The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-19
DAY SET FOR THE BIDDING
City officials Await Propositions on the
Street-Car Franchise To-Day.
They Are Wondering Whether or Not There
Will Be Any-President Mason Is NoncOm.
mittal-New Scheme of Purchase.

This afternoon. at 4 O'Clock, the Board Of
purpose of receiving bids on the street.
railway franchise. which it has formulated
and offered for sale to competing COM
panies. The board has designated that
these bids shall be in writing. and shall be
on the percentage which the company is
willing to pay of its gross earnings to the
city. The franchise specially says that
that percentage shall not be less than 2ls
per cent for the first five years. per cent
for the second five years. per cent. for
the third five years, and per cent.
for the remainder of the term of the char
ter, which Is TO run for thirty years. The
question which is agitating the board now
is whether or not it will receive any bids at
all. Mayor Sullivan. who has been ldenti-
fed with the board in the WORK of drawing
it up. expressed this fear of himself and hts
associates. yesterday afternoon. when he
exclaimed. while sitting in his office:
well, tomorrow is the day when We arc
to get bids on the franchise. 1 wonder #
there will be anyf There ought to be. IL
Is good one"
No one in authority to speak of the 40
tions of the several companies which have
been popularity supposed to be In the Held
has said that his company will place bid
in the hands of tho board. and the McDon-
aid people have said most ON oh atically that
they would not. The other companies are
noEcommittaL
President Mason, of tho Citizens' COM
pany. which is the first to be considered.
said yesterday that he was not in posi-
ton TO say what his company would do.
When asked the question plainly as TO
whether he would bid on the franchise, be
wo<s Iya haf n
should make . statement to the board. but
he would not say whether 1t was In tho
nature of q bid or not. Messrs. Mckee and
Werner, the Pittsburg directors OF the COM
but did not arrive. Mr.. Mason said that
he was expecting them. but he did not
know when they would get here.
Leon D. Bailey. who is representing the
city, says that he must abide by the ulti-
matum which Mr.. Mcdonald issued some
time ago, which was that he would not bid
on the charter as 1t was at present. ct
Mr.. Bailey is almost daily visitor at the
office of the Mayor and tho members of tho
Board of Public Works These visits. he
has said. are for the purpose of attempting
to get the board to make some alterations
in the provisions Of its draft. but be has
met with no success He was asked II
his company expects to bid on ir. and
replied that that question had been settled
long ago. meaning that it would not Ex-
Judge Elliott's unknown" company still
insists on keeping itself wrapped In air OF
mystery, and its legal representative will
not express himself as to whether 1t will be
In at the end or not.
The men who became interested through
Pirtle Herod. of this city. In the street
railway controversy have lot expressed
themselves at all after being sent q COPY OF
tho franchise. and they may be safely
counted out of the contest.
Hay. p,.c oF ritz hin
The leaders Of the Municipal Reform
League have new street railroad scheme
by which they hope TO solve the whole
business. Ex-Councilmsn Stechhsn. &. A.
johnson. Albert Krull and James Buohan-
On called upon the Mayor and Board of
Works yesterday and laid their plan before
them. inviting them to Q mass meeting at
the Criminal Court room next Monday
nieht, where il wiH be discussed.
They are proceeding upon the theory that
the company's property can be either pur-
chased or duplicated for S1.000.O00. Their
idea is to get ten local capitalists to chip In
city. the oity then to either operate is or
lease IL. The profits would be applied to
paying per cent interest on the money
furnished by these capitalists and to repay
men. they say. who are willing to put In
e1OO. 600 apiece, and are looking for the other
eight.
The difficulty about this plan,n said
business man yesterday. lis that it con-
templates too small @ capital Grant that
the tangible property of the Citizens CON-
pany can be bought or duplicated for
81 ,00c 000 which / very much Doubt 1t will
require the expenditure of almost that
much to replace the mule lines with cleo
trio lines and to make the extensions
needed. There would be no trouble, how
ever. In getting capital II the city would
guarantee per cent returns upon It."