The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-13
ARE BITTER AGAINST IT
PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE or
POSED TO ANNEXATION.
The Council Committee Gives Ear to
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Affairs. of Interest.

Those who are opposed to the proposed
annexation of Tuxedo and Irvington, to-
gether with few representative citizens
Of Irvington who favor the annexation.
gathered in the city clerks Office last night
TO listen TO the remarks of those who had
signed the remonstranct, against the an
nexation. There were about twenty pres
ent who were against annexation. AS the
meeting drew to a close there were several
heated arguments which were quite inter-
esting for awhile, but which grew so warm
that IL was necessary for Chairman Bill
ingsley, of the committee public proper
" and improvements, 10 ask the gen.
tlemen to refrain from any controversies.
a few lengthy speeches were made and
during some of the remarks made by the
anti-annexationists the Irvingtonites al
legged that there were many misstatements
| made. Mr.. sylvester Johnson, of Irvington,
remarked II never heard as many mis-
statements made in such a short time
were made here tonight by some of the
men who are waging Il war against the
proposed annexation. I don't think they
lied but they were badly misnformed."
These remarks were addressed TO the men
committee and insisted that the Irvington-
ties wanted to be brought into the city
so that Washington street would be inn
proved at the expense of other people and
that they would derive benefits from the
annexation that other people would have
| to pay for.
PIERRE GRAY TALKS.
The first speaker was Pierre Gray. who
appeared i'm behalf of Mrs Streight, who
| owns considerable property in the territory
| that the ordinance proposes to annex. He
| said that to take in Tuxedo the corporate
! limits would have to be extended one mile
east. The residents of that place, he said,
| did not need police and fire protection and
eighty-five per cent. of them were against
annexation. If annexed it would be claimed
at once that Washington street should be
improved and the large majority OF the res
idents of Tuxedo could not afford TO pay
for the improvements. He stated that Mrs.
Streight his client, would be assessed near
| ly 900 for improvements. Neither Tuxedo
nor Irvington is deEsely populated and in
Tuxedo the houses only average two TO
square. The Irvington people. he averred,
want all the benefits themselves and the
annexation would put money in their pock-
cts at the expense of others.
Mr. Gray filed with the committee a re-
monstrance against the proposed annexa-
| ton, setting out the following reasons why
Tuxedo should not be annexed: ''That the
large portion of said territory Is unplatted
and used exclusively for farming purposes;
that the property owners would have the
additional burden of city taxation without
receiving benefits of light, water or police
protection; that the territory is so sparsely
settled that it would be claimed 1T was not
worth the expense of furnishing light, wa
| ter and police protection; that the prop
erty would not justify the expense of mu-
nicipal improvements TO give Ii the bene-
| fits commensurate with additional taxation
hx- fhx
owned by people who purchased them with
| in their limited means and they would not
be able to bear the additional taxation for
said purpose of annexation. There were
about seventy-five names attached to this
remonstrance.
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWN.
G. d. Jenney displayed some photographs
| of the part of the territory included in the
proposed annexation and he alleged that
part of the land was only used for hog
pens and dumping ground for old tin
cans. James NJ. Copeland first made ex-
cuses for his lack of oratory and then said
| he had saved enough money TO purchase
| little home in Tuxedo and if the committee
| decided to recommend favorable report
on the annexation the members would SIM
| ply be going down into his pocket and rob-
| bling him. as he could not pay for improve
ments that would be sure to follow. He
| said he would sell out at the price he paid
| for his home rather than try to pay for any
street improvements.
Edgar III. Williams claimed that there
would be almost as much reason in trying
| to annex Cumberland and Greenfield as
| there is in wanting to annex Tuxedo and
Irvington. He claims the residents of Tux
| edo do not need as much police protection
now as If they were to be annexed to the
city, and that annexation would be detri-
mental to the residents of the place instead
] of being beneficial Attorney Joseph b.
Healing stated to the committee that the
only, point to be considered was what BEN
| eft would the annexation be to lndanapo-
| lis. He further said that the only excuse
| he could see why Irvington wanted to be
| annexed was to get Washington street i'm
proved.
Charles Hartman, who resides in Tuxedo
said he was seventy-two years of age and
| his wife sixty-six. and If Tuxedo were to be
annexed and the streets improved he would
| have to give up his home and he and his
| wife be taken to the poor farm, as he could
| not pay for the improvements. The COM
| mite will meet probably before the Council
meeting Monday night in order to make
report on the ordinance.
L \