The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-17
Mayor Bookwalter Desires to Relieve
Property Owners Gradually Of the
Burden of Repair Work.
PRESENT SYSTEM is POOR
AN ANNUAL ovERHAULING UNDER A
GENERAL CONTRACT.
1t Is Not Thought the Effort to Change
the Minds of Councilmen VIII
BE Successful.

Mayor Bookwalter and members of the
Board of Public Works will make a de-
termined effort to-day to prevent the
Council from defeating the ordinances for
the resurfacing OF Virginia avenue and
East Washington street. The mayor says
the defeat of these measures will be tan
tamount TO abandoning all work or re-
surfacing streets for at least year.
There is particular emergency fer
these improvements, said the mayor yes
terday. "They are business streets. and the
men who do business them united
for their resurfacing. Business has been
impeded IL not practically suspended at
times Virginia avenue. i know that
Ii is a shame that these streets have re-
ceived attention for the past four years:
that they have been permitted to decay
when money that should have been spent to
preserve them diverted to other pur-
poses. But the only way they can be made
good is by resurfacing and the only way
to pay for resurfacing is by assessing II
against abutting property. The theory that
the cost of this work should be paid out
of the general fund because the property
once paid to make a good street is all
right. i am not disputing that principle
Rather l advocate legislation that will
protect property that has once been charged
for permanent improvement against re-
assessment for a period of fifteen years
But If the Council stops to consider the
conditions now existing i believe IL Will
hesitate to establish such n precedent as
the defeat of these measures will establish.
TWO STREETS NOT INCLUDED
when we made the estimate for repairs
to permanently improved streets we did
not include either Washington street nor
Virginia avenue. The appropriation is S50.-
600 for such repairs. II the Council defeats
these measures then the only other means
to resurface these streets is this appropria-
tion which would be entirely exhausted for
this purpose alone and doubtless be insuf1i-
cient. This money was intended to pre-
to protect streets that are in good cendi-
tion from deterioration; to repair good
streets when the slightest defects appear.
If the city to undertake to put all the
streets in first-class shape that need IL 1t
would take the entire amount appropriated
for all purposes next year. We could not
collect fund big enough to properly do
ali this work.
1T has been my aim to put the. city
gradually uncer its proper responsibility
for street repairs. / do not believe any
revolutionary tactics will result in good.
This administration received fifteen streets
on which the guarantee had expired and
the contractors had escaped without put
ting them i'm good condition We have many
streets that are in good shape. We want
to keep them so and resurface the others
and then keel them good without further
cost to the abutting property. But If the
Council persists in refusing support In such
cases it simply means the administration
that are capable of repair and take care OF
the rest when ii can. That is something
that is not pleasant to contemplate.
There Is little doubt that remedial legis-
lation of an important character will be
asked of the Legislature. Under the pres
ent status the city can hardly change its
policy without serious consequences East
Washington street is enlightening case.
The pavement was made number OF years
ago at the expense OF abutting property,
which supported the Improvement.
POOR SYSTEM OF REPAIRS
The city has had a poor system Of re-
pairs. trusting them TO an annual ever
hauling under a general contract. Now
the pavement is worn out Defects which
might have been repaired in their early
stages have been let expand and multiply
until repairs are looked upon ips9rac-
tical The present state of the street Is a
detriment to business and the men who pay
the rent for the buildings facing the street
demand that II be brought to good c0ndi-
ton. But they have no voice In the mat
ter. The nonresident property owner has
found opposed to an Improvement as long
as he could collect his rents. The resident
property owner, who alone under the law.
has a right Co say whether the improve
ment shall or shall not be made. has found
that he Is just emerging from his Barrett
law payments only 10 face new ones. He
also considers that he has not been re-
sponsible for the destruction OF the pave
ment only in the smallest way. He figures
that al the rate proposed for each period
of nine or ten years his paving assessments
will be almost equal to his taxes. He has
therefore rettelled. On purely business
streets the resident property owners repre-
nf he
In some instances five or six men have set
tied the whole question by uniting I'm a re-
monstrance. In East Washington street
this was the case.
A GRADUAL RELIEF.
The mayors idea has been TO relieve
property of tiiis burden gradually. The ac-
ton of the Council would mean that the
responsibility sis shifted at once to the city
and the expetse TO the general fund. Any
one acquainted with city finances knows
the futility Of such a shift. as the city
could not cor. mand the means to meet all
demands. ThS practical method suggested
is to graduars restore the streets 10 proper
condition by khe reassessment OF property
either for part or all or the cost and TO
eventually Insure immunity against any
assessment ffr paving oftener than once
The succesa OF the effort to change tha
minds OF the councilmen Is doubtful IL
will require two-thirds vote OF an the
members clicked TO authorize the improve
ment, and there are now three Republicans
committed ae1inst the measure. The DEM
ocrats have teen persistently against them
under the be1ef that this course would in
ure 10 their Political benefit. The Board OF
Public Work. respected the remonstrances
that were effective In all other cases because
there were none so serious as the two sent
10 the Council for approval. In the Massa-
chusetts-avefsue case the emergency was
as great. but the demonstrators retired
when the doors were thrown open 10 All