Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 31, Number 120, 22 May 1906 — Page 1

MIC MONB ABIUM VOL.XXXI. NO, 120. Richmond, Indiana, Tuesday Morning, May 22, 1906. Single Copies, Two Cents, WITHERBY FOUND FAULT CONDUIT MATTER CITY IS FAILING LI TO DIDN'T LIKE THE REPORT Man Who Wanted to Buy the Municipal Light Plant Refuses to State Whether He Will Give Up Now That Report is Made. Council Appoints a Committee to Co-Operate with Board of Works on Matter. More Seats Must Be Sold or May Festival Will Be a Financial Failure.

rrp

p ATT

COMMITTEE PRONOUNCED IN OPINION

0 OVER AGAIN

SUPPORT

Those Appointed to Investigate Advisability of Selling Light Plant Report in Favor of Keeping Concern Under City's Ownership.

IS E The Voluminous Report Covering Every Phase of- the Plant and Its Operation Was Made tojlouncil at Its Meeting Last Night. PLANT WILL BE RETAINED COUNCIL, AFTER HEARING THAT THE CONCERN HAS BEEN MAK- . INQ MONEY, AND THAT IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO SELL TO E. E. WITHERBY'S COMPANY, VOTES X TO ACCEPT COMMITTEE'S REPORT IN FULL REPORT IN DETAIL. "The Committee begs to state that In Its unanimous opinion, the proposition of Mr. Witherby should not bo accepted by the city."

FINDING

PS

Such is the concluding paragraph to the voluminous report of the special joint committee of council and of citizens, which was submitted to the council last night with reference to the proposition of Eastern capitalists to purchase the municipal electric s light plant. IJ The finding of the committee was not a surprise; In fact it had been expected by most persons who had given any study at all to the monthly reports of the Board of Public Works during the past year. The critical financial analysis of the light department's affairs by E. G. McMahan showed conclusively that Instead of the business of the plant going backward .there has been a forward movement from the very start and the increase of the receipts t er operating expenses have been such during the past year to show that municipal lighting can be, and in fact is, a success in Richmond. The committee points out the fact that the franchise of the Richmond Light, Heat & Power company will expire thirteen years hence, a comparatively short period, when the life of such valuable franchises is considered, and the city by holding on to its lighting plant, will bo able at that time to have undisputed sway in the commercial lighting business. It is also pointed out by the committee that the dangers of a transfer of the plant to a private company are more numerous than most people might imagine. For Instance the outstanding bonds of $140,000 would continue to be direct and binding obligations of the city, even t-ough prospective purchasers should bind themselves to assume payment. Without great safeguards thrown about the whole transaction the committee says, the danger would be great . - v . ' - y , ;-v . The Action of Council. ' It took City Clerk Taggart just one hour to read the report in its entirety, but it was listened to with the greatest Interest by the councllmen ' and the small "gallery" present. At the conclusion of the reading, Councilman O'Neal moved that the report of the general committee be 'received and the recommendation It contained be concurred in. This mo-

tlon was unanimously adopted. The recummenaauon 01 me commmee referred to was that the plant bo retained by the city. The Mayor's Statement. After the report had been adopted Mayor Zimmerman expressed his satisfaction on the results of the committee's investigations. ' "Right now I feel more satisfaction in my administration than ever before," was the self-laudatory preface to the Mayor's remarks. Continuing in the same . strain he said: "There has been a great deal of graft talk ever since the plant T.'as first built, and this has been ding-donged into my ears all the time, bo it is with a great deal of pleasure that I have heard the committee's report that the plant was in splendid condition and on a paying basis. Right hei;e I want to say it will be found to pay in everything. I am particularly gratified that this investigation was made during my admin- . letration, as I have been hammered at Cf.-t onnstuntlv for th nnst vor Tho r.

. ort vindicates my policy." H Tb Print the Report. Councilman t'euker stated that 'Continued on Pane 5.

E. E. Witherby, the man responsible for the municipal light plant agitation, was an interested spectator at the council meeting last evening and he gave the closest attention to the report of the general committee. He received the action of council in approving the report and concurring in its recommendation without moving an eye. Mr. Witherby didn't think much of the report and after council adjourned he picked out several flaws in the document for the benefit of those who remained in the council chamber. "Have you given up hopes of securing the municipal plant?" asked a reporter of Mr. Witherby. "Now you are looking for news,

