The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-09-09
Tiff TURNS ON OFFICIALS
FOR VIEW ON DUMP ISSUE
BY EDGAR ILIFF.

eY EDGAR ILIFF.
Edgar Iliff makes the following COM
ment on the dump:
The wiping out Of the foul dump and
its transformation into a park is the
issue of the hour. The Riverside Park
committee had two positive engage.
ments with the board of works and
has been snubbed each time. Once
Mayor Robbins made q date with us
and assured us that he and ,the board
with Attorney Bond, would be there at
o'clock on a certain day. We were
there on the minute, but we found Mr..
Bavis alone and he knew nothing of
the engagement. Attorney Bond was
telephoned and he knew nothing of
it. Pretty soon Mr.. Hodgin came in
and told us that Mayor Robbins was
detained by sickness. Every effort
we have made has been met with eva
sion and neglect on the part of the
city officials. We have never yet seen
the faces of Mr.. Marlatt or Mr.. Nc
MINI.
This dump and park issue Is spread
ing over the entire city and is affect
ing the administration. It is not alone
the suffering of the people living hear
the dump that makes the issue. God
knows that they alone constitute an
issue that calls for immediate action.
But there is greater issue, the civic
pride of Richmond Why do we toler-
ate such a deplorable condition? Why
do we permit the expenditure of thous-
ands of dollars in our schools, why do
we buy pictures for school rooms, why
do we teach our children the love of
the beautiful, why do we encourage
flower-gardening and green lawns and
| well-kept premises and then kill it all
by maintaining such ugly environ
ments, such distressing object les
sons, right in the heart of the city?
Speaks For Officials.
Mr.. Bavis, before a gathering of
over 1000 citizens on the dump last
Friday night, said that he voiced the
stand of the administration when he
said that the purchase of this plot of
ground would not be carried out. We
knew that this was the attitude Of
the administration even when Mr. Ba-
Wis told us at a former public meeting
that HE would take off his coat, roll
up his sleeves and spit on his hands
to make this ground a public park."
We have known all along that were
| being "stung." We knew, and know
more forcibly now, that the admins
tration' is stand-patter on every
question Of civic improvement al
though the voters of this city put him
in office on a progressive movement.
Where are all those promises of back
to the people," Initiative and referen-
dunn" recall of officials public eff
ficiency" and forward march all along
the line?
Mr.. Bavis told the working-men Of
Dioh 81 hA 0fh
err night that during these distressing
city couldn't afford to relieve their dis
tress. He virtually said, "Gentlemen.
you can't afford to be healthy, you
can't afford to be clean, you can't af-
ford to be decent, you can't afford
clean dooryards and pure air, for it
would cost money and increase the
taxes, and as I propose to run for
mayor in the future don't want an in
creased tax rate staring me in the
face"
Boasts Of Economy.
There was once a poor old woman
who had sick son and the charity
doctors gave her money to buy wine
to strengthen him. She hid the money
and let him die; then she boosted Of
her economy and bought plumes for
his hearse.
l doubt if any city run upon such
an idea of soc economy can save even
enough money to buy black plumes
for it's own funeral. There is an econ
omy that means death and an expen-
diture that spells active, exuberant,
healthy life.
Where is Councilman at Large Rus
sell during this agitation? Does he
h;,,lx hot Of 10
means running at large for congress
Where are his promises that this city
| would be run upon higher. loftier
and more beneficent plan? His motto
was that the "office" should seek the
man but he is now the man SO ear
nestly seeking the office that he has
never had time to say one word in the
council chamber in behalf Of his suf-
| fering fellow-citizens of his own ward.
Does not the administration know
taht this is a widespread demonstra-
| ton on the part of the people? Has it
not heard the rumbling of discomfort,
and the openly-voiced threat to quit
the city light plant? Can this city az
ford to lose a thousand patrons Of the
city plant? l hate boycott. 1t isn't
| fair. The loss of our city plant would
! be a public calamity. But it can't main
tain itself without customers. Has the
city administration never heard any
of the testimony of residents of West
| Richmond and Fairview? Has 1t new.
er heard of working-men who were so
sick from the poisonous fumes of the
dump that they threw up their break.
fasts? Has the administration ever
investigated the outrage from the
health-department side of the ques-
ton?
have a letter from Dr. J. NJ Hurry,
| secretary of the state board Of health.
! Here it is:
What Hurry Says.
"The way for you to proceed to Sc
cure the abatement of any conditions