The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-03-31
CHARGES OF DECEIT.

North Fifteenth street from II W
be paved with brick. Another petit
ton signed by the Wayne Works and
the Ollie & Mcclure Co., asks that
North F street from Sixth street to
Sixteenth street be paved with brick.
The claim has been raised in certain
quarters that these petitions have
been presented merely to exert an in
fluence on council towards ordering
North E street paved, in the face OF
the objections raised by the manufac-
turers. 1t is claimed that it is but a
trick and that the petitions will both
be discarded when they have served
their purpose and that no brick paved
streets will be put down as requested.
In other words the board of public
works is accused of STOPPING to the
lowest and basest kind of a trick in
order to gain its end and have North
e street paved. And, incidently, the
manufacturers who signed the above
petitions stand accused of being equal
ly base and tricky as the charge, if
true. means they have allowed their
names to be connected with a low de-
ceit.
The board of public works is placed
in an embarrassing position until it
acts on these petitions. This suspic-
ion of their methods has been given
general circulation and has been adj
vanced as one reason why council at
it's next meeting should not favor the
order to improve North e street. And
if it were true that these
petitions were but a deceit and
fraud and were simply being used to
further the plan of having North E
street paved in spite of the opposition
of the manufacturers located on that
street, then council, despite the abso-
lutte necessity of doing something with
North e street, would do we'll to vote
down the improvement ordinance.
The end sought in improving North
E street is just and necessary, but it
should not be gained through means
savoring of base and deceitful tricks.
The board of public works, howev
err, has plenty of time between now
and the time council will meet, to act
on the North E street matter, to prove
its sincerity and the sincerity of the
manufacturers who signed these petit
tions. Between now and the first of
the week the board should absolutely
set at rest these foul suspicious by
acting favorably on the petitions of
these manufacturers and granting
them the improvement Of North F
street and Fifteenth street as they re-
quest. These manufacturers should
be given advantage of the same propo-
sition that has been advanced in re-
gard to paving North e street. The
city, oCSiuSs poyihS iol lAC lutSi oSS-
tons should pay one-third the cost
Assessed against the property owners.
North F street stands in need OF i'm
provement. If anything, it is even in
worse condition than North E street.
1t Is street subject to the heaviest
Kind of travel and consequently its
present condition can only be relieved
by improving it permanently. The city
would be justified in going to the ad-
1itional expense this year of improv-
1t finished for all time. There Is no
need of waiting another year as the
work can be done just as we'll and to
the betterment of the city this year.
And especially is this true in view of
the suspicious that have been put
forth regarding the good intentions of
the manufacturers who signed these
petitions and of the board of public
works.
The board of public works is placed
In another ugly light by additional
reports that have been going the
rounds concerning the connection of
one member in particular with the
affair B. B. Johnson, it will be re-
membered. was the only member of
the board of public works who voted
against the proposition to pave North
E street. The improvement resolu-
ton was passed over his objection.
Now 1t is claimed that his protest was
but bluff and that it was pre-ar-
ranged affair that he should oppose
the resolution. According to these
claims, B. B. Johnson, who is proprie-
tor Of the ice manufacturing plant 10
Gated on North f street, is one of the
most frequent users of North E street
It Is claimed that the heavy ice wag-
ons from his plant are primarily re-
sponsfble for the present ugly condi-
ton of the street and that he is the
ma most uterestad in bringing about