The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-03-23

ton administration, in January
1890
Garry Staggering Burdens
Today, as a result Of this contrac-
tors harvest from 1926 to 1890
scores Of building lots and other
classes of realty carry assessment
burdens of four to six times their
actual value.
Lots in various sections Of Mum
Gle worth not more than $3.50 have
$500 to $1,000 municipal plasters.
On books Of Lester Holloway, city
controller, are more than $4,000 &C
pounts-not, of course, all separate
pieces of property, but some with
-four, five and six assessments against
khem, each assessment being rated
Rs separate account.
1t was a golden day for the con-
tractors when Hampton assumed Of
fee in 1926. The first two years
were profitable enough, but 1928 and
1929 we're mint years.
Easy to Get Contracts
1t was easy under the System"
to order street improvements. And
by some coincidence. virtually all
ahe good contracts went to two
Muncie firms which waxed wealthy
under the Hampton regime-Curtis
e. Gubbins and the w. M. Burch
60.
With amazing regularity, regard
less of high or low bids, concrete
Jobs went to Curtis g. Gubbins for
S2.44 a square yard and asphalt
projects to the Burch firm for $1.88.
SO great became the ennui of these
concerns that they rarely bothered
to change their figures, even to get
a little credit for imagination.
Concrete, 1t may be said here, is
being laid under contracts given by
the Dale administration for $1.37 to
SLIGO a square yard. No asphalt
: Jobs have been let.
With their Golfers already well
filled. contractors made one final
clutch at profits just before Dale's
entrance to office. Sixteen jobs were
let, almost all of them on long
streets, paving, curb and gutter.
Grab Is Halted
But the present mayor acted
promptly to halt the grab. He can
celed all contracts. The battle now
is on in court, with concrete and
asphalt firms seeking to obtain in
functions to prevent reletting.
Two projects which stand out as
plaring examples of paving trust
tactics are those in H. G. r. Walls
Second addition and Whitley,
where many Negroes live in small
homes.
During Hampton's term project
was showed through by which five
streets in Whiteley were paved, each
for distance of four blocks,
Water bound macadam (Which is
merely crushed rock, rolled was
used For the twenty blocks, the
price was $60,56150, at the rate of
approximately $1.95 a square yard.
Reputable engineers say that 81
a square yard is a fairly high price.
Some lots were assessed around
5000, others as high as 5000.
Lot Owners "SmOthercd"
In the Wall addition. which still,
Sn many parts, resembles the wide
open spaces, there are streets which
have everything-paving, curb, gut
1Olnfc Tho
assessments in many cases were far
more than the sparsely inhabited
property is worth today. The con-
tractors wallowed in gravy and the
Jot owners now wallow in debt.
AS another example of how high
the paving trust rode in the latter
half of Hampton's term, and how it
had been checked by Dale, there still
is a claim of nearly 100000 which
the paving trust is trying to collect.
A fund of $4,000 had been appro-
priated yearly for intersections,
which the city is obliged to main
tain. In 1929 two firms, despite the
$4,000 limit, did work on intersec-
tons for which they turned in bills
of approximately 100000.
Refuse to Pay Claims
These had not been collected
when Hampton passed out of
Office, and, from present indications,
will not be. Certificates of indebt-
edness now are in the paving firms
vaults and payment of them is re-
fused regularly by the Dale adj
miniStration.
One of the big fights of Dale and
his aids was over a 100000 in
plant. They consistently have
fought the overwhelmingly, one
of the kind which can mean i'm
mense profit to officials who think
first OF their own purses and later,
in a casual way, of what happens
to the taxpayer.
Despite pressure of every kind
which could be brought to bear,
this project has been halted. after
expenditure of about $4,000 for an
engineers survey.
Gravy Offered Dale
so great was the pressure and
so tempting the offers" said Hollo-
way today, that we can prove.
through dictaphone records, that
one man, vitality interested. told
Mayor Dale, When this goes over
you'll find so many thousand" dol
Jars in your lap"
Cities which have paid exorbitant
sums for fire equipment might
study with profit the reduction IT
costs effected by the present Mum
Gle municipal administration.
In 1923. under Mayor Hampton,
the city bought pumper and lad