The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-10
PASS UP TO THE MAYOR
COUNCIL FINALLY DIsPOsEs OF THE
PARK LEGISLATION.
In It's Haste 1t Fails to Act on Ordi-
nance Accepting Gift of
Spades Property.

The Council last night passed the ordi-
nance authorizing the Board of Public
Works to buy the White river, Pogues run,
Davidson and Kirkland park lands. The
meeting was hastily adjourned after this
action, and the ordinance accepting the
Spades gift of park land was not passed.
The committee on public property and i'm
provements met yesterday morning to con-
slider the ordinance to purchase the lands,
and two reports were prepared. Mr.. Nc
Grew and Mr.. Merrick signed a report IA
voring the passing Of the ordinance, and Mr..
Grail signed a report against it. Neverthe-
less, Mr.. Grail voted for the ordinance when
it was put upon its passage. Mr.. Cralls
report was as follows:
Il beg leave to submit the minority re-
port of your committee on public property
and improvements, to whom was referred
general ordinance No. so. While / am heart
lily in favor of that part of the ordinance
recommending the purchase of the Pogue's
run system, | am opposed to the ordinance
on the ground that it is an omnibus ordi-
rejection of the same. The White river
system, at the price stipulated and consider
ing the remote location, the minority would
not consider desirable purchase, and in
view of the fact that the Fall creek sys-
tenn cannot, according to a statement of the
Board of Public Works, be purchased at
city of Indianapolis of what would have
been the most beautiful park of the system
leaving the northern part of the city en-
tirely without parks. recommend that the
ordinance do not pass.
On motion of Mr.. Golfer Mr.. Cralls re-
port was laid on the table.
The city clerk and his assistant worked
in shifts reading the ordinance. While it
was being read a large number of the coun-
cilmen left the chamber 1t was long and
tiresome to them. Mr.. Allen was first called
on in the voting on the ordinance. In ex-
PLANTATION of his vote (no), he said the
Board of Public Works had studied to put
the ordinance in such form that it must be
either rejected or accepted in its entirety.
He thought the price Of the White river
system too high, besides the land was I'M
fitted for park land. All the rest Of the
members present voted aye. They were:
Bernauer, Golfer, Costello, Grail, Higgins,
knight, Little, Merrick, Moffett, McGrew,
Rauch, Scanlon, Shaffer, Smith. Won
Spreckelson, Mahoney. Immediately the
motion was made to adjourn and was sec
onded. Yeas and nays were called for, but
President Mahoney became excited and de-
clared the meeting adjourned. Those who
were anxious the Spades property be form
ally accepted, and called for the yeas and
nays, protested After some wrangling,
President Mahoney called for the yeas and
nays. The vote resulted nine to eight and
the meeting adjourned. President Mahoney
had said all the park business should be
cleaned up at one time, and the meeting
should not adjourn until this was done. 1t
was his vote that decided the meeting adj
journed. No explanation could be given of
this paradoxical condition of the presidents
mind except The was ratified.
There was some comment on why the
ordinance accepting the gift of Mr.: Spades
was not passed One man said: There s
plenty of time for that. The boys were in
a hurry to get away"
The Improvement of the park land will
begin Immediately, it is said by the city
officials.