Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-10
ASK HALT IN
SPENDING OF
PUBLIC MONEY
Opposition to Waste Indicates
No Appropriation fer
Fourth Celebration,

Indications that the Marion County
Council Of the American Legion will have
to look elsewhere than the city council
for an appropriation of $500 With which
to stage the Fourth Of July celebration
at the State fair ground began to APP
pear today
An ordinance appropriatipg this sum to
the use of the county council of the legion
was introduced at the regular meeting
of the city council Monday evening and
the council refused to pass it under sus
pension Of the rules. 1t is slated to be
included In business to be taken up at a
special meeting which Mayor Charles w.
Jewett may call early next week. In
case the mayor does not call the meeting,
President Russell Wilson Of the cit
council, has stated he viii not issue the
call 1t is understood the meeting would
be called primarily for the purpose of
acting upon an opportunity the city has
of obtaining the annual national encamp
ment of, the G. A. r. again this year.
1 The council will be called on to appro-
pirate $2Q,500 for this purpose, it is
said
Opposition to the gift of $500 to the
legion developed Monday night when Of
fcers of the county council put their
proposition up TO the city councilmen in
private session, it is said The coun-
! cilmen oppose the gift, not upon the
ground that they desire to block a wor-
( thy patriotic enterprise, but rather that
somebody, somewhere, sometime has got
to call halt upon the terrific waste of
| public moneys One of the cOuncilmen
said he understands that 1000 of the
$500 is to be spent by the legion on
fireworks. This member, who is engaged
In a business which brings him In close
contact with number of small invest
ors, said that for two months his Gus
toners have been coming in and request
ing that they be permitted to defer smau
payments on notes because high taxes
and high living costs, together with the
financial depression, have simply put
them against the wall
MONEY TO BLOW
ON FIREWORKS.
do you think 1 could look a single one
of those hard working people In the face
If l were to vote $4,000 Of their money to
be blown into the air in the form Of fire.
works." the councilman inquired.
Several councilmen frequently have ex-
the council to donate money 10 semi pub
lie enterprises which has fourlshed In
the past two or three years and they are
understood TO believe that the time has
come when the practice must be given
sudden, If somewhat rude. jolt The
council. out Of fear that II would be said
to lack civic spirit has granted the re-
quests without much question hereto
fore For instance. $4,000 was apprO-
he al Lob ton,
and $4,000 for the G. A. r. eDcampment
last year
Announcement Of adoption Of a pre-
Hminary resolution for the acquisition Of
90.3 acre golf course at an approx
innate cost Of SOS. 600 for the benefit OF
citizens Of Irvington by the board of
park commissioners. Thursday, also
aroused the ire Of the cOuncilmen who
are interested in stopping the everlast-
ing expense for public enterprises not alb
solutely necessary at this time.
COUNCIL POWERLESs
TO BLOCK EXPENDITURE.
The council is powerless 70 block this
expenditure because the park board un-
der the new park law. goes directly to
the State board Of tax commissioners on
the only kind Of bond issues upon which
approval is required. There is nothing.
however. TO prevent the council from ex-
pressing its disapprovaI through resolu-
tons or through refusal to pass ordi-
nances In which the park department
is interested.
Expenditure Of $4,000 on a golf course
for the benefit OF a few hundred we'll Ito
do citizens Of Iryington is particularly
obnoxious to some Of the councilmen who
have gone on record as being against the
expenditure Of any large sum for the
rehabilitation Of the city market, an in
stitution serving thousands Of people in
all stations Of life, for the reason that
they do not believe the taxpayers can
stand any further financial drain.