The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-07-20
new MEASURE.
FOR $4,000
DELAYS ACTION
Council Increases Appropria-
ton for Turbine but Post
pones Final Action for Two
Weeks.
ARGUMENT IS BITTER

A new ordinance increasing the ap-
preparation for a 5000 k w turbine
unit at the municipal power plant
from 100000 to IT'S 900 which sum is
insufficient to cover the approximate
cost OF the improvement, according to
statements made by representatives of
the city administration, failed Of pas
sage at the city council meeting Mon
day night because a necessary unan-
imous vote could not be obtained to
suspend the rules for the adoption of
the measure.
Councilmen Evans and Stegman
voted against the suspension of rules
AS a consequence consideration OF
plans for increasing municipal plant
production will be held up until coun-
Gil meets again, two weeks hence.
Became Entansled.
Those who attended the council
meeting were entertained by frequent
disputes, but they had a difficult time
keeping pace with the proceedings.
Parliamentary procedure eventually
became SO ensnarled that newspaper
reporter of long experience with coun-
cilmanic affairs secured permission
from the presiding officer, Councilman
Williams, to interrogate council to de-
terInine the status of the proceedings.
Debate was featured by clash be-
tween City Attorney B. c. Robbins and
Councilman Ford. A representative
of a company which recently contract
ed to install a coal storage device at
the municipal plant had just concluded
a statement refuting charge made in
council a week ago that the cost of
the equipment, $4,000, was $4,000
more than it was worth, declaring the
sales price represented a profit of only
Is per cent, when the city attorney
took the floor and asked Mr.. Ford to
conduct a cross-examinatiOn If he was
not satisfied with the statement.
Wants Him Satisfied.
He said he wanted Mr.. Ford to have
a thorough knowledge Of the deal,
otherwise he might sit around his
shop and complain to callers that all
the facts were not revealed.
Mr. Robbins referred to Mr.. Ford as
a gossip. Ford denied that he had
been responsible for the charge that
the city had not received fair deal
in the purchase of the coal storage
device. The presiding officer finally
ended the dispute and remarked that
it be a good plan to provide set of
boxing gloves for future council meet
ings.
Council took up the question Of in
creasing the municipal plants capac-
ity, which the power users of the city
have been vehemently demanding for
over a year, by adopting get to-
gether" resolution, framed in accord
ance with City Controller Bescher's
urgent plea that the legislative and
administrative branches of the city
government bury their differences and
act for the best interests of the COM
munity.
But when the meeting had adjourned
council and the board of public works
were just as far apart as ever.
Calls for Conference.
The resolution, introduced by COun-
Gilman Waterman, called for a confer
ence Of council members, board mem
bers, city controller, superintendent
and engineer Of the municipal plant,
Howard Gluys. former plant engineer,
local manufacturers familiar with
electrical machinery and, IF possible
members Of the Indiana Public Utili-
ties Commission, for the purpose Of
considering plans for installing addi-
tional equipment at the plant
Prior to the adoption of this reSOlu-
ton council was reminded that the
turbine unit the board desires to con-
tract for was recommended by an ex-
pert electrical engineer employed by
the city to ascertain necessary plant
improvements, and that the chief
engineer of the state utilities commits
sion had indicated that the improve
ments contemplated were necessary.
Revokes Decision.
A few minutes after council had de-
eided that no plant Improvement
policy should be formulated until a
general conference could be held, it
revoked its own decision by adopting
a resolution that the board should ad-
vertise for bids for equipment for a
turbine unit, the installation to be
made bv the city, and bids for a unit
with the installation to be made by
the contracting company, and that it
was the sense of council that the city
should make its own installation of the
unit
Then. to the amaZement of the spec
tators, council executed another about
face 1t adopted a resolution to the
effect that if the board thought best
and the board does-to contract for a
turbine unit with the installation to be
made by the contracting company and
the council would acQuiesce and pro-
vide any additional sum necessary pro-
viding the proposed appropriation OF
s175.OOO was insufficient to meet the
cost.
Defeats Appropriation.
After this third resolution had been
adopted an unsuccessful effort was
made to pass an ordinance appropriate
ing SITS, 900 for plant improvements
under suspension of rules.
Board members declare that the
chief engineer of the state utilities
commission, who must pass upon and
approve any improvements for the city
plant, has made it quite plain to them
that he can see no advantage in the
city purchasing the various parts OF
the proposed unit and then having the
unit installed by local talent, In other
words the commission engineer advo-
Gates the complete installation of the
unit by the contracting firm, thus Civ
ing the city guarantee that the work
will be satisfactorily done.
The majority Of the councilmen
have made il quite plain, however, that