The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-26
sTREET-RAILwAY COMPETITION.

commodations, of the existing street-railway
of indianapolis, need no application. No
city in the United States has been so stability
treated and no people have been more patient
largely because there appeared 10 be no pos
sibility of redress. The public press has
voiced the general complaint time and again,
and called upon either the company or the
Council or the city officers to make an effort
for betterment But the appeal has been
to deaf ears. About every specification in
the charter for the protection and conven-
fence of the people has been persistently
ignored. The company has enjoyed what its
manager called at the Boston Railway Con-
vention "a soft snap" and for some reason
or other the Council has done moth
ing, nor attempted to do anything.
for the public. Therefore the peo-
pie of the city who patronize the
streetrailway have been compelled
to ride in cars that are more like stables for
beasts than places for human beings. They
have been compelled to hold on by straps in
one side to the other to answer the command
of surly driver to pass up your fare"
They have been compelled to ride in band
box cars one end of which is devoted to peo-
Pile who cannot refrain from smoking even
for so long as it takes to make trip to their
homes, and who are forced to pass through
the entire length of the car twice with their
cigar smoke putting into the faces of every
body. The people have been compelled to
run after cars and yell at the top of their
voices until they can attract the attention of
the driver, who to look out for passengers
must necessarily abandon care for his
team, and take the risk of running
over somebody or coliding with another
vehicle. The people have been compelled to
get off the bob-tail cars and the handbook
denominations into the mud and filth, or else
the street crossings and half the street must
be INSTRUCTED by the body of the car. There
is no end to the outrages that have been and
are being perpetrated upon the citizens of In
dianapolis because of the utter disregard of
their contract by the street-railway compa-
n.y. the manager of which gleefully asserts
that he has "the softest snap in the country"
Of course this manner of managing any
public interest sooner or later meets with
disaster. Money may be squeezed out of
such policy Tor time, but there comes an
end to it in some way, and the
Of In how fha
opportunity to avoid the scanty ac-
commodations of the Citizens company by
accepting the superior ones offered by the
Metropolitan company, the ordinance to in
corporate which is now pending before the
Council. The company is composed of
wealthy and well-known men, principally of
Cleveland o., but are united with such of
our citizens as Albert f. Fletcher and Judge
g. C. Hines, whose names and characters are
sufficient to commendit to confidence, and to
insure it against the charge of being in any
degree other than bona fide enterprise. The
impression has been formed to some extent
that the projectors of this new company are
in quarrel with the managers of the old,
because of trouble in Cleveland, and if this
were the motive the ordinance should not
receive one moments favorable considera-
ton. indianapolis streets and Indi-
annapolis people are not to be used
by any man or set of men
to ''get even" with any other set. But We
are assured by men OF the highest character
that such is no part OF the plan of the Met
ropolitan company; but that believing In
dianapols should have better system of
street railways and better facilities, and that
the city is amply able to give profit to the
capital to be invested, they propose to come
here and lay, equip and conduct frst-class
line OF railway, such as the ordinance pro-
poses and provides for Looking at it from
every point of view, believing that competi-
ton may do what appeal to monopoly has
entirely failed in having even entertained,
we are favorable to the new company, and
hope the ordinance will be passed at once.
The proposed system differs from the
existing one in important particulars. The
Ce'lo arc W DO NOuDAO-OhNSiS1 anu thOy
are to be provided with drivers and
conductors; no passenger is to pay fare to
any other not a conductor. The tram of the
rails is to be not less than three inches wide,
which will afford good roadway for other
vehicles, and not prove an obstruction to the
streets. Children under six years Of age lit
is three with the old com pany) are to be car
ried free, and eleven fare tickets are to be
sold for fifty cents, and thirty fare tickets for
81 to school children for school purposes.
Transfers are to be given from one line to
another SO TINT one fire will take q nassen-