The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-01-04
MAYOR SURPRISES
HIS BOARD TO-DAY
Unexpected Motions on Pub
lie Improvements Give
Cabinet a Jolt.

Mayor Zimmerman was in his radi-
cal mood this morning at. the board
OF public works meeting, and several
motions were made by him which took
the city officials and others present
by total surprise. The mayor asked
that the city start on the construction
OF new building for the city light
plant; to advertise for bids for an
auto hose and chemical wagon along
with bids for the horse drawn wagon:
to advertise for bids on a water soft
ener at the light plant, and to make
plans for playground in the river
bottoms for school children who are
unable to play at the South Twenty
second street grounds.
Plans for the construction of a new
building at the light plant have been
in the hands of City Civil Engineer
Charles and Howard Gluys. engineer
at the plant, for some time. They
were sprung" on the board for the
first time this morning, and they were
no sooner explained than the mayor
made motion to start on the erec-
tion OF the proposed building as soon
as the weather permits. 1t is not the
idea of the board to complete the
building and to equip it with machin-
started SO that when the time comes
for an enlargement of the plant the
city will be prepared to meet the de-
mand. To equip the new building will
cost approximately, $25,OOO or $50, 900.
The building will be ia feet by "a
feet
The need of a water softener at the
plant was explained by Engineer
Gluys, who declared that the water
from the river was filled with sewage.
He asserted that water softener will
eliminate the trouble caused by scale
gathering on the boilers He said that
the water softener would prevent this
and will extend the life of the boil
ers as we'll as eliminate extra work. A
softener will cost between $500 and
| $500.
When Mayor Zimmerman made the
motion to advertise for an auto fire
truck and suggested that it would be
better. and that more service could be
| obtained from it in divers ways the
board members were taken by sur.
! prise, as this matter had been dis.
cussed at the time the 1912 budget
was made up. At that time council
had turned the matter down because
| they were forced to use the pairing
knife in order to make the appropria
! tions within the limit of the taxes
Consequently $4,000 instead of $4,000
was appropriated for a new hose wa
/ gon. Council will now be asked, in
case the board gets reasonable bids
for an auto truck, to raise the appro
| priation.
Several city officials complained
| because children of the central por
tion of the city, and on the west side
of the river, could not use the cas-,
end play grounds because of their 10
cation and the mayor suggested that
play ground be constructed in the
river bottoms. The matter will be TAX
en- up within short time.
| Owing to the fact that the board
of works has not yet decided wha,
course it will take in regard to the
proposed construction of undergrade
railroad crossings, it deferred action
on the resolution calling for the
bricking of North Fifteenth street
from E to F streets
The remonstrance filed against the
improvement of South Twelfth stree,
from E to H street by constructing
curbing and cutters on both sides con
tanned a majority of signatures of the
property owners and the matter was
referred to the city engineer for in
| vestig2tion.