The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-06-07
COUNCIL PROVIDES FOR
HOSPITAL REPAIRS WITH
REDUCED APPROPRIATION
Sum of $4,000 Originally Asked.
but Measure Unanimously Passed
Provides for $4,000.
Virginia Avenue to Be Paved and
Black Arts Taxed-Gasper
and Sunday Baseball.

The City Council took a giant stride last
night toward disposing of some of the
numerous ordinances which have been
hanging fire in committees during the past
few weeks, among them the important
measure providing for City Hospital re-
pairs. The session was one of the busiest
of the year as well as one of the longest,
and much ground was covered. six ordi-
nances being passed.
Ordinances passed provided. in brief. for
the paving of Virginia avenue, from Ste
vens street to Prospect street; for the ap-
preparation of $4,000 for the repair of the
City Hospital: for the appropriation of
SIS 600 to be used in the repair of streets,
sewers and bridges; for the licensing of
persons practicing fortune telling, operat-
ing merry y-go-rounds and similar amuse-
ments. and conducting slot machines, such
as graphophones, biographs. keneloscopes.
etc. and granting permission for the laying
of two side tracks across Columbia avenue
and Lewis street.
The ordinance which provides for the
appropriation of $4,000 to be used in the
repair of the City Hospital, upon which
there has been so much agitation, was
passed by the unanimous vote of the
Council. The original request, setting
forth the needed repairs and their esti-
mated costs, was for s25.0 900, but the mayor,
who drew up the ordinance, concluded,
after careful investigation, that $40 600 will
be sufficient to cover the needed repairs
for this year. The item of Sc, 900 included
repairs to the lawns and the grounds about
the hospital, which it was believed could
rest this year.
An nrfrn irfr hx-C ,of1v
Casper proposes to repeal section of ordi-
nance No. Z, 1885,. which prohibits Sunday
baseball in any of the parks of the city.
The ordinance has never been enforced.
Gasper's ordinance proposes to make the
games lawful If the consent of the park SUI
perintendent is given. An effort was made
TO suspend the rules and pass the ordi-
nance at last nights session, but objection
was made. and President Billingsley re-
ferred the measure to the committee on
public morals.
ton of $4,000 to be used i'm the cleaning of
Pogue's run was defeated, the finance
committee excluding the item In it's report
recommending appropriations for street ma
sewer Improvement. minority report was
made on the issue, but 1t was laid on the
table by vote of II to T. The original
ordinance provided for an appropriation OF
100000, of which $4,000 was TO be used on
Pogue's run and $4,000 the repair of
bridges The finance committee amended
the ordinance so as TO cut down the amount
repair of sewers, streets and bridges.
An ordinance was passed instructing the
Board or Works TO go ahead with the i'm
provement of Virginia avenue from the
nrst alley north OF Stevens street to the
first alley south of Prospect street by lay
ing asphalt pavement. Resident property
owners have made hard fight against the
Improvement. Several remonStrances were
filed and hearings were held, and the Board
of Works finally referred the matter to the
Council.
One of the most unique ordinances passed
py the present City Council was that licens-
ing the occupations of persons practioine
fortune-telling and like black arts and
those conducting amusement machines
The ordinance fixes fee of $50 year or
all persons practicing astrology, palmstry
phrenology, fortune-telling, cartomancy
clairvoyance. crystal-gazing, hypnotism
medumship or necromancy.
On those who operate a merry-go-round
Ferris wheel, roller coaster, switch ba ck
etc, the ordinance fixes annual tax oi
So The annual tax on talking and picture
machines. such as monographs, graphic.
phones. keneloscopes. biographs or pro
jectoscopes, il % cents, except where ther,
are four less machines. in which cas-,
the annual fec is 81. For violation of thi:
ordinance the fine Will be equal TO on,
months license fee. and each followins
violation will constitute a separate offense
An ordinance drawn by City Controllel
Dunn was introduced asking for an appro
priation of s. 000 to be used in the printins
and binding of the city ordinances which
have just been recodihed by Attorney w
V. Thornton and Judge T.. A Brown rh,
measure referred to the finance com
mittee. An ordinance providing for the an
nexation of tract of land lying Just out
side Thirtieth street was also introduced
| The land will be largely benefited by tn,
Thirtieth-street sewer, and unless the trac
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