Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-09-04
JEWETT CROWD
FORCED TO MAKE
BUDGET CHANGE


Continued From Page One.)
are so amending the ordinance today,
preparatory to final consideration of It
by the council at the regular meeting
Monday night.
Although Mr.. Tracy asked several
questions designed to elicit answers
which would clear up the point, no Off
cial explained why there is provided in
the $50, 900 fund for municipal garbage
maintenance, including the purchase Of
automobiles and repairs" more than half
this amount for the purchase of gaso-
line, tires, ETC., for city cars and at the
same time each separate department also
provides fund for the purchase of gaso-
line, tires, etc, for the passenger cars
and motor equipment under its control
The members of the council from the
start of the hearing showed a disposi-
ton to delve deeply into the affairs OF
the street commissioners department
Before William B. Peake, who presided
as chairman Of the finance committe, had
time to get things fairly under way,
Councilman Gustav G. Schmidt inquired !:
II would like to know whether Mr.
Meloy, the street commissioner, is
present.
OPEN DEFIANCE
rs CHARGED.
"There has been open defiance to the
council from bis department for a num-
Der Of years and for one do not pro-
pose to put up with 1t any more"
Mr. Meloy was not present and the
sergeant alarms was instructed to see
that he was notified to come at once
Half an hour later the commissioner
arrived.
The appropriation ordinance was taken
up by departments and when the munich
pal garage item was reached the council
men numbered their guns.
Herbert WATSON, superintendent of the
garage, was on the floor answering ques-
tons Of Air. Tracy and had just reported
that the city has 119 pieces of motor
equipment, when Mr.. Schmidf-c casually in
quired:
Have all these cars got city markings
on them?7
"AIl but very few. ell but two or
three think" MFR. WATSON replied
Where are these cars stored?"
"In the city garage"
ION Sundays also?
GETTIN' WARMER
GETTIN' wARMERi
"No. sir"
Wen, where is one Of these carsf"
Il don't know"
Whose hands Is Il ing"
THE hands of the man to whom it is
assigned"
Well who is that5"
Mr.. Meloy7
Mark Miller. acting chairman of the
board Of public works. hastily arose and
attempted to prevent what was coming
perilously close to q revelation OF some
truth which the officials evidently did not
care TO have brought ont.
II can explain that" he began. "by
stating that NJ. Meloy is permitted 10
have his car on Sundays because he has
70 have II 20 make inspections OF streets.
which 1t Is necessary he do on Sundays
because OF the press Of his other duties
on week days
A burst OF laughter from the audience
followed this.
Then Mr. Schmidt threw his bomb.
Well. then. why isn't this car
markedT"
ANSWER FOR
THIS Too!!!
Mr.. Miller had a ready answer for
this. too;
"The car has not been marked for the
very reason that we wanted to protect
Mr. Meloy from the suspicion that he
was using city car on Sundays for Joy
riding
This brought from Councilman Louis
". Carnenx the following:
II don't think that the taxpayers of
indianapolis expect man holding as
high a position as Mr.. Meloy 10 have
70 work on Sunday"
Which impeIled Mr.. Miller ia make
further explanation that oftentimes Mr..
Meloy Is compelled on Sunday to make
inspections Of streets and alleys dam
aged by rains on Saturday night or Sun
day morning so as to be ready to issue
orders TO his repair gangs early Mon
day morning.
Well that may be all right" said Mr..
Carnefx, but believe that no city Of
fetal, or no department. outside OF the
mayor, should have particular car as
signed to his or It's exclusive use. for I
think all Of the cars ought TO be kept
IN the garage all Of the time when not
in use and that officials should go and
get them only as they need them"
Well n we did that IL would be neces-
sary to keep n man at the garage on
Sunday" Mr.. Miller responded.
MFR. Carnehx pounced on the assertion
with some heat
REToRT SOLID
HURLED BACK.
1T is just as well 70 pay a man for
staying at the garage on sunday as II
Is for the city to have TO buy gaso-
line for city machines to use for Joy rid
Ing and Bookkeeping on Sunday" he said,
Mr.. Miller had nothing further to say
at this time.
Later. woman citizen said she
had been told. when she complained one
Saturday noon that a sewer was backing
up and flooding her property, that moth
ing could be done about It until Monday
morning. and Mr.. Miller attempted fur
Their explanation.
That just explains another reason why
Mr.. Meloy has to have a car out on Sun
day" Mr.. Miller said
Frequently he gets calls from the fire
department on Sundays because sewers
become stopped up and do not carry
away the water thrown on fires, and Mr..
Meloy has TO have his car so he can go
around and pick up some of his repair
amen to fix them"
After Mr.. Tracy has questioned some
of the items included under the head of
city hall maintenance and had received
an explanation that certain sums were
made a little high so as to permit fiexi-
bility, Councilman o. h. PettiJohn re-
marked:
That's all right, Mr.. Tracy; we have
to remember that we have the $4,000
beauty treferring to the garbage reduc-
ton plant bought at this figure after an
official of the company formerly owning