Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-08-26
LITTLE ALLEY is
CAUSE OF KICKS
Contract Let Months Ago, but
No Work Done.

The first alley south of Highland drive
from Park avenue to the first alley east
is a short and unimportant section OF
Indianapolis vast system of highways,
but 1t was the cause of such a vigorous
complaint at the city hall yesterday that
the board Of public works was aroused to
the Point of promising extraordinary
swift action.
Edgar M. Heaton, 1910 Park avenue,
and Frank B. hoffman. 6S3 Highland
drive. told the story of the sad neglect
Of the alley in no unmistakable terms.
Early last summer, Mr. Heaton said.
property owners petitioned for the per-
manent improvement of the alley.
The board of works ordered plans and
the city civil engineer set about their
preparation.
The resolution was advanced to the
point where it was about time to let
the contract, when somebody discovered
that the engineers office had surveyed
the wrong section of the alley and 1t
was necessary to start all over again.
This delayed the matter until this year,
when the property owners, who had been
forced to rent garages all winter be-
cause they could not reach their own
through the impossible alleys, started
on the warpath again.
GOT THROUGH
WITHOUT ERROR.
This time the engineers office got
through without an error, at least none
has been discovered so far, and the
contract was let to A. D. Bowen, with
the final date for completion set at
July 10.
However, to this date there has never
been even a spade full of dirt dug to-
ward fulfilling the contract, the object
ing property owners told the board.
City Civil Engineer Frank c. Lingen-
felter told Mr.. Hefton and Mr. Kotte-
man that the contractor had been de-
layed because he could not get cement.
THAT would be all right said Mr..
Heaton. eff the same contractor had not
been awarded several other contracts
fter he got ours and completed them
without even touching that alley.
1--WE also wouldn't be quite so insistent
that something be done If it were not
for the fact that man out In our neigh
borhood openly boasts that he has In
fluence enough down at the City hall to
get a street improved even when there
are no houses on either side of it,
who was that MANI" Board Member
Mark Miller wished to know.
"A man named Nelson" Mr.. Heaton
promptly replied.
BOARD MAKES
PROMISE.
The board promised that they would
call the contractor IN Immediately and
find ont why he has not started work on
the alley.
on the request OF attorneys for prop
erty owners who are opposing the
strengthening Of the jog in Illinois street
az Sixteenth street, the board postponed
final action until next Wednesday.
The property owners fled remon-
STRANGE accompanied by a plea in abate-
ment, IN which It was contended the
board did not have the power 10 make
the Improvement because IL involved the
widening Of Illinois street.
Corporation Counsel Samuel Ashby has
prepared an opinion which viii be deliv-
cred next Wednesday, the board an
nounced.
The board granted contracts as fol
lows:
Grading Of roadway In Twentythird
street from Schurman avenue to Park
way boulevard, Mansfield Engineering
Company. s1.66 a lineal foot; total, So
O4258
Cement eurbs, grading and crawling
in Thirty ninth street from ByFam ave
nue. TO Conser street. Charles schwert
S26T lineal foot; total. S2.ls9 20.
Grading Of Berwick avenue from Michi-
gan to Vermont street. J. II King 4
Co. 50 cents a llneal foot :; total. S403 ~
Local sewer in Tibbs avenue from
Tenth street TO point $40 feet south, J.
II. King & Co, 500 a lineal foot, total
$4,000.