The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-23
"BILL OF RIGHTS" SUBMITTED.
Irvington and Tuxedo Citizens Appear
Before Works Board.

Citizens of Irvington and Tuxedo ap-
peared before the Board of Public Works
yesterday to protest against what they call
delay in improvements for this newly an
nexed territory. Hilton u. Brown was at
the head of the delegation. With him were
r. E. Moore, ]. l.. Kingsbury, Alexander
jameson and others. He filed with the
board declaration Of wrongs existing and
redresses sought. The document bordered
in several places on humor. Mr.. Brown,
however, sought to impress the board that
Irvington is as serious as was Ethan Allen
when he demanded the surrender of Ticon-
deroga in the name of the Continental
Congress and the Great Jehovah" The
Irvington bill Of rights" was filed away
by the board with its other Irvington docu-
ments. and Chairman Megrew says its
statements will receive careful considera-
ton.
The Irvington and Tuxedo people, num-
bering 1900 souls and not a saloon Keeper,
were annexed last March. By the annexation
they inherited two councilmen, for whom
none of them voted. The bill of rights
says the annexation added S1,75OO0O to the
city tax duplicate and that there has been
no benefit from annexation. The streets,
ii declares, are growing up with weeds, the
lights are inadequate, there is no IRE pro-
lection, there is no extension of water
mains, the streets are not sprinkled and
the streets of Tuxedo are dark, nameless
and unnumbered. The promise of six patrol
men for Irvington is described in the
phrase policemen would languish of ennui
and thirst" What Irvington wants is
mounted guards" and the remainder of
the $1,000 that has been appropriated for
police may be spent for more necessary
things. The bill of rights" hopes that the
six policemen will not be charged against
the amount to which the territory Is en-
cd through annexation policemen
deemed entirely unnecessary.
The bill of rights concludes with this
sentence IF we cannot have these 1t would
be better TO cut us off from the city and
give us back our independence" The board
does not suspect that this is an tntimatlon
of another Boston tea party or as an i'm
provement of Give us liberty or death.
Among suggestions that Mr.. Brown made
verbally was for a subway at the Belt
road and Washington street TO remove the
dangers of the railroad crossing. Chairman
Megrew reminded Mr.. Brown that no sub
way had been suggested until that time. He
also recalled that the board was hunting
for suitable property for a fire station; that
Ii would provide an adequate extension of
water mains. with eighty plugs; provide adj
ditional lights as soon as additional funds
were made available; submit per-
region and include appropriation of $3.50
to provide for the expense of naming and
numbering unnamed and unnumbered
suggested was fit for the Board of Safety
to consider, and the weed question, except
where the weeds were in the streets be-
lOnged to the Board of Health. Mr.. Megrew
assured Mr.. Brown and the committee that
efforts now being made to secure tenn
pOrary fire house. The failure to establish
the grades of certain streets had delayed
the water mains extensions. The sewer
plans were ready for approval and ordinary
procedure.
Irvington was annexed to the city in
March. Since then Controller Breunig has
received about Sc 900 in taxes from the re-
gion annexed. He estimates that IL is not
capable of producing more than $4,000 an
nually in revenue. OF the money already
received about 5000 has been spent, paying
interest on Irvington's debt, which came to
the city, and inherited debts of other ma
lures.