The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-03
COUNCIL HOLDS
"STAR CHAMBER
BUDGET SESSION
City Expenditures Discussed
in Secret-Protests Made
Against Improvements.

The city budget for the year begin
ming January |, 1920 will be $512, 465.-
25, Of which $257,6S1.S5 will be taken
from the earnings of the municipal
light plant. This will leave $254,7s4
which all but about $4,000, which will
he derived from miscellaneous sour
ces, to be paid by taxation.
The city council adopted the bud
get Tuesday night, after holding
secret "confab" behind closed doors.
When they got down to business 1t
took but few minutes for the budget
to pass third reading.
The new tax rate will be " cents,
which includes CT cents for the gener-
al fund, three cents for the sinking
fund, one cent for the school play
ground fund and one cent street i'm
rrovement sinking fund bonds, as it
was adopted by the council. The
rules we're suspended and the ordin-
ance was passed unanimously.
City Controller Baltz A. Bescher's
regular monthly report was adopted
in full.
Gormon and Zwissler Protest
John Zwissler and Chief of Police
German both entered protest to the
ordinance to improve South Fourth
street ana Fort Wayne avenue, which
was on third reading.
Chief Gormon said: Fourth street
from my place down to Fifth street
Is as good as any street in Richm ond.
It is unn ecessary to improve the street
at the present time"
>Zwissler believed that the Fourth
street Improvement Is not needed now
as the cost of construction is three
times as high as 1t is normally. 1t is
IAN injustice that the street should be
paved with brick with everything so
high, when there is not another brick
street in town. It is entirely too great
an expense to put on Fourth street
property owners at the present time
Despite these protests the ordinance
was passed 9 to 1, two members OF
the council being absent Bids will be
let for the Improvement Immediately,
but the construction will not be start
ed until next year, according to Mayor
Zimmerman.
Councilman Waidele protested an
alleged practice Of the r. H. !. & E
company, Of dropping wire insulators
in the gutter The mayor told him
to file an affidavit. Waidele maintain
ed that he had done his duty by re.
porting 1t, and after a small argum emf
between the councilman ana LnS may
or, the mayor referred it to the police
department..
Howard Dill. Of the Rotary club
asked for meeting of the ordinance
committee, through chairman Vor
Pein, on the proposed ordinance tt
change the right Of way for automo
tilas, The meeting will be held IL
tbs Board Of Works room, in the Cit.
hail. next Monday evening at 1890.
Councilman Williams entered hi
regular protest against the trash lyinl
in an alley between North Eighth ant
Ninth streets. and said that the own
ers of the property should be mott
fed. City Clerk Stevens said the.
had been notified. One of the cit.
officials said the property belonge'
to Prosecuting Attorney Gath Free
man.
We'll, Wen prosecute the prescott
ing attorney" said the Mayor.
A police information station or boot
for the protection of the policema,
stationed on Eighth and Main, wa
suggested by Councilman Waterman
The matter was referred to the boar
OF works.