments. He spoke OF the
fact that in many counties while the value
of real estate has enhanced vastly in the
last decade the tax leVieS have not de-
creased. He spoke of the necessity for re-
form in county expenditures, and said that
he knew of instances where counties were
expanding so per cent. more money than
counties adjacent to them under precisely
the same conditions. Laws that permit of
this state OF things should be remedied. he
urged the Importance of having assessments
for taxation made by competent men, and
said that there were many inequalities that
should be righted There was no reason why
property mile north of Washington street,
worth 500 foot, should be assessed the
same as property mile south, worth only
$25 foot.
j. c. Adams discussed the subject of sewer
assessments saying that this subject so
ably taken up by Judge Martindale four
years ago ought to be revived. He said 1t
was not right that a lot in North Indianap-
oils or Brightwood. worth $50, should be
assessed the same on account of trunk
sewer as the Bates House or DeniSon Hotel
in proportion to the frontage. This is
wrong, he declared, that should be righted
Franklin LanderS advocated change IN
the laws governing taxation that would per-
NIT a man to offset mis- debts against his
personal property. To assess a man full
value for his flock or herd when they were
not half paid for was simply legalized rob
berry. If the property owner were required
to furnish list of his creditors, with the
amount due them, they could be assessed
instead of the debtor
COMMITTEES SHOULD BE APPOINTED
Lewis C. Walker favored the appoint
ment of committees by the Commercial Club
and Board of Trade to take up the various
subjects that had been discussed and get
them in shape to present to the Legislature
in definite form. He discussed the legal
phases of the water works plan, and, as on
a former occasion, asserted that the city
cannot legally do indirectly what the Con-
stitution prohibits it from doing directly
when 1t comes to increasing the debt.
A revision of the system of collecting
election returns was advocated by Horace
Z. Smith. Indiana is still operating under
system that was originated forty years
ago, when there We're no railroads, no street
cars, means of transportation to make
quick returns possible. when men had no
boards except on horseback. 1t would be
perfectly easy, Mr.. Smith said, to provide
for commission, to be appointed by the
Circuit Court, or by the chalrmen OF the
political parties, to meet Immediately after
the elections and receive the duplicate tally
sheets and proceed to count them by this
ing or the next afternoon at the latest the
result of the election, instead Of having to
wait until Saturday. as they did this year,
to know what the official count showed. A
system of this kind is in vogue in New
York. Ohio and other States that are not
forty years behind the times" There could
be no possible chance for fraud under the
duplicate system, Mr.. Smith held. Police
might be required to bring In the re-
turns. With little expense and no. more
trouble than is taken by the press, the re-
turns could be collected.
Mr.. Smith also advocated g. REFORM IN
county and township government He said
there was no more reason why there should
be uniform law for all counties and town
ships than that there should be g uniform
law for the government OF cities. 1t was not
reasonable to expect that the truSteeShlp or
Pike township, with a population of Few
hundred, should be conducted the same as
Center township, with the great city OF In
dianapolis in the center of It. Nor was IL
reasonable to say Marion county could be
conducted on a system that was very good
for a county Of but small population. Mr..
Smith urged that the laws should be amend
ed so that counties and townships might be
classified as are those governing cities.
Representatives. elect Noel, Littleton and
Glossbrenner were called upon by Mr.. Par
ry They said they had come rather to re-
ceive than to make suggestions. They ex-
pressed themselves as desiring to serve the
city to the best of their abilities. and de-
clared that they would be glad to receive
suggestions from the Commercial Club, as
this would assure the community that prop
ostions being advanced were not IN the In