The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-22
PARK FUND TRANSFER MADE.
Only One Democrat Had Courage t.
Onnose the Taegnrt scheme.

Oppose the TaR&nrt Scheme.
The illegal park "transfer'' ordinance
passed the Council last night. Last March
$780, 900 was appropriated for parks. to be
spent by the Board Of Park Commission
ers. Part of it was in fact spent before
the board was wiped out of existence. A
section of the charter says that at the end
of the year all money appropriated but not
expended during that year shall revert to
the general fund and cannot be expended
without reappropriation. Unless the
money were appropriated again it could not
be used by any pretext under this provision
of the charter, it is claimed. If this is
true, it is said that the pretended trans
fer Of money from the funds Of one body
no longer in existence to another will be
held invalid by any court of minor jurisdic-
ton and that then the litigants would have
to go to the Supreme Court, where it would
lie for months, meantime all park work be-
ing suspended. st
For this and other reasons Messrs. Allen
and Grail. Republicans voted against it, as
did Mr.. Little, the only Democrat who is
not afraid of the administrators ven-
geance. They also hold that it was not fair
to ask the Council to appropriate such an
immense sum without being first provided
with an exact statement Of how the money
Is 10 De SApSHueu ana WIdl idIlu - 10 De
purchased. Mr.. Allen and Mr.. Grail both
insisted that they are entirely in favor of
parks. Mr.. Allen voted for the appropria-
ton year ago. Most of Mr.. Grail con-
stituents live adjacent to the proposed Fail
creek system or in the territory. They both
declared that they were only opposed to
the ordinance because they were convinced
it was illegal and would result in tying up
the entire park scheme by litigation. Mr..
Grail also declared that he was not in favor
of aiding such political schemes as the eff
forts to create an immense sum for the
employment OF hangers-cn and heelerS for
the further strengthening OF the admins
tration ring, and while there was much
politics involved he could not support such
a measure. There was another point made
by Mr.. Little. He fofesaw that after spend
ing 100000 for park lands, $1,000 600 or ST.
100000 would have TO be raised and spent
for improvements Where the money was
to come from was a question that occurred
to him. BY adding taxes 10 an already tax
ridden city? he asked. If not that way.
how? Until he was given information that
did not leave him II the dark he could not
support the scheme
1t has been openly charged in the last
few days that there Is not and has not been
any real intention on the part of the adj
ministration TO carry out the park plans that
have been presented to the public, and that
the administration hopes after the county
convention TO have lawsuit started that
will give II a pretext for ceasing efforts
that have been so tirelessly pushed the last
few weeks. In support of this 1t is said that
the administration itself cannot tell where
money Is coming from to make the inn
provementS, and does not want to be in
the attitude of a land poor city. Taggart
wants the county organization, and he
wants 1t bad With the passage Of the park