Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-11-16

--H-sN the NAAs NUlltEU4ltE prepare q month
" statement on the general financial con-
ditiOn of the city and have the heads of
departments submit monthly accounts of
the expenditures, receipts and balances
In their department funds These reports
he probably will have submitted at the
monthly cabinet meeting, which he will
revive. The law provides that the mayor
Ashall hold cabinet meetings once a month.
~The cabihet comprises the department
heads. Mayor Charles ". Jewett held
a few such meetings in the middle OF
his administration. but the department
heads have not been called together for
months. The value Of such sessions lies
in the exchange Of ideas and advice, Civ
ing the mayor the direct benefit of the
experiences of his Neutenants to be ap-
piled to the solution OF general prob
lens.
one PLAN THAT
SHANK ADVOCATES.
One Of the plans for obtaining &C
curate information upon what the people
want, advocated by Mr.. Shank. is that
whenever q controversy over any improve
ment proposed by the board of public
works arises an inspector shall be sent
to the affected neighbOrhOOd TO take u
poll of every citizen financially in
terested
The present system is for the board OF
works to listen to such citizens as take
the trouble TO appear before 1t on the
day Of hearing upon a resolution.
Sometimes the present board acts ac-
cording to the wishes Of the majority
OF people who appear and sometimes ii
does not. The board meets at 10 O'Clock
on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
mornings. 1t is practically impossible
for most working people TO get to the
city hall at these times and so the vast
majority never get an opportunity to
personally express their views upon I'M
provements.
Since the greater part OF the tax
payers are working people who have
gained ownership of their modest homes
after years Of hard work and saving
often at the cost of foregoing some OF
the actual necessities of life, Mr.. Shank
believes some system should be devised
by which these people could be given
bn opportunity to have a voice upon i'm
prOvements which sometimes add
hundreds Of dollars to their financial
burdens.
WILL INSIST STREET
PLANTS BE ANSWERED.
The mayor-elect said he is going to in
sist that the street commissioner have his
men answer complaints about holes in
the streets and ssidewaIks and troubles
in the sewer system Immediately.
I'm going to have men right on the
job TO answer complaints just as fast as
Il IS humanity possible he asserted. 1T
might be. Of course, that the men would
get overloaded with work and it would
be a few days before a repair would be
made, but there is going to be no more Of
this thing Of receiving complaints, prom
Using repairs and then let the matter lay
around until it finally is forgotten"
Special attention viii be given to the
situation in Brightwood, where the clay
subsoiI swallows up almost all Of the
gravel and cinders placed upon Inim-
proved streets. The real solution Of
Brightwood's street troubles is in the
laying of improved pavements, it has
been pointed out a number Of times, but
the difficulty lies in the fact that most
of the home owners Of BTightwOOd do
not have the funds available 10 pay the
heavy cost of paving.
We've simply got to find some way
Of taking care Of those BrightwoOd peo-
pie without putting too much expense
upon them" said Mr.. Shank.
ANOTHER PROBLEM
To GET ATTENTION.
Another street problem that is going to
receive considerable attention. according
to Mr.. Shank, is the preservation Of wood
block pavements. Every time there is a
spell Of rainy weather almost all wooden
beck pavements are seriously damaged.
This, according to experts, is due to the
&fact that the creOsOte has dried out Of the
blocks. making it possible for water to
soak them. There ought to be some
process Of treating the blocks with more
creOsote or some kind Of oil to prevent
this water soaking, 3Ir. Shank said. and
he is going to have jobs Lloyd Elliott,
his new city civil engine49, look into the
matter.
Inspectors are going to inspect under
Mayor Shank. He said every inspector
IS going to be on the job and by that
I mean that he is going to be on the
job" upon every contract let by the
board of public works.
The weights and measures department
is going to be required to watch scoal
snd ice deliveries closely, Mr.. Shank said
The women assistant market masters will
be expected to help out the weights and
measures inspectors at the city market
by watching closely for short weighing
and Overcharging.
City license ordinances will be enforced
strictly So that the city Will get every
penny in revenue coming TO it from these
sources, he promised.
LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS
PIE UP At HOME.
More than 1000 kilograms and letters
are piled upon a table at Mr.. Shank
home, 3J47 Eas< Washington street.
1T Is simply impossible for me per
sonaIly TO answer all OF these, so 1 want
TO tell everybody who wrote to me that
I thank them for their congratulations
and offers Of cooperation and they viii
have to wait until 1 get into the mayor :
office to thank them more directly. 1
Will see everybody at the mayors Office
after Jan >
I've got every kind Of letter and tele-
gram imaginable in that pile. One fell
low wrote me twenty -fOur pages. He
started on Sunday afternoon, wrote some
more on Monday and finished It on Tues
day. He wanted to tell me he just
couldn't sleep because he was worrying
ssO about what all the little doggies were
going to do out in the cold, old world if
lie isn't appointed to a job at the city
dog pound"
Problems facing the city viii be taken
up in detail at the first meeting Of the
mayor with department heads which
probably VIII De held Dec. 10, Mr.. Shank
said.
Following pleas from every part of the
city, Mr.. Shank said - will retain r.
Walter Jarvis. present commissioner of
recreation, whe is in a hospital at Phila-
delphia, In some capacity in the recrea-
ton department.