The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-01-19
RIDING over MAYORS
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ments made no impression on the
councilmen. They we're pleased that
the city was soon to have larger In
come, but they insisted it would be
unwise to wait longer in providing for
the improvement of many of the prin-
cipal streets and the sewer system
HoweIls Asks Boards Stand.
The suspicion of number Of coun-
cilmen that the board Of public works
might balk councils permanent i'm
provement policy by refusing to ini-
tiate proceedings for any of the pro-
spective improvements was voiced by
Mr. Howells. He asked the mayor
quite bluntly II this was to be the
boards attitude, now that council had
sanctioned bond issue.
board" Mayor Robbins replied quite
perform their duties without any in
reference on my part and 1t Is not
my intention to interfere with them"
He then added that If 1t was coun-
ellis pleasure to inaugurate a perma-
nent improvement policy at this time
he did not anticipate the board would
accomplishment. ...:
Majority Demands Change.
Councilman Steinbrink broke his ST.
lence on the question of floating a
bond issue last night He said that
up until Saturday he had been OPP
posed to it. Then, he said, he realized
that the majority Of his constituents
favored it, so he was going to sup
port it. He said he had always been
for the Inauguration of an improve
ment policy, but for time was I'M
der the impression that most of his
constituents favored providing for
such improvements by an increase in
the tax rate.
people are demanding the i'm
provement of our principal streets and
our sewers" said Mr.. Waidele, land I
am in favor of starting to work on
| them without any more delay. The
average working man is willing to
stand his share of the expense if his
property is benefited. The men who
are opposing the plan are. for the
most part, the ones who can best af-
ford to pay their share of the cost Of
the improvements"
Mr.. Bond in voicing the administra-
TONS opposition to the bond issue
said that in the first place he doubted
whether bonds bearing only 312 per
cent interest could be disposed Of.
Some non-taxable Az per cent gravel
road bonds had gone begging, Mr..
Bond said.
He advocated waiting two years be-
fore inaugurating a comprehensive i'm
provement policy because in his opin-
ion the city would then be in a posi-
ton to meet its share of costs in
volved without floating bonds. He
also said that there was a possibility
Of this legislature enacting legislation
to stop the pollution of streams. This,
he said, would mean that Richmond's
sewage could no longer be dumped
into the river without first being fill
tered, and the cost of changing the
sewer system would be approximately
a half million dollars. he predicted.
Such a law, Mr. Bond said, would
mean the issuance of bonds up to the
citys constitutional limit and spe-
cial tax assessment.
Councilmen agreed with one state
ment made by Mr.. Bond, that it would
be folly to consider at this time the
proposed North Twelfth street via
duct and the widening of North Third
street in the floating of bonds. The
Pennsylvania railroad, he said, could
be depended upon to fight against the
viaduct and it would be four or five
years before an agreement could be
reached on this Improvement. He
said it would be two or three years
before North Third street could be
widened because the property re-
quired would have to be acquired
through condemnation proceedings.
Truck Worries Mayor.
Eliminating these two proposed i'm
provements a bond issue of about
100000 would only be required to i'm
prove the streets and sewers, several
councilmen estimated.
An amusing feature Of the discus
sion of the committees report on i'm
provements was Mayor Robbins
query as to where the city was tc
raise the necessary $4,000 for a new
fire truck. He said some council
men had opposed meeting this ex
pense out of the bond issue fund, and
that temporary loan was out of the
question because it would have to be
paid off within year, which the
city could not do He said he did not
see how a truck could be purchased
Clerk Bescher then laughingly re
marked that bids on a ladder truck
had already been advertised for. This
question was referred to the commit
tee on franchises and ordinances anC
it is quite probable it will recommend
that the fire truck be provided for in
the prospective bond issue.