The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-23

To the Editor Of tho indianapolis Journals
The ordinance introduced into the Council
last night amending the charter of the Citizens
Street-railway Company is fair and just. and
should be met in a liberal spirit 1t is very
extension of their charter, soon to expire, for
they propose to greatly extend their lines and
improve their property. In less than a week
after the new company bought the old one out
they contracted to expend about $4,000 for
summer cars. and have determined, as ! learn,
to substitute horses for the mules now in use
a. fast a. possible. Furthermore. 1 am told
that tho present tracks Gro to be overhauled as
fast a. possible. replacing them with double the
number of ties and new iron, so that we shall
have in these respects also a frst-class system.
Rights of way and such franchises or steam
railways are necessarily in perpetuity. as no
sensible men would care to invest millions OF
dollars IN such enterprises. If compelled to run
their chances OF obtaining this franchise every
few yeara / suppose it was with such o view
Of the matter that our City Council granted the
Dudley-strset franchise in perpetuity, which has
excited no opposition so far as / have observed.
Street-car charters in other cities run for nine
lynne years, and some IN perpetuity. with like
limitations Of taxes and street Improvements as
are embraced in the proposed and pending ordi-
nance respecting the Citizens Srreet-railway
Company.
The present charter limits the company to
animal power, and il is plain to all that the
electric or other kind Of motor must soon be in
troduced To keep pace with public demands.
Now. il is reasonable that q company with over
81. DOC. 900 invested, and proposing to invest as
much more in a few years should desire to have
the matter OF their franchise settled. What
railway out of Indianapolis would care to ex-
pend a large sum of money in substituting steel
rail TOR iron. If it had to meet the question of
franchise and right of way in a few years. OF
course the wise policy under such conditions
would be TO wait to see the outcome, and as a
result the public would have to
suffer the embarrassments of second.class
service. And SO in this instance Indianapolis
has suffered the embarrassments Of second-class
improvements as long as it ought. We all be-
lisve that the city is on the threshold of rapid
expansion and increase of population, and what
ever seems reasonable in securing frst-class
street-car Improvements ought to be met and
accepted. Under the proposed new charter it
is provided that there be a tax levied on the
cars. and TO be increased( from time TO time with
our anticipated increased population, till it
reaches the maximum fixed in like charters in large
cities OF five and seven hundred thousand popula-
ton. 1t also forever settles the question of the
Improvement Of the streets occupied by the
tracks, and that is right also. The street rail-
way company ought to keep that much Of the
streets in repair for their constant use. and the
principle might well In equity be extended to
the owners of vehicles. so far as tax is concerned,
for repairs. and thus relieve those who do not
wear out the streets.
While 1 regard Indianapolis under splendid
conditions for growth and development. certain
ly it would not be wise to strike ont on brand
new lines in every direction. We cannot afford
the risk of disreearding all precedent, and espe-
cially 30 when other cities much larger than ours
are not only satisfied with their systems, of
which the pending ordinance is . type. but are
ufill rpRnfinD liEn Aharfapa affAp see g o-D>-
rience. We may dwarf the city and its expected
growth by narrow, unwise and unprecedented
policy. JNo. B.. CONNER.
INDIANAPOLIS, May %.