The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-11-15
Near Fist Fight Is Result
of Statement Hurled at
State Examiner.
CONNECTION is DENIED
= StatehouSe Visit CIimaxed
by Heated Argument
Over Report.
BY DANIEL VI. KIDNEY

WlllidfIl II bOOkl CIVIC dIIdlrS sec
retary of the Chamber of Commerce,
came to the statehouse this morn
ing and told Lawrence F. Orr, chief
examiner of the state board of ac-
counts, that Orr's department is be-
ing run at the dictation of c. c..
Shipp. heating speciality manufac-
turer.
The result was a loud argument
and near fist fight.
Book made the statehouse visit
upon publication of a report of the
state board of accounts which, he
" -'~~l0-! him out for criticism
when he was business director of
1929.
He asserted that the criticism was
leyejed at him for something that
generally is practiced in the schools,
and that the whole point was to
embarrass him because of his fight
to open the schools to competition in
the matter of heating specialtieS.
Shipp has had the buildings eX-
clusively for years on his direct
indirect heating system, despite eff
forts of the state tax board, Cham
Der of Commerce and Indiana Tax
payers Association to establish COM
petition. Book said.
Teckmeyer Takes Blame
Orr vehemently denied any Shipp
connection with the report, and Ross
TeckmeY +, field examiner who pre-
pared the report, declared that if
Book thought he had been mis-
treated to blame him (Teckmeyer)
personally.
The charge against Book was that
under his regime more than $4,000
had been paid consulting architects
for Shortridge high school, without
appropriation. Book asserts this
procedure has been followed in all
the school building program.
Orr Denies Charge
Denying the Book charge that the
report was designed to keep him
from being considered as business
manager for the new school board,
Orr declared that if he wanted to
play politics" he could have put
out the report before the election.
Book assured them that he didn't
want the position, but did object
to being "victimized for the sake
of c. c. Shtpp."
''The fact is, that the procedure
complained of has been followed by
other school business directors at
other times and has not been criti-
cised until now," Book said in a
statement following the alteration
with Orr.
Financial affairs of the school
city for this particular period we're
examined by examiners of the state
board of accounts a long while ago,
and this criticism was not made in
that report. But, technically, there
was an appropriation in the 1925
1926 budget of 100000 fcr ccn-
struction of the new Shortrilge nigh
school.
Applies to All Payments
"True, this budget was not adopt
ed until about Sept. IS and the pay
ments we're made in August, but
that applies to all payments made
from July l to the time when the
budget was adopted.
THAT was the fault of a system
which was in effect for a good many
years prior to my/incumbency. and
since, and which I have urged ever
since my experience in the office,
ought to be changed. 1t was not
changed until year ago, but even
then ii was done in a manner that
does not clear away all the objec-
tons"
AS a result of the. board of &C
cflnts report showing overdraughts,
a new system of checking eXpendi-
lures is to be put in operation in
the Indianapolis school city, Orr
stated.
The school board spent s37.04l A
for Shortridge high school without
appropriation, the accounts board
report states. To cover deficiency
in the building fund. the board has
transferred SS4,915 from the general
school funds, Orr said.
Such overdrafts never should be
approved by the city controller. nor
paid by the county treasurer under
the law, he pointed out. Since the
disclosure of irregularities. Sterling
r. Holt. city controller. has assigned
Thomas L. Eikenberry to the school
board Offices TO check all expendi-
lures before receiving his o. K.
Under the school city law. the city
controller is auditor and the Marion
county treasurer handles the school