are'nt you?" he replied with a laugh. He was pressed to make a statement as o whether the corporation which he represents would make another effort to buy the property but he refused to commit himself. THIRTY EIGHT TO RECEIVE DIPLOMAS Graduating Class at High School This Year Is Not as Large as Usual. COMMENCEMENT JUNE 15 AN ADDRESS WILL- BE DELIVERED BY A SPEAKER NOT YET SELECTED LIST OF THOSE WHO WILL GRADUATE. Thirty-eight names are on the Senior class roll of the High School this year, and of this number, nearly all will graduate in June. In addition, there are eight pupils who finished their work for a diploma in February, and these will take part in the commencement exercjses to be held next month. The class this year is not as large as usual. The program for the closing exercises, which are to be held in the chapel on Friday, June 15, has not yet been arranged. It will include an address by some prominent speaker, who has not yet been selected. The roll of the Senior class, as it stands at present without the eight February graduates, is as follows: Nellie Bulach, Estella Cates, Glena Clendenin, Florence Davenport, Hazel Gregg, Edna Deuker, Beulah Eliason, Mary Gluys, Jessie Garver, Electa Henley, Rhea Hutchinson, Grave Hoover, Esther Hill, Esther Jones, Pearl Moss, Florence Mote, Mary Myers, Dot Rush, Grace Paulus, Cora Reynolds, Katherine Rettig, Maude Reynolds, Nora Endsley, Elizabeth Thomas, Hiriam Austin, Mary Bescher, June Van Allen, Marguerite Wilson and Florence Corwin and Wilbur Hasemeier, Ralph Guyer, Frank Brown, Brock Fagan, Earl Burk, Myron Hill, Monroe Vorhees and Charles McClelland. BELIEVE IT WAS MURDER Aged Recluse Found Dead at Logansport Under Circumstances Something Similar to Lucy Case. Publishers Press Logansport, Ind., May 21. Miss Martha Buchanan, aged 75, a recluse, was found dead this morning. At first it was thought heart failure caused her death, but now it is believed murder was committed. Considerable cash which she received Saturday from the sale of some property is missing. Neighbors Informed the police that cries for help had been heard during the night. ANXIETY IS INCREASING The Pope Shows no Signs of Improvement and There Has Been Recurrences of Menanclng Fever. Publishers' Press Rome, May 22. The Pope's Illness stubbornly refuses td yield to medical treatment and anxiety over his condition is generally increasing. Dr. Lapponi persists in his refusal to discuss his holiness case except to say that he is not at present in danger. Yesterday there were several recurrences of the fever which is now re'.garded as the most menacing symp tom of the disease.

BELL COMPANY'S PLANS

NOW THE INTENTION TO PLACE CONDUITS IN ALLEY NORTH OF MAIN STREET MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP PROBLEM. The conduit matter bobbed up again alst evening at council and aftter a short discussion the delay, linger and wait policy was again adopted on the excuse that some of the new councllmen were not yet thoroughly acquainted with the subject. The attitude taken by council in the matter is best expressed in the words of Councilman-at-Large Von Pein, who stated that "the question should be thoroughly ventilated before any action was taken." Representatives of the Central Union Telephone Company were on hand In anticipation that council would make some move, so that they could begin work of placing their Main street wires underround. However, they were doom ed to disappointment. Council finally decided to appoint a committee to co-operate with the Board of Public Works in the conduit matter. This committee is composed of the Messrs. Ogborn, Englebert and Von Pein. The committee will first investigate the city's financial condition. Council favors municipal conduits and if the committee finds the city's pocketbook to be healthy it will probably recommend the building of conduits by the municipality. If the purse is found to be lean and hungry the committee will act with the Board, which is against municipal ownership of the conduits, n drawing up a contract with the Central Union Telephone company for the building ot conduits, to be owned independently by that corporation. City Attorney Gard ner, when furnished with the terms agreed upon by the city and the telephone company, will draw up an ordinance which will . be presented to council. Recently the Central Union people furnished the Board of Public Works their plans . for a condu; system. These plans are radically different from tho ones first talked of by that company. They call for a conduit system from Third street to Fourteenth street, the conduits being placed in the first alley north of Main street from Fourth street to Fourteenth street. According to these plans the conduits will be placed on Main street only for a distance of one block, from Third street to Fourth street. From Fourth and Main street the conduits will run north on Fourth 6treet to the first alley north of Main street. Branch conduits will run south on Fifth, Seventh, Ninth Eleventh and Fourteenth streets to the first alley south of Main street for the purpose of feeding wires into buildings located on thfe south side of Main street. Offer Land for Sale. At a meeting of the stockholders of the South Side Improvement association tonight, in the old South Side Hose house, on South Sixth street, the first land in the Beallview addition will be offered for sale. The property, which was recently acquired, has been divied into lots, with properly surveyed streets and alleys. It is expected that the lots will sell well from the first. Final Arrangements Made. Final preparations were made last evening at a meeting of the committee on arrangements for the great United Presbyterian Assembly, which will open here this week. Places have been found for all the delegates and everyone will be properly entertained. People have already commenced to arrive and the city will be full of the Presbyterians from all over the world, before another fortyeight hours. Local People Attend. Several persons went from Richmond to Hagerstown last evening to attend the opening meeting of the Wayne County Sunday School Convention. Among the visitors from here are Mrs. W. A. Ellis and Sylvester Harris, of the Sunday School of the Christian churcn. The program last evening consisted chiefly of an address. The election of next year's officers will be held on Wednesday. Edgar Hieger Very Sick. W. Edgar Hieger, a well known clerk at the Boston Store, is seriously ill and will be taken to a hospital at Cincinnati this morning. He will be accompanied by H. C. Hasemeier. WEATHER INDICATIONS. Indiana Fair in south; showers In the north portion Tuesday; Wednesday showers, fresh south winds. Ohio Fair in south, showers in north portion Tuesday; Wednesday, showers, fresh south winds.

