The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-18
QUICK END TO BUNCOMBE
THE CITY ADMINISTRATION MUST
LIVE WITHIN THE TAX LEVY.
There VIII BE No More Juggling with
Small Funds-A New Gas Ordinance
Is ProbabIe-Taik OF Meters.

The first direct attempt to clip the wings
of the present city administration will be
made with the close of the present year. 1t
will come when the work of drafting the
annual appropriation ordinance begins, and
will have the effect of not only compelling
the administration TO live within the 5s-cent
levy already specified by il as sufficient
to cover the expense of running the gov
eminent but will do away with many Of
the small and generally useless funds which
the administration has heretofore found
convenient 10 manipulate near the close of
each year.
The finance committee of the Council has
been at work for some time looking over
the books of the different departments and
has found that strange business methods
have been employed by the administration
in the past. The books show that, although
it is said TO be illegal TO transfer money
from different funds, this has been done
systematically during recent years. 1t has
been found that when the appropriations
are made Up at the beginning of each year
innumerable small funds have been pro-
vided for in a manner out of proportion
to the actual needs of the different things
the appropriations were made to cover. The
purpose of this, it is believed, has been
to show an economy which did not exist
as a matter of fact. Such items as horse
feed which are always large, have been
made to look small by the peculiar methods
of the administration, while liberal allow
ances for such things as appliances and
repairs" have served no particular purpose
except to create funds where they did not
look suspicious and make supply of ready
money available when the big funds gave
out.
The finance committee will examine last
years books and compare them with those
of this year, and wherever it is found that
fund was created and not used except
in the way of a transfer TO another fund
that fund will be wiped off the slate alto
gether. Each department is expected to
know what it will require in the way of
after money has been once appropriated
for a specific purpose it will not be trans
ferred TO fill out any other funds.
RESULT OF INVESTIGATIONS.
From the present investigations the COM
mittee is of opinion that many of the small
funds are created for no other purpose
than to make a supply of ready money
available without making the amounts
credited to the other funds look eXtrava-
CANT.
In connection with the gas question the
statement was made yesterday by one of
the leaders in the Council that nothing
would be done with the present ordinance
at the next meeting and that there was
reason to believe that the present ordinance
would be killed and another one, built on
more practical lines, would be drafted and
passed. The reason for this is the belief
fhot fhc N &c
and is shrewd move on the part Of the
administration to embarrass the Council
and al the same time help the cause OF the
administration. According to a prominent
member who has been in close conference
with the other Republican members Tag
CART has thrown the ordinance on the Coun-
be impracticable and of no force, and that
in that event he will have paid his obliga-
by his is campaign a p statements. On the other
hand, if we don't pass ii he will call pub
lie attention to the fact that the Repub-
he was powerless to act without 1t. We
were not elected to please the Democratic
administration, however, and we VIII DO
what We can to help the people get the gas
they need"
The plan as outlined by the Council is to
call meeting oftth Council and the rep
resentatives of the gas companies to first
find some common ground on which they
stand and then draft an ordinance on
the basis of what will be acceptable TO both
the people and the companies. 1t is realized
that the present mandamus proceeding, by
which the gas companies are required TO
sink twenty-five wells, is worse than use
less, and it will not be seriously considered.
The officials of the two gas companies have
intimated that they are willing TO make
some concessions If by doing SO they can
get any nearer to the people, and 1T is prob
able that after the first meeting there Will
be an understanding as to what the provi-
SionS of the new ordinance will be.
1t is expected that Ii will provide for
meters at rate of about 10 cents thou
sand, subject to revision by the Council at
any time it is needed. 1t will also provide
for the purchase Of the meters by the COM
pany and their installation without expense
to the Before ore, any meters are re
a man employed by the city, and the COM
panies must agree to furnish the plumbers
pairs in any of their lines or meters.
NO BORING OF MIXERS.
There will be, moreover, strict enforce
ment of the law against the boring of mix
ers, but this is looked upon as OF secondary
Importance, as people will be more inclined
to adopt suggestions looking to the better
use Of gas when their consumption is meas
ured by meters. During conversation had
by a councilman with President Hastings.
of the Indianapolis Gas Company, the latter
said that were ii possible to make the peo-
pie listen to reason in the way Of husband
ing their gas the company would be glad
to give consumers instructions which would
enable them to obtain more heat from less
gas than they were now using. He said ne
was satisfied that homes would be comfort
ably heated under the meter system at hard
ly any greater expense than now, as at pres
ent most of the gas is wasted, while under
a meter system less gas would be required
to furnish many times the present amount
of heat. He called attention TO the fact
that the Bacherne apartment house was
being heated with less gas than is burned
in the average small home. and that, too
with entirely satisfactory results, which is
not the case even now in the private homes.
This, he said, was because of the introduce
ton of modern appliances.
In discussing the situation the councilmen
said: Some of the councilmen were at first
afraid that they would be condemned by
their constituents for voting for any meter
ordinance but they now see that in the end
the people will know that We want to give
them gas and plenty Of it, and they do not
propose to be scared by any Democratic
bugaEoo. Before there is any opportunity
for any mans political future to suffer the
people will have seen the good results OF the
move and that Taggart's scare was foolish
one The main thing is that we want gas,
and we want 1t at cheap price, and get
ting II we will not consult the admiIistra-
ton at ALL but win do what we for the
whole people. Regarding Taggarts pledges,
there Is no reason for either currying favor
with or opposing the gas companies. The
Council and the gas companies, being COM
posed of business men, Will oe able to see
their interests in getting to some point
where we can accomplish something, ans
we will do ii without any help from the ad-
ministration."