Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-12-07

increase, other than that the city shall
pay for policemen's uniforms, now cost
ing about $50 each, for the reason that
the cost of living is coming down and
that he would hate to face the 200,0VV
taxpayers If he voted to raise salaries In
the face Of the fall. o4a
George w. Williams, executive seers-
tsry Of the board Of public safety, was
called on to explain what the board
though Of such an increase, and said th6
board had planned to include it In It's
budget but had been forced to eliminate
1t when It became necessary TO make a
total cut in the estimates of SLOT 900,
$4,000 of which was to have gone TO
more pay for police and fremen-
PEAKE AND KIRsCH -
BALK AT MOTION.
The council effectively squelched the
movement for the time being when all
except Councilmen Peake and Kirsch
voted to support Councilman Wilson's
motion that the ordinance be made a
special order Of business for the frst
meeting night In March
Speaking for the rat determination
ordinance, DR.. Zlegler pointed out that
the rat population Of Indianapolis is esd-
mated at 10000, or one for every man.
ties Of rats in indianapolis. the ground
rat, the roof rat and the muskrat Every
one Of them costs the city at least So "a
year on the amount of food destroyed
alone, not to mention the loss from fires
started by the rodents. Every corner
grocery store and food-handling estab-
nshment In the city is a feeding place
for the pest he declared.
Councilman Wilson said he was much
interested IN the movement because he
had taken pains to investigate a rum6r
that at a certain downtown restaurant
droyes Of rats could be seen playing
around the tables and chairs about 10
o'clock each evening. he said he found
the report true.
WILL HAVE THEIR
LITTLE JOKE, Ell?
Councilman Jacob P Brown safi he
had OCCASION to visit the Shelby street
barns recently and mistook rat there
for a mule.
When it came to voting on the spS-
pension Of the rules Mr.. Wilson said
he would not be ready to favor immedi-
ate action unless he heard what the board
OF public health had to say on the queS-
ton. he intimated the board should
have given the council some linking of
Its views on such q question.
Don't you know that the council
doesn't get any cooperation from any
bodyT" President Schmidt interposed.
Mr.. Wilson suggested that the board,
which was in session, he brought in.
SAW RATS AT
PLAY IN RESTAURANT.
Mr.. Schmidt asked the board members
Whist they thought of the ordinance, and
they said they thought it was all right.
DR.. Morgan came TO the rescue and de-
livered an eloquent TRADE against rata
| in which he mentioned the same res
taurant which Mr. Wilson had spoken of.
He said he saw dozens of rats playing
about the floor on the night he inspected
the place. 80
This was enough for the council. The
ordinance was rushed through in short
order.
An ordinance Increasing the salaries
of assistant city civil engineers ana
craftsmen in the engineering departments
so as to add a total Of 5000 a year to
the department pay roll was introduced
City Civil Engineer Frank c. Lingen-
better explained that the new scale is de-
signed to bring the pay of his employees
more nearly UP to the standard set By
the American Society of Engineers fer
municipalities all over the country. The
ordinance changes the title Of craftsmen
to office aids"
An ordinance transferring $4,000 frous
the street and alley improvement fund
t. the bridge repair fund Of the board of
public works was passed, with President
Schmidt dissenting.