Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-12-21
.COUNCILKILLS
GAS FRANCHISE
AMENDING ACT
Late Petition of Company for
Increased Rates Works
Against Contract.
TRUCK DEAL ANNULLED

The contract amending the franchise
Of the Citizens Gas Company so that the
company could give cook stoves the
preference on gas during times Of short
age and binding the company to make
81 100000 worth of plant improvements
and extensions was killed by the city
council at the last regular meeting Of
1920 last night.
! Although no discussion accompanied
the passage Of a motion to strike the
ordinance ,ratifying the contract from
| the files, 1t was well understood that the
councilmen have been turned completely
against it by the gas company's recent
petition for an increase in rate Of from
60 to 80 cents per 1000 cubic feet
| The council also killed an ordinances
ratifying a contract between the board
of public works and l. H Colvin for
the purchase of two fve-ton White
tractor trucks for the city ash hauling
department. In the face of this unfayor-
able action the council ratified another.
contract by which the board of works
viii purchase six trailers for the ash
hauling department One of the trucks
which the council denied the board OF
works was to have been used to haul the
| six new trailers. Members of the board
| have stated that If the council took un-
favorable action on the trucks the plans
for increased efficiency in the ash de-
partment would be curtailed. r
RATIFY HEATER
| CONTRACT
Another contract between the board on
works and the Equitable Asphalt Main.
tenance Company of Kansas City for the
rental Of two Lutz Surface Heaters for
use in the street repair department for
period Of two years from last Oct 1os
| was unanimously ratified. s
The council voted unanimously to XIII
the gas franchise amending contract, bus
| developed a peculiar lineup on the White
truck contract The somewhat out OF
| the ordinary alignment Of counciimen on
! this matter first became evident in the
report Of the finance committee recon-
mending that 1t be not passed. The re-
port was signed by Chairman William B.
Peake, openly hostile to Mayor Charles
/ w Jewett's administration; Russell
Wilson, who, until the past few months
! has been considered the administration
| leader IN the council, and who, II has L
been thought, would still support any
strictly administration measure, and Lee
J. Kirsch, an anti-administration man.
| Another councilman generally consid-
cred as strongly decentralization {
| Joined IN strangling the truck contract
when the motion to strike the ratifying
ordinance from the record was put. he
was Councilman Jesse E. Miller Besides
| Mr. Miller, President Gustav G. Schmidt. (
Mr.. Wilson, Louis W. Carnefx, Mr..
Peake and Mr. Kirsch voted to strike
/ out the measure CounciImen Jacob P.
Brown and Summer 4. Furniss cast the
only favorable votes. Councilman Otto
/ P. Petition, an anti who is reported to
be about to break over into the Jewett
camp, was absent.
PAY ROLL FUNDS
/ TRANSFERRED.
An ordinance appropriating $1,000 to
the fire department pay roll fund and
transferring 81 900 from the police force
pay roll fund to the electrical depart
ment pay roll fund and $500 from the
/ police force pay roll fund to the ire
department pay roll fund was passed.
To keep William Brown, eolored,
Mayor Jewett's messenger, from going
/ without his salary this month the coun
ell appropriated $50 to the mayors Of
Zee salary fund under suspension of tia
rnles. Browns salary was increased 81 ,
| per month last year, hut the appropriation
never has been raised to cover the adj
( dition.
An ordinance to increase the salary of
! Louis Ziegler, Barrett law clerk in the
finance department. from $500 per year
TO 81 800 was introduced.
Upon explanation by Councilman Fur
Mss that residents OF the vicinity de-
/ sired the change the council suspended
the rules and passed an ordinance fixing
the name of the street known before the I
war as Germauia avenue, as Belleview )
Place The name was changed from Ger <
mania avenue in 1918, because OF popular
dislike for anything suggesting Gers
many, but the ordinance gave two spell
ings Of the new title. The other spelling
was Bellevieu Place The residents pre-
fer Belleview Place and the council COM .
piled with their wishes.
SCHMIDT THANKFUL
FOR TREATMENT.
President Schmidt. who presided for
the last time, thanked the council for
the consideration it has shown the chair
and said he hopes the next president
will receive the same kind Of cooperation. :
Councilman Wilson replied with a
friendly little speech In which he de-
clared that he regretted to say that the
council must admit it has not shown the
same consideration for the chair at all
times that the chair has shown for those
on the floor.
"You have been absolutely fair and
courteous in your treatment of us. II
think we all will agree" said Mr.. WILL
son. and proposed that a vote of appre-
citation of Mr.. Schmidt's services be cast
The council responded unanimously.
The expression of appreciation was In
the nature of a more than ordinary per-
sonal triumph for Mr.. Schmidt being
proposed by an administration councils
man and supported by the other Jew.
EFT men In the body, since the president
has not hesitated TO cast his vote against
practically every administration meas-s
ure during his three years as councilman. ,
1t was considered a vindication by ths9
other NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. councilmen.
two Of whom are Republicans. These
Republican members who have voted
with the three home rule members. there
by forming the majority antiadministra-
ton faction, were roundly scored by
Mayor Jewett when Mr.. Schmidt was
elected. The mayor, it is said, took the
Republicans to task because Mr.. Schmidt
ia the first member of a minority party
ever to be elected to the presidency Of
the council in the history of the city.