Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-12-04

an association to curb the extraya-
alton.
In a statement made public today by
taxpayers who constitute the directors
Of this association, the following protest
Is made:
In behalf of the taxpayers of Marion
County, we wish TO register an earnest
protest against the program OF proposed
buildings, bridges and concrete roads
which are being planned and considered
by the authorities vested with the power
Of ordering such work.
The horizontal increase of assessments
resulted in raising much Of the property
! above It's fair cash value and on top Of
this came a raise in the tax rate of over
90 per cent-from S1.6O to 81. AZ per hun
dred, placing staggering burden on the
taxpayers.
1t is now proposed to use the tremen-
dous revenue in sight in the building OF
e1tFavagant work at prices ranging from
4oV TO 300 per cent above normal cost.
INEXCUSABLE AT
THIS TIME,
mat all the work proposed is unnecessary,
out In our view 1t is inexcusable to
maze such contracts a this time
IL mas been demonstrated that cement
| ana brick and other basic building ma
teFlaI IS under the absolute control of
rings and trusts. which are dividing M
the territory and debating prices extor-
| uonate and out OF reason. This greed
| should not be fed.
There ts no hope Of normally fair
prices SO long as the demand is stim-
uIated by an utter disregard for costs.
we reel that the taxpayers who must
ioot these bills have a right to call a
e,t HaIt on the, proposed waste Of public
nonas n. IhroHg1 contracts based on present
costs even II a delay may cause some
Inconvenience.
We wish especially to call attention 10
What we consider i rank injustice and
e1a!s e1ltdFaE9hce IN the building of con-
crete ana similar roads.
Inc great mass of the taxpayers sup
pose that the cost of these roads is be-
ing assessed against the immediate prop-
tIt! penented. as in street improvements
IN the cry, hut such Is not the ca Sc They
are ordered by the county commissioners
/ on the petition of q small number of
persons and are paid for by all the peo-
pie living in the township where the
Work is done under the "three-m road
law, and all the people OF the county
"hen done under county unit law"
4hese are two laws Of which the or
Gihary citizen knows nothing The first
known as the three mile road law" and
the second passed at the last session Of
unit law"
EMERSON AVENUE
CITED AS EXAMPLE.
Cnder these laws the people who wers
AWAKE Med petitions for concrete brick
ana oLher hard surface roads and more
IMAM I04 miles OF such roads have been
ordered, and more than ninety miles ac-
tCQlIy laid in Marion County One mia
y such road just ordered being an ex-
tension Of Emerson avenue viii cost the
taxpayers St3.O00-prObably three times
"nat nat 1t would cost in normal times.
The Pendleton Pike extension to the
county line, covering five miles will cost
the taxpayers of Marion County-in
reality the people of Indianapolis-more
than 1872 600. n
Petitions for nine other sections Of
road extending in all directions are pend
ing. They are all just as useful and
necessary as any that have been built
and far more SO than many
a Few II these concrete roads such as
that or East Washington street and to
Ft Harrison may be excused as great
pubic thoroughfares but many miles
have been built solely to enhance the
value OF farm lands for the speculative
profit Of their owners
Bond issues covering the cost of roads
have already been issued aCgregating
more than S2,700,C00 practically all of
which Indebtedness is for these concrete
roads. In the meantime the people in the
city must pay the full cost of the streets
in front of their homes as we'll as con-
tribute toward these expensive suburban
pavements.
The colossal bridge or causeway pic
tured In the daily papers to extend the
Thirty Eighth street boulevard across the
canal. White River, and the low lands
beyond. covering 3,100 feet, would cost
millions OF dollars
I We cannot believe that the Park Board
will give this proposition serious cOnsid-
Grafton nor the building at this time OF
n S100 900 club house for the golfers when
money cannot be raised for the erection
OF simple homes on the vacant lots which
will be taxed to pay the costs of the
golf club or the cauSeWay.
WILL EMPTY
THE TREASURY"
The various improvements proposed by
the several taxing authorities within the
city Of Indianapolis. if carried out at
present costs of construction, will empty
the treasury and lay an impossible bur
den on the taxpayers under which many
viii lose homes for which they are try
ing 10 pay.
with impending financial conditions it
is time to halt and have a reckoning
The humble and long suffering tax
payer has been viewing with alarm the
many programs for spectacular works
consisting of buildings bridges and
| roads, which at present costs viii empty
the public treasury while swelling the
gains of trust controlled building ma
terial manufaC Cturers.
The following is a list of the directors
of the league who took action in the
matter:
Thomas H. Spann. The spann Com
pany. real estate; Frank D. Stalnaker.
president Indiana National Bank; Henry
W. Bennett. president State Life Insur-
ance Company Joseph c. Schaf real es-
tate investments; Alfred F. Potts, law
YER Albert NJ RosenthaI. president
Standard Paper Company; J. H Hooker.
president Sinker- Davis Company; John
NJ Judah, real estate investments; Ed
gar H Evans, president Acme Evans
Milling Company; E. a Hendrlckson.
president Indianapolis Saddlery Com
pany, and John r. Welch, secretary Celtic
Saving and Loan Association.
RUSH COUNTY MAN DEAD.
GREENSBURG, Ind, Dec. 4.-William