The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-04-23
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Dir. Shaffer Shows the Mutuality of
City and Citizens Company Interests.
lie Is Confident Fair Franchise Will Be
Forthcoming in Time-Strset-Cl Cleaning
Plan-The Broad Ripple Line Begun.
THE CITIZENS, COMPANY.
President Shaffer Tells What It Has Dc
for Indianapolis

President shsffer Tells What It Has Done
for Indianapolis.
The Board of Public Works yesterday,
while In session, declined to make public
anything concerning the negotiations pend
ing between it and the Citizens Street.
railroad Company. But / want to make
this public declaration" said Mr.. Defrees,
that whenever talk to reporters. re.
serve the right to lie as much as please"
This explains Mr.. Defrees's denial of the
secret conference of the board and the
Citizens company held Tuesday evening,
April q. The business of giving newspapers
transformation 10 often regarded as
facetious, but it usually proves serious.
President Shaffer. of the Citizens COM
pany. returned from Chicago yesterday.
If his conference with his directors deyel-
oped anything of the policy to be pursued
by the company. in case the pending nego-
tiations fail, he did not come to
say anything about it. AT cannot
answer your direct question:" said
ne to q Journal reporter. "but perhaps 1
oan outline the policy of the company IN a
general way. The city's interests and the
street-railroad company's interests are mu-
tusl. The street-railroad company cannot
do anything to improve its plant without
improving the city, and especially the indi-
vidual interests of its people So that
whatever privileges are given to the street
railroad are in reality given to the citizens
of Indianapolis They enjoy all the priv
ileges that belong to the street-rail-
road company. The extensions that
the street-rallroad company have made
since they purchased the property have
added many hundreds of thousands of
dollars of wealth to individ uals and in
creased the assessable property so that the
city receives a very large sum of money
thus indirectly from the street-railroad
company. Two gentlemen bought year
ago, piece of land on North Illinois street
before the electric line was built, paid
$4,000 for it, and few days ago sold the
same property for So. O00-these gentlemen,
however. were not connected, directly OF
indirectly, with the street-railroad COM
pany. The value Of this property was due
alone to the building of t he electric line on
Illinois street. There are many other IN
stances that might be cited where property
is increased very materially because of the
extensions made by tho street-railroad
company.
1--WE have made IN earnest and honest
effort" continued President Shaffer, Ito
give to the citizens of indianapolis as good
q street-railroad system as could be sup
piled. We have built thirty miles of new
track since the property came into our pos
session, bought over $50 new cars. l 900 new
mules and horses. and have erected seven
new barns and car-houses. The money to
furnish this equipment has been supplied
by the stockholders. The increase in the
travel has been marked, but tho increase in
operating expenses has more than kept
pace with IT. Under the old company
each day. while under the present
company about 1I5 cars are oper-
ated. Under the old company the
weekly payroll was about s., 900 and I'M
is often over $4,000. The number of con-
ductors used by the present has increased
the expenses over $500 q day, while none
were used by the old company. The stock
holders Of the present company have not
made any largo dividends or received any
stockholders of the old company. Not
withstanding what has been done by the
present street-railroad company, there
seems to be disposition in certain quar-
u q
to tight for its existence.
About q year ago it was demanded by
the press and the people that some adjust
ment Of the street-railroad matter should
be made, ana it was suggested that q COM
mittee from the Board of Trade and Com
mercial Club shouId arbitrate q contract
for the city and the street-railroad COM
psny. The street-railroad company met
the members of the committee from the
Board of Trade, and after thorough ex-
q mi a inn M Tn IA mn hr ba r
tee. an agreement was entered into. This
agreement, for q while, bad the support of
the press, and, besides the support of the
Commercial Club and the Board of Trade.
and not being acceptable to some mem
bers. it was changed and amended. The
street-railroad company was willing to ac-
Dept the changes and amendments made by
the railroad committee of the Common
Council, but this Mas objected to.
1--WE have sIgnified recently" continued
President Shaffer, I'm open meeting before
the Board of Public Works, at the time
they were considering the contract with
the Broad Ripple company, that we were
q contract with the city on any basis that
would be equitable and just We believe
the time will come when the public will
appreciate what the Citizens Street-rail-
road Company has done for the city. and o
contract will be made with the city on o
fair and business basis. Whenever that
time arrives the street-railroad company
VIII be found ready to act and perform its
Duties"
Evidently it il the intention of the COM
pany to simply await Developments, and.
In the peculiar position it is left in by the
Board of Public Works. that is about all it
can do and preserve courteous attitude
toward the board. "You are familiar with
the provisions of the ordinance introduced
by Mr.. YontZf asked Mr.. Shaffer, in fur
Their conversation. Then you might find
it interesting to compare 1t with this re-
port" he continued, handing the reporter q
copy of the report of the Commercial Club
committee he had previously mentioned.
But 1t is great deal more interesting to
compare it with what President Conduit.
of the Board of Public Works. said to o
Journal reporter Monday afternoon. for Mr..
Conduit was the first signer of the report to
the Commercial Club, stating that at
a meeting of the joint committee of the
Board of Trade and Commercial Club,
held April Is, 1890, the above recommended
tions were unanimously adopted" The
accommodations referred to were those of
President George G. Tanner, President Eli
committee. had made them after full in
were: 1. The Citizens company was to
pave O space of eight feet where single
tracks are maintained, and sixteen feet
where double tracks are laid. the same to
be paved at the same time and in the same
manner as the rest of the street. provided
that the company might pave between the
rails of each track with brick. stone or
granite. =. The company was to pay per
cent. of its gross receipts TO the city after