Indiana daily times., 1920-10-26
GARBAGE PLANT
DEAL CHAPTER
In PARTY BOOK
Marion County Graft Reviews
S175,000 GOOdrich-Jewett
Story.
TESTIMONY IS QUOTED

ssued by the Democratic COMMITTEES
md candidates of Marion County, con
aims as one OF its most interesting
,harters the story Of how James P
Goodrich and others and Charles W
Tewett and others, agreed to saddle OF
he taxpayers Of the sanitary district OF
indianapolis $175,0O0 in bonds for tbs
garbage plant on the Sellers farm.
The booklet says:
March 9, 1917, Governor James P.
Goodrich approved an act Of the
General Assembly establishing a
sanitary district for the city of
Indianapolis and authorizing the es-
tablishment of sewage disposal
plant Tucked neatly away in this
act was a single word by which
commissioners of the sanitary dis
trict were enabled to purchase the
garbage plant now in operation on
the Sellers farm. (See chapter 15I,
acts OF 1910.
In May. 1918. the sanitary district
Of Indianapolis purchased from the
Indianapolis Reduction Company,
the garbage plant. which it had
previously operated on the Sellers
farm, for 81 Consideration of $175.000
(see records of board of sanitary
commissioners for Indianapolisl
In June. 1917, Jesse T. Mcorman,
president Of the Indianapolis Re-
duction Company, Appealed before
the Marion County board Of review
and testified as follows:
1.-The Indianapolis Reduction Com
pany has no real estate. All of its
property is on leased ground, with
less than a year to operate. | think
the assessment on the Indianapolis
Reduction Company (S15.000) should
be reduced this year I think the
assessment should be reduced in
view Of the fact that the contract
has only eleven months to run
Next year these things are all out
and done and you know you could
not get $4,000 for it."
QUOTES TESTIMONY
OF MR.. MO0RMAN.
In June, 1916, the same Mr.. Moor
man testified as follows:
"Our machinery is on leased
ground and It would not be worth
30 cents if it was not run as garb-
age plant, We have got two years
from the q6th Of May. last year.
What would it be worth If it wasn't
used for this? Even the junking
would cost more than it is worth
(See record of Marion County board
of reviewl
The indianapolis Reduction Com
many concluded its sale to the sani-
tary district May %. 1918. and was
dissolved Oct. 1s. 1915
In the preliminary notice of dis
solution appears the following state
ment:
aT. James P. Goodrich. being
stockholder In the Indianapolis Re-
duction Company, hereby consent to
a dissolution Of such corporation.
u. P. GOODRICH"
The records of the sanitary COM
mIssioners of indianapolis for the
month of May. 1918, shows that
voucher No. Il was drawn in the
sum of s1T5 900 TO the Indianapolis
Reduction Company in payment for
the garbage plant.
The records of the board OF re-
view of Marion County for the month
of June. 1918 show the following
testtmon, by J. T. Norman:
Eve tool In payment for this prop
erty $4,000 OF this sanitary dis
trict's bonds. They pay 41a per
cent interest"
$4,000 plant was unloaded on the
city for S175.00O.
In Jan. 1919, the members Of the
Marion County grand jury and
Prosecutor Claris Adams were per-
sonally asked by citizen of Marion
County to make an investigation Of
the 5000 discrepancy between the
records. OF the city and statement
of Mr.. Mcorman as to the purchase
price of this plant
They expressed a desire to con-
slider the matter and recall the citi-
zen for further testimony later in the
session. They have not yet recalled
the witness
TORY FIRST TOLD
3Y THE TIMES.
The full story of this deal was FIRST
old by the Indiana Daily Times in Jan
iary, 1e19
No one connected with the deal evel
enfed a single material fact connected
With the publication.
Mayor Jewett has tried. unsuecessfully
n several different occasions to show
hat the plant as purchased was self.
ustained.
Two fires have swept more than half oi
t, but the insurance companies never
aid a FIRE loss that indicated the entire
liant was worth more than $4,000.
Recent investigation disclosed that tbs
liant was being operated at a big loss to
he city and that the cost of collecting
nd disposing of garbage in indianapolis
ow is approximately $4,000 more an
ualy than it was before this plant e2a