The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-06
SPAT ON SPIT MEASURE
COUNCIL TURNED ORDINANCE DOWN
BY A LARGE VOTE.
Councilman Allen Opposes Water Elk
pert ADpropriation-Refu
ing City Bonds.

At a meeting of the Council last night the
anti-spitting ordinance was defeated by an
overwhelming vote, but five voting for it's
passage and twelve voting against it, Those
who voted in favor of the ordinance were
Allen, Golfer. Higgins Moffett and Nc
Grew. Those who believed that men are
entitled to expectorate at their pleasure, if
their votes on the subject may be taken as
criterion, are Bernauer, Costello. Grail,
Harston, knight, Little, Madden, Merrick,
Shaffer, Smith, Won SprecHelsen and John
H. Mahoney. Those in favor of the passage
of the ordinance resorted to various parlia-
mentary proceedings to save its life, but
they were outwitted by the opponents of the
measure, who defeated it, as shown above,
by a vote of u to s.
Several days ago the Board of Public
Works asked the Council to appropriate
800 in payment of the charges of experts
who are employed to investigate the value
of the Indianapolis water works. Council
man Allen last night submitted a minority
report against the appropriation, pointing
out that under the city charter it was un-
lawful for the Board of Public Works or
any other city authority to make contract
or hire person to perform a duty for the
previously made to meet such expense Mr..
Allen quoted the charter and decisions of the
Supreme Court of Indiana as showing such
actions to be invalid. Il think violations OF
the statute upon this subject" said Mr.
Allen in his minority report, by the Board
OF Public Works, particularly afAAr vigorous
rebuke by the Supreme Court, is utterly in
excusable and should not be countenanced
and encouraged by the Council by appro-
priations upon request after contracts so
expressly prohibited have been entered
into"
New ordinances were introduced as fol-
lows: One approprfating $2,O3562 for the
payment of taxes and assessments on the
Miller park lands; requiring wide tires on
vehicles, and a new smoke ordinance" to
prevent the smoke nuisance in the city
There is already a measure of this sort that
is completely ignored.
Last night a measure changing the name
of Rural street to Laporte avenue was de-
feated by vote of u to g. the opposition
maintaining that no measures should be
passed giving names to streets that would
conflict with the city directory, which is
now based upon the ordinance giving new
street names passed a year ago
The effort to pass the ordinance increas-
Hall to $50 a month and of his assistants
to $50 was referred back to the committee
councilman Costello raising a point as to
whether salaries could be increased while
the incumbents We're In office. The ordi-
nance authorizing the city controller to re-
fund $4,000 of the city bonded debt was
passed without any discussion whatever.
otherwise it would have been impossible to
have passed the ordinance last night, the
rule being that measure can only be passed
on the night of its introduction by unani-
nous consent. The bonds to be refunded
are now at 4 per cent. Controller johnson
has stipulated in the new ordinance that
the interest shall be 31a per cent. He said
yesterday that they would not be sold below
par and that he hoped to receive enough
premium on them to pay the expenses of the
new issue. The ordinance annexing the new
park lands to the city was passed by an
almost unanimous vote.
There was something Of. a sensation in the
discussion of DIR. Moffett s. Anticipating
ordinance. Councilman Shaffer was APP
plauded by some of his confreres when he
characterized 1t as 1.-The most damnable
thing ever brought up in the Council.