More Americans will go abroad this money lavishly. News Item.

EXPERT M'MHAN'S REPORT

Voluminous Document and One Which Covers Every Phase of the Financial Condition of the Light Plant.

"Exhibit A" which is referred to In the committee's report elsewhere printed, alludes to the report of Expert McMahan. Of itself it is a voluminous document, the masses of figures covering seven typewritten pages. Every phase of the financial condition of the plant Is covered thoroughly and it was chiefly from the facts brought out from Mr. McMahan's investigation that the committee based its recommendation to not sell the plant. In part Mr. McMahan's report follows: BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT 1 Invoice of Plant August first, 1902 $153,030.56 Expenditures por to August first, 1902, from city treasury not Included in invoice of plant 5,551.73

Lamps Motors Meters Freight and drayage Repairs Arc Line Extension Transformer House , : Transformers Wire Wire and Insulators Cross arms, brackets, etc. Poles Merchandise Proportion of Pay Roll . . , Dam Hardware Furniture and Fixtures . . Line supplies Miscellaneous , , Less amount received from Mrs. Less depreciation Net value of Plant OPERATING Lamps Coal, Oil and Waste Pay Roll Freight and Drayage Repairs Office Rent Carbons Globes Wire Hardware . Furniture and Fixtures Phone Livery Printing and Stationery Interest Miscellaneous

RECEIPTS? Street lighting $ 38.255.75 Light and Power 105.558.45 Fans, lamps Etc., 122.75 Building and Equipment Account 78.72 Merchandise 715.24

Excess of receipts over operating

FINANCES FOR EACH YEAR. Mr. McMahan then goes into a detailed financial resume for each year of the light plants life and summarized his figures are as follows. The First Year. Value of Building and Equipment.. ...$181,833.42 Depreciation ...12,686.58 Valuation ...... . $169,146.84 Operating Expenses $27,874.59 Receipts .. $23,279.11

Cash deficit ... Depreciation . . Current deficit

Continued

SEEING EUROPE. year than ever before. It is also

6,198.68 791.25 ". . . 15,967.06 1,271.58 862.20 8,756.59 . 351.33 11,741.09 9,545.72 .' 479.10 2,167.29 285.14 207.78 5,720.00 1.037.34 :. 204.02 841.77 1.171.11 3,539.63 $229,770.97 428.76 229,342.21 . 49.699.81 Gaar $179,642.40 EXPENSES. 292.91 v7 31,254.34 31,215.56 6.9G6.32 2,657.74 1.500.00 1.491.65 727.47 36.76 70.43 9.40 162.95 1,001.25 257.70 31,187.45 3,899.14 $112,731.07 144.730.91 expenses .$31,999.84 .$ 4,595.48 .$12,686.06 .$17,282.06

to Page Four.

