Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-09-02

constructive policy of management Of
financial problems and the time Is fast
approaching when the county will be fac
ing insolvency If something is not done
to place the finances on a better and
suIer basis
TOUCHES ON
GEORGE ROAD.
"a road was bulls, beginning in front
Of County Commissioner Lewis Georges
store, West Newton and running ito
Valley Mills, less than three miles in
length. Speaking of this. the state board
of accounts, in this same report, says
that:
THE reconstruction of this piece Of
road seems to have cost in the neigh
borhood of $4,000, being In excess of
Si1 900 per mile. Considering that the
grading wss all done, bridges and cul-
verts all In, an excellent foundation al
ready there, repairs costing more than
S11,0 600 per mile certainly seem to be
an extremely lavish expenditure. just
who is responsible for this free-h
spending Of the public funds, in such
enormous sums, without any contract,
without competitive bidding and with
entire disregard OF law and good bust
ness pigment, is yet to be determined.
When 1t is considered, too, that this
short stretch of road is still unfinished,
that some of the work may have been
done by prison labor, it is then, only.
that one begins to be appalled, by the
magnitude of the cost of repairs of one
little stretch Of county highN-y less
than three miles In length.
This particular road district had on
Jan. l, 1913, approximately twenty five
miles Of improved roads, which disclosed
-
tire district. The entire mileage in the
county at this time, as shown by the
records in the Office Of the county high
way superintendent, is 6377z miles. The
total expenditures from the gravel road
repair fund for the year 1918 was S317.
$50 90. making an average cost per mile
for the whole county of S499.'
When the contract was written for the
improvement OF the Michigan road no
provision was made for rebuilding the
bridge over White river. The present
bridge is half the width Of the new
road and is eight feet below the grade of
the new road. 1t Will cost $4,000 more
TO build a new bridge now than 1t would
have cost had the contract been let at
the time the contract for the construc-
ton OF the road was made, and as a fur
Their result Of this oversight this outlet
to the northwest part of the county will
be closed for another year or two.
QUOTES FROM
REPORT ON BRIDGE.
THE state board Of accounts, in its
report of May %. 1919, concerning the
Senate avenue bridge, says:
"'On Aug. 2. 1915, bonds IN the sum
Of 100000 were sold to pay for the con-
struction of a bridge at Senate avenue
over Fall creek. In 1918, there was paid
on this contract on account OF this
bridge $1O413.1O and for the purchase of
ground for approaches $4,000, leaving
a balance from the bond issues for con-
struction Dec. 81, 1918, Of $50, 4s6.90.
THE work Of building the bridge was
at n standstill for some time on account
of litigation and in the meantime, as
shown by another tabulation, the funds
have dwindled away on account OF the
depleted condition of the treasury until
at the present time the county commits
sioners are In an embarrassing position
81 having spent the money and the
greater portion Of the cost OF the bridge
construction Is yet to be paid
"On April %. 1919. Ralph Lemcke, re-
publican county treasurer, and candidate
now for reelection. said in a speech,
III / am nominated and elected treas
urer OF this county. I declare It to be
my firm intention TO see leviI corrected
and that all interest that accrueS on
prepayment money on Barrett law as
easements shall be credited to the Bar
rett law fund, thus saving the city Of
Indianapolis between $1,000 and $1,000
year.
az consider and shall consider all
public money coming into my possession
from the above fund as public trust,
and will in no ways use this fund for
my private gain
He became treasurer on Jan 1, 1920.
At the time Barrett law funds. amount
Ing TO 1851 904.0T. were turned over to
him. and he has not credited these sums
with n single dollar of interest.
THE republican prosecuting attorney
from Jan. l, 1919. to July l, 1920. in
addition 10 his salary has been paid
S51. 1882 in fees from the city court
and the Marion county courts, and al
though he is required TO have deputies
and TO pay them, Charles s. Wiltsie
was. upon his petition, paid S1,T0o OF
the county's money for assisting him
In the trial OF the Hasg perjury case.
and this payment was made In the face
Of two decisions Of our supreme court
holding that under the circumstances
Mr.. wiltsie could recover nothing from
the county for this service.
ALSO CASTS SHAME
UPON COMMUNITY"
THE republican ring is not only d.
rectly responsible for the high taxes
which We are paying in this county,
but by reason of Its immoral and He
gal conduct of the county's business 1t
has cast shame upon this community
1.-THE investigation by Judge Anderson
OF the conditions existing in the Marion
county fail disclosed that a poker game
was maintained in the Jail and prisoners
were induced to play while the guards
took a rakeoff from every pot; that de-
composed meat was served and the food
was unfit to sustain life; that prisoners
were permitted to leave the jail and visit
their homes and paid Jailers for that
privilege; that an insane prisoner who
climbed the bars Of a cell was burned
on the soles of his feet so that he could
not stand: that an insane prisoner WAS
thrown into a cell naked and washed
with a hose, then being allowed to lie