The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-03
Two Bills to Amend the Pres
ent Statute Wore Consid-
cred at Caucus Of House
Committee.
PROPOSED CHANGES
WOULD AFFECT CIT


l0OlnleQ Oul ana DemanQ
Made for Correction.
(Palladium speciall
indianapolis, Feb The beeinning
of merry war ii the lesisIature 80
Icupied three hours of the attention
OF the house committee upon cities
and towns In room 80 Of the state
house Thursday evening. The prin-
| cipal actors were street paving repre-
isentatiyes who gathered IN the name
OF the tax payers and spoke one word
for the dear people and some half
q dozen Tor themselves. Various city
officials, private citixens and repre-
sentative Thornton played minor
parts. The title OF the play was:
Shall Mike Thornton's Street Ina
pr0vement Law be accommodated
or canonized? p The conclusion reach
cd by the committee Is unknown but
that entertained BY every man who
attended the meeting was that he vAs
the only man present who had the 1n-
terests OF the people at heart.
4 The curtain raiser was discussion
OF the bill Of Representative Mas
to repeal that part OF the Thornton
law which compels cities to pay for
Intersections and to make 1t optional
with the city to pay for them or com
pei the property owners to pay TOR
them. Representative Maas adduced
facts to prove that under the Thorr-
ton law street improvements III In-
dianapolis have been stopped because
the city has no funds With which to
tmAke needed improvements. In
this E0ntehtion ne was supported by
Henry w. Klausman, city eng gineery
Charles 4. Hutchinson Of the board 0f
works and Ex-Mayor. Caleb Denny.
Representative Mas said that Rep
Iresentative Thornton has asserted his
law and saved the people OF Indiana
81. .0OO, 900 in the last two years where
as In reality it had simply stopped Inn
provements to that value to the injury
lof property owners, contractors and
growth of cities. He said many streets,
In Indianapolis were hub deep In mud
because of the Thornton law, whereas
1 II the property owners could have the
right to improve the street the Inn
lprOvements would be made. Engine
Ter Klausman said that about one hum
were filed in Indianapolis and could
not be granted because of the exist
ing laws.
4 Thornton Defends Law.
i In reply Representative Thornton
said the city could make the improve
ments II 1t wanted to by raising the
tax levy. and he cited the fact that
under the present law bearing his
name other cities Ii Indiana had made
more street improvements IN the past
two years than ever ii their history.
He cited Evansville and Hammond and
New Albany. Representative Lyon,
Of the committee. = resident Of Evans
willie, corroborated him, and Mayor
Becker, Of Hammond, said Hammond
had gone ahead and raised the tax
lrate accordingly. because the officials
wore not afraid Of raising tar rates.
Representative Thornton also inti-
mated that the fault In Indianapolis
was not IN the law but IN the admin
. |istration Of affairs. He made the
charge that people here had been
, double charged for improvements.
During the remarks of Chas. Hutchin-
son, Thornton startled him and the
icommittee with the question. do you
know OF q large sum OF money that
, Iyour city has tied up III : bank Of In
]. dianapo:is. which It cannot account for
| but which is money collected BY dosi-
ble-charging taxpayers for street Inn
proyements?" Z" Hutchinson pleaded ig-
noranca upon the subject whercnpon
Thornton promised 70 enlighten him
with the details ii few days.
Alleged nsbatse Wsrs Givsn.
Thornton made the assertion that
not single taxpayar wanted the pre-
sent law repealed, but that every ono
who was fighting ne law and trying
|. 4 ito weaken Il Was either = city official
or . coptractor. He also charged fhat
lin Indianapolis oeseeln property: oWIa,
ers were heing their street ~
provemeut asoeeqn14ntU, and he nladA
the point that Il e yas LETT optional
! with board ot Wosl 81 - whether
} the city a IN peppek owner should
J pay. for the jmrroveinentG that II
some cases the oatd g works wo1ld
iassess the pTppsrty osners. whi:e a
4 fother casos W6ere tl1e roperty ONneFs
} lhad ! pail the of Norls Mos1e
relIeve them aIslt ce1ree The cost o.
!. their street nprdIV lonk ~ fhe clt1s
one ,Of tbe eQ(1 1oa1 ol ~ a t
\ Ilaw which y