stated that these tourists will spend

CHARLES LUGAR HAS LEFT CITY Well Informed Insurance Man Is Mysteriously Missing From His Home. HIS ACCOUNTS STRAIGHT STRANGE ACTIONS CANNOT BE ACCOUNTED FOR AND HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER ARE MUCH WORRIED. Charles F. Lugar, assistant district superintendent of the Prudential In surance Company, and one of the best informed insurance men connected with the Richmond office of tf a Prudential company, has left Richmond, without a word to his wife and daugh ter ,and since last Thursday morning has not been seen. No reason for his hasty departure has been given and his friends are at a loss to account for his strange actions. Lugar has been employed by the Prudential company for three years, and during that time has advanced to an excellent position where he commanded a good salary. Supt, Graves stated last evening that Lugar was one of his best agents and had charge of this part of the Prudential district, which is composed of ten counties. Lugar's accounts are" straight, as his books show, and he had $60 salary due when he left, which amount he did not collect In his desk, which was opened Sunday, was a note saying that he had gone West, but without any further information. Wife and Daughter Worried. Supt. Graves was in Muncie last Thursday and Friday and did not arrive home until Saturday morning. He was informed by his cashier that Mr. Lugar had not been at the office for two days and he wondered where he had gone. Mrs. Lugar was seen and she was worried about her husband. His desk was then pried open and the short note discovered. No efforts have been made to find the missing man as it wa3 thought the he was not insane and went away for a purpose. Lugar was born and lived most of his life at Eaton, Ohio, where he still has many relatives. He was married eighteen years ago and has a daughter about fifteen years old. His wife and daughter are prostrated with the news of his mysterious leave taking and cannot imagine what caused it. His wife and daughter live in the flats above the Bee Hive grocery on Main street, No Fish, Laws Prevented. Sheriff Richard S. Smith and wife have arrived home from Niles, Michigan, where they spent several days with relatives. Mr. Smith did not bring home many fish, on account of the strict Michigan game laws, which, he said .prohibit the taking of fish out of the state. , Will Give a Social. Ladies Aid Society of Chester M. E. church will give an ice cream social at the church, hail on Saturday awning. -:

A WORTHY ENTERPRISE

PEOPE DO NOT SEEM TO APPRECIATE THE GREATNESS OF WHAT THEY WILL BE PRIVILEGED TO HEAR. The time is here when the people of Richmond must go to the rescue of it much-exploited reputation for culture and the giving of enthusiastic support to any object which has for its aim the artistic development of Its social life. The Richmond Festival Association, at the expense of much time and great labor, has perfected plans for what undoubtedly will be the greatest and most artistio series of concerts that Richmond, and in fact, any city in Indiana, has ever had the good fortune to be favored with. It is a fact to be regretted that up to the present the peoplo of Richmond have not displayed the enthusiasm that might rightfully be expected, in the light of such a worthy undertaking. It is not charged by the Festival Association that the people of Richmond are neglecting a duty, but it is apparent that they are not displaying an appreciation of an opportunity to hear what unquestionably is the greatest orchestra in the West if not in the United States; to listen to vocalists who have been the actual stars of some of the greatest music festivals in the country during the past year; and finally to hear the great Richmond chorus under the directorship of a Richmond man. The ambitious effort of the handful of men who have undertaken this big project is deserving of recognition and there is but one sort of recognition that will answer that is financial support. , The festival is not a money making enterprise. Not a single person in the organization nor the organization, will profit. The only hope has been that the festival shall pay its own way, thereby insuring future undertakings that shall be equally as great. The seat sale yesterday was not what it should have been. Today the plat will be found at the Starr Piano Company's retail salesroom at Main and Tenth streets and it will be found there from now until the concerts, May 28 and 29. The prices for single concerts are lower than the prices charged at festivals in larger cities, which cannot be classed as greater than that which Richmond is to have. For the evening concert all of the lower floor seats are $1.50; the balcony seats are $2 and those on the front row of the gallery, $1.50. For the matinee concert, seats on the lower floor are 75c; in the balcony, $1. The members of the executive board are hopeful that the response of the Richmond people from this time until the festival, will be of the enthusiastic kind. ' Relief Corps to Attend. A alrge delegation of the members of the Women's Relief Corps, the auxiliary society to the Grand Army ot the Republic, will go to Lafayette to attend the annual encampment. Among the visitors to Lafayette this week will be Mrs. Emma Ranks, Mrs. L. M. White, Mr. and Mrs. Hebbler, Mrs. Mary Early, Mrs. Kate Scott, Mrs. Mary Swain and Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Poinier. New Traction Cars. Six new interurban cars for the Indianapolis & Eastern Railway will be received on June 1. They will probably be used at once. Addresses by Rev. Kuhn. The Rev. T. H. Kuhn will deliver school commencement addresses this ' week at Blountsville, Porker, Sulphur Springs and Arlington. Next Sunday morning the Rev. Mr. Kuhn will deliver the Memorial Sunday Sermon to Grand Army members at the Chris tian church and on Sunday afternoon, he will make an address at the Elkhorn church South of Richmond. Bliss Before Grand Jury. IPubllshera Prel New York, May 21 Cornelius x. Bliss, treasurer of the Republican National Committee was a witness before the special grand jury which Is investigating the life "insurance scandal this afternoon. Mr. Bliss was called to tell the jury what he knows about the contributions of the New York Life Insurance Company to the Republican, campaign funds In recent years.