The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-20
MAYOR AND ESTIMATES
HE WILL CONFER WITH THE COUN-
GIL FINANCE COMMITTEE.
There Is Criticism of Some of the Re.
auctions Agreed Upon-Munici-
pal Affairs.

Mayor will confer with the
Council finance committee as to the most
desirable time for a Council meeting to
pass the appropriations and tax levy or
dinances for 1908. The mayor believes the
meeting will be ON Monday or Tuesday
evening. The charter requires the Council
to pass these ordinances during Septem-
Der.
Mayor expects an opinion from
City Attorney JOSS to-day on the effect Of
the ftremen's increase ordinance If 1t
should be passed over the mayors veto.
1t is believed that the passage of this or
dinance after the reception of the esti-
mates from the mayor will be held to be
in effect, an increase of the appropriation
for the fire force pay roll and being such
would come within the prohibition of Sec
ton so of the charter. This section en-
powers the Council to decrease any item of
the city budget. but forbids any increase
without the approval of the mayor.
Criticism of the reductions agreed to by
the majority Of the finance committee is
being heard. The reduction of 500 in the
salary fixed for City Sanitarian Buehler is
regarded as particularly out of reason. DR..
Buehler has saved the city several thousand
dollars by personally making diagnoses of
smallpox cases. For this work the Tag
CART administration paid $40 a case. Since
DR.. Buehler became sanitarian there nave
been 3S5 cases and there has been no charge
for diagnoses. Controller Breunig figures
that DR.. Buehler has already saved the
city several thousand dollars and that the
increase has already been earned, without
considering his services during the coming
winter. DR.. Buehler says he will not con-
tinue the diagnoses If the reduction is
made. Under the charter the Board of
Health Is empowered to increase the sani-
tarian's pay to not more than 81, 600 and
the board has done this. The controller
does not believe the Council may legally
make this reduction. In the reductions for
electrical equipment of the police and fire
telegraph systems the cut of $500 is also
objected to. The superintendent of each
system made very close estimate for next
year and did so because they expected no
decrease. They fear the decrease will
lessen the efficiency of the service.
The Democratic promises to support the
tax levy ordinance and the ordinance MAX
Ing the appropriations. If amended as
agreed to, are not depended on. The Re-
publican majority will act together to pass
both measures.
Mayor Bookwalter is particularly dis
pieaSeu at the Ieuuctlon IN the apprOprfa-
tion for public light. He says the Demo-
cratic administration took pains to place
and abundance of lights in the Democratic
wards before going out Of office, but
neglected the Republican wards like the
First, Second, Third and Fourth. When this
administration came into power 1T found
more lights provided than there was money
to pay for. The mayor thinks 1t will not be
difficult to locate the responsibility for a
failure to give adequate lighting In the
wards named. particularly. the Third and
Fourth, If this reduction Isl supported by
their councilmen. The mayor also says the
annexation of Irvington brought a charge
upon the city equal to half the increase
proposed in next years estimates, and in
addition more lights are needed.