The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-02-23

armOry prone was postponed
when State Senator John l.. Nj
blacks motion to make the probe
committees report special order
of business at 3 p. m. Tuesday was
passed.
The state senate committee prob
ing the national guard armory
situation missed the main point OF
the investigation, it appeared today.
The committee Sidestepped the
question of construction costs in its
report presented to the senate at
p. m. Friday.
Senator Thurman A. GottSchalk
OF Berne, Democratic member of the
state budget committee, who intro
duced the resolution which caused
the inquiry, said he believed his
resolution was broad enough to cover
the construction cost phase, and that
it had been his intention that this
should be gone into.
1t was learned, however, that Sen
ator Carl NJ. Gray, Petersburg, as a,
member of the subcommittee with
Senator French Clements. Evans
vile. did start a construction cost
check.
Price Discrepancy Shown
Gray submitted plans of certain
armories. provided by Adjutant-
General William H. Kershner, to an
engineer here and he traced wide
discrepancy between the price paid
the Ostronn Realty and Construction
Company and fair estimate at
which the work could be done, it
is said.
The same Checker" also learned
that a concrete driveway paid for
at the Franklin armory is a cinder
path, and that copper cornices, Or
dered i'll the specifications and paid
for as such. are painted ones.
1t is said that when these matters
were brought to the attention OF
committee members they seemed to
have lost interest and the engineer
still has the data.
Senator Alouzo H. Lindley, King
man. chairman of the committee,
said that he knew of no such check
being made. that the committee
was not empowered to check con-
struction costs, and that no money
was available to employ any ex-
pertS to do so.
Admits Driveway 'Skimping'
Lindley admitted knowing about
the driveway and cornices, but no
reference is made to such things in
the report.
1t does advise that the board Of
accounts be empowered to creek
construction costs and that here
after lease rentals be paid through
the auditors Office. as other public
monies, and not by Kershner to
Kershner as member of the ormary
board and board of trustees, as In
the past.
The entire closed corporation
plan, pointed out as beneficial to the
Ostrom company and the Peoples
State Bank, its parent institution,
was recommended for abandon
ment.
No recommendation was made re-
garding the tax-exempt bonds used
in financing, being put on the tax
duplicate. but Gray expressed the
opinion that there was no reason he
could see for their being tax free.
Up in Senate Today
The recommendation were slated
for discussion in the senate today.
Should they be approved, the lease
rentals, totaling $4,000 annually
will be provided TO carry on the ar
mories already constructed, but no
more will be built without definite
legislative provision, free and open
competition, and thorough checking
OF all costs.
Gottschalk said that he is Of the
opinion that the entire request
should be stricken from the approp-
Ration bill ana the armories hand
ed back by the trustees to the Peo-
piles State bank andd the Ostrom
company, by whom the plan was
fostered throughout the Jackson
regime.
Lindley declared that the reason
for the lease-rental approval was
TO protect the small banks and
bondholders. He said that he had
inquired OF lawyer as TO whether
the bank. as sponsor, was not
guaranteeor of the bonds and was
given the informal opinion that
they were.
President Felix NJ. McWhirter OF