The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-05-19
CHARITY BOARD REPORT
1T IS LOOKED UPON As A JOKE BY
THE COMMISSIONERS
Alleged Facts i'm the Report About the
Tunnel and Power House
Disputed

The Marion County Board Of Charities
and Correction flied its report OF visits to
the county Jail. power house, tunnel and
the German Protestant Orphan Asylum
with the Board OF county Commissioners.
yesterday. The report said that the jail was
FOUND In excellent condition and spoke in
the highest terms OF the orphans home.
1t stated that there are sixty-nine inmates
I'm the home. forty boys and twenty-hine
girls, and that the home has a horse, five
cows. eight hogs and plenty of chickens.
The place has been improved by substitute
Ing electric lights for oil lamps. Regarding
the tunnel and power house the board did
not speak so favorably. 1t said that oil and
coal dust was allowed TO m on the
floor OF the power house. and that the tun-
mel needed sweeping and embarrassing.
The Board of Commissioners was requested
TO see that the engineers at the power
house take better care Of the machinery,
and said that the pipes in the tunnel are
rusting.
The Board Of Charities has long since
ceased to be taken seriously by the County
commissioners The commissioners say they
usually find the reports in the newspapers
long before they are filed with them. and
that they have never been able to secure a
conference with the board. since it's inaugu-
ration, two or three years ago. The Board
of Charities has been invited TO appear be-
fore the County Council to assist the COM
missiOners TO get appropriations for i'm
prOvementS IL recommended, but no such
joint conference could ever be secured. Re-
peated efforts have failed to bring them
into conference with the commissioners and
the county officials are now beginning TO
gay that If the Board of Charities really
wanted 10 90 ANYTHING IL would conduct It's
0ffairs in a business-like manner.
President Greer. of the Board of Com
missioners, said, last night, that the Board
of Charities and Correction had exceeded
It's authority in going into the power house
whatever with its duties. However, he said,
the report is erroneous and misleading.
He says oil was spilled on the floor Of the
power house when the machinery was be-
ing put in and started. but efforts have
been made TO eradicate it, and, to an ex-
tent, this has been successful. He said a
number of different preparations were tried.
Regarding the machinery, he said the board
is entirely wrong, for the machinery of the
bower house is kept III excellent condition.
AS 10 the tunnel. he said from what he
was able TO learn, the board had inspected
has been cleaned and whitewashed without
the boards suggestion.
Commissioner McGregor said he would
not be surprised il the next report recon-
mended a certain system of blowing corn,
and that potatoes be planted in the moon.
He said the board had never shown any
disposition TO act fairly with the Board of
Commissioners by doing anything more
than make Investigations and knock" in
stead OF attempting 10 assist in remedying
the alleged evils discovered. Commissioner
Spanord was of the same mind as the 9TH
er commissioners and the board says it
seems as IL the Charities Board is not sat-
tsded unless 1t can find fault