Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-01-27
TWO QUESTIONS
TO BE SOLVED
BY PARK BOARD
Federal Use of Boulevards and
Doubled Salaries From City
in Dispute.
CHANGES GOLF COURSE

Two important questions of policy
faced the board Of park commissioners
today. They are:
Shall United States mail trucks be per-
mitted to use the city's boulevards when
all other heavy traffic is prohibited?
Shall persons drawing salaries as
school teachers be permitted to draw
salaries as employees of the park depart
ment?
Uncle Sam has no more right to violate
the regulation forbidding truck tranlc on
boulevards than any other heavy vehicle
owner in the opinion of President Charles
A Bookwalter of the board, who ex-
pressed himself thus when a request
that the mail trucks be permitted to run
over the restricted highways was re-
ceived from Postmaster Robert H.
Bryson. Mayor Samuel Lewis Shank
agreed. The matter was referred to j.
Clyde Hoffman, attorney for the board,
for report at the next meeting and it was
suggested that Postmaster Bryson have a
representative present to tell why he
wants mail trucks to be given the special
privilege.
zone Of the things this board must
face Is that the boulevards have gotten
into very bad shape" said R. Walter jar
Wis, superintendent of parks. I'VE are
going to put them in shape of course, but
we have got to protect them. Besides I'm
thinking about the treatment we got
from the Federal authorities when we
wanted to put a Christmas tree out In
front OF the Federal building not long
ago. They wouldn't let US do it. I'm in
favor of reciprocity"
The question of paying city salaries to
those drawing pay from the school city
arose when Mayor Shank requested that
Miss Alice Mescan, assistant director Of
recreation for the past three years be
dismissed by the board. Miss Mescan is
teacher in the public schools. She gives
part OF her time to the recreation depart
ment in the winter, directing activities
in the community centers and the city
recreation workers school at the Lauter
Memorial and all of her time in the sum-
mer
Mr.. Jarvis came to the defense of Miss
Mescall, saying that she sis the best in
the United States" and that Cleveland,
Chicago and Cincinnati have been try
ing to take her away from Indianapolis.
Mayor Shank said he did not question
the ability of Miss MescalI but was con
cerned merely with whether or not the
park department has a legal right to
pay a salary to some one getting gay
from the taxpayers from another source
Mr.. Jarvis remarked that to raise such
a question very likely will hit people
in other departments" The mayor did
not care if it did. He wanted the ques-
ton settled once and for all. The mat
ter was referred to Mr.. Hoffman.
City Controller Joseph L. Hogue, re-
Gently announced that he was going to
try to find some way OF eliminating the
practice Of putting city employees on two
or three pay rolls so as to increase their
salaries. He said soma employees get
money from as high as three funds.
When it was reported that the ground
of the Ellenberger heirs upon which part
of the present Ellenberger golf course
IS located can not be leased again this
summer because it is being plated into
city lots and when a committee from the
ElIenberger Golf Club, which is made up
mostly of Iryington players, made a plea
for new facilities, the board, with Mayor
Shank's approval, instructed Superin-
tendent Jarvis to put some of the men
on the city's needy unemployed list to
work developing a new nine hole course
on the Disette property east Of Ellenberg-
er park, recently purchased by the city.
The course is to be ready for play in the
early spring.
A request Of the committee that the
fine house on the Disette tract be
turned into goH cluD mouse was turned
down for the time being, President Book
walter and Mayor Shank expressing the
feeling that the city has no right to
spend the 5000 year which would be
necessary to maintain it when there is
such a crying need for Fairgrounds in
many of the closely built up neighbor-
hoods. The committee acquiesced. as
sorting it was glad to get the promise
of the new course.
1t was stated that the new course can
be developed for the same amount as
would be required to renew the lease on
the Ellenberger property, were that pos
sible