The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-09

and methods of increasing the revenues
of the School Board commensurate with
their needs were fully discussed. A COM
mittee was appointed. composed of II. u.
Brown, chairman, V. G. Clifford. A. l.. Ma
son, I. {. Day and William Scott. Later
w. NJ. Taylor j. l.. Ketcham, Ferd l..
Mayer and j. j. Appel were added 10 the
committee. This committee, i'm conjunction
with the members of the School Board,
exhaustively investigated the entire sub
ject, and finally reported plan to the
board of directors. The plan submitted
calls for the Issuance of $4,000 worth or
bonds for the purchase of real estate and
the erection of buildings, and an additional
tax levy of cents to meet the increased
current expenses. repairs and interest. The
recommendations of your committee were
embodied in bill which has passed the
General Assembly and become a law. The
thanks of the School Board were rendered
TO the club for its assistance in this mat
ter. Its Importance should not be under
estimated. as the conditions in our over
crowded schoolhouses could no longer
justify us in claiming the best school sys-
tenn in the country.
The club offered a medal to school chill
dren for the best essay on why | Take
Pride in Indianapolis and over 1900 es-
says were received by the committee. First
place was won by Miss Josephine Eddy. of
A grade, No. Is. The medal was furnished
by William Fortune.
The report says the club took up the in
terurbaD franchise question during the
year. and after going over the proposed
franchise recommended several changes.
attorney and the attorneys for the interur-
ban lines. and became a part of the fran
chise. The coal question receives the fol-
lowing consideration in the report:
THE COAL QUESTION.
'In January the board requested the COM
mittee on city interests to inquire into the
supply and price of coal and the facilities
for its transportation; the prospects for the
building of the Indianapolis Southern Rail-
road. and whether another coal road oper-
ated distinctly in the interests of a coal
supply was necessary. The committee re-
ported that the fuel situation at that time
was, in their opinion, abnormal. The re-
markable prosperity of manufacturing in
trests, the failure of natural gas and the
anthracite coal strike had created an enor-
nous and unusual demand on the btu
minou districts Prices had, therefore, adj
vanced, following the law of supply and
demand. The coal-carrying roads have
been unable to get rolling stock and motive
power in sufficient quantity to keep up
with the demand. They were assured by
the managers of the Indianapolis Southern
that work would begin as soon the
weather would permit of il. The committee
believed that a road built exclusively for
carrying coal would necessitate controlling
and operating a vast body of coal territory.
This would involve a great expenditure of
money. The committee believed that the
then existing shortage would be of short
duration.
1.-The question of repairing improved
streets having been referred to the COM
mittee on city interests, they reported that
an effort had been made to secure Informal
ton from various cities relative to the pay
ment for repairs. but had not been success
full. The committee recommended that the
chief Inspector in the street department be
an expert in street paving and that ii shall
be his duty to look after the repair of
streets. They also recommended that the
members of the police and fire departments
Ill xlof1
streets and sidewalks coming within their
observation.
POLICE PENSION BILL.
Amendments to the police pension law
having been introduced in the General AS
sembly. Mr.. A. l.. Mason, of the legisla-
tive committee, called attention to some
radical defects in the bill. The board in
vited Mr.. Mason and a delegation from
the police force to meet with them. Mr..
Mason, having pointed out the objection
able provisions, the police delegation agreed
to have the bill reoommitted to committee
in order that changes might be made The
president appointed committee composed
OF A l.. Mason, j. w. Hoffman and H. u.
Brown to cooperate with the Senate COM
mittee and with representatives of the po-
lice force in preparing desirable bill.
"For several years past the work of the
elevated track commission has been large
ly educational. AT an early meeting in
the past year the board directed President
Gavin TO increase the number of the COM
mission to twenty-five, which was done.
Recently the commission has had another
opportunity to recite the facts obtained
during nine years work. Mayor Book
walter having appointed a commission of
seven to publicly consider abolition of grade
crossings. Mr.. Fortune, chairman of the
elevated track commission, appeared before
the mayors commission and gave it the
conclusions reached by the clubs COM
mission, with the information on which
those conclusions were based. Quite re-
Gently the Supreme Court has held that the
charter under which indianapolis is gov
erned does not confer upon the city the
power to compel elevation of the tracks 1t
is probable that the General Assembly now
in session will pass a bill granting ample
powers to- the city. The wisdom and ne
cessity for this cannot be doubted. With
this power conferred ii is reasonable to
expect that another year will see some de-
cisive steps taken in regard to the abol-
ishment of grade crossings through the
central portion of the city.
1.-THE membership committee, with Mr.
Hiram Brown as chairman, has worked
faithfully for the best interests of the club
as the following record will show:
Membership Jan. 81, 1902, including
forty nonresidentS ......................1,0O 2
AccesSlonS ia
Total .......................... lilo