The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-20
BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

4 $500
BEFORE THE COUNCIL.
Il Will Have the Franchise to Act Upon
| To-Morrow Evening
| It is the opinion of nearly every one that
the city is just at the beginning of It's fight
In securing the acceptance of the charter
/ that it has prepared. The big contest will
come when the Council takes up the con-
sideration of the question. which will be on
tomorrow night, q call Tor q special meet
ing having been issued. There were sew
eral Councilmen present at the meeting of
the board yesterday. among them being
RassmanD. Ryan, White aud others. Mr..
| Rassrnann was the only one who would ex-
press himself on It. he saying that he CON-
sidered the proposition very generous
| and q good one. Mr.. Ryan said that he
| preferred TO wait until 1t was time tor TAX
| ing official notice of il. but later in the
| evening spoke enthusiastically In favor
| of it.
| There will many influences brought to
bear on the members of that body. One
! of these will that of the Central Labor
| Union. which claims to have promises from
| thirteen OF the councilmen that they would
| in case they got the chance. vote for q
/ three-cent iare. Again 1t Is said that some
| of the members have some amendments TO
| the contract as pre- spared by the board. and
| that they will not permit IL pass as It now
! is. and there Is one other question TO be con-
/ sidered. There Is nothing to prevent q
corporation from going 10 the Council and
| saying: Here, We are willing to do better
by the city than the company which has
| bld on the charter. We will give You such
| and such per cent of the gross earnings
| of the system if we get it," Then there
will be an effort to have that body reject
| the contract which will be handed it by
| the board. and say that it must prepare
new one.
Going beyond q supposition there 10
| possibility of such being the case. 1t is not
| likely that the Citizens company will sur
| render it's rights without a struggle, and
sentatives of the Mcdonald syndicate are
| altogether too active and ale taking too
much interest in what is going on TO lead
| to the belief that they have abandoned the
course of an interview yesterday, after
| the meeting had been held in the
boards office. that he could not
| say what action would be taken by his peo-
was certain. and that was that If 1t bad
been known that the charter would have
| gone ut as low bid as lie did Nr. Mcdonald
| would have beaten 1t. He said that MIR.
| Mcdonald had proposed to him to bid ID
per cent straight for the thirty years. and
| that he Bailey had told him that he did
not think that would wIn. Mr.. Bailey
| said further that he was almost certain
| mat the present contract WOulu pass
the Council. When asked his reasons for
| saying So he only smiled a knowing smile
| and reiterated his statement.
| Mr.. Bailey hrs for the past month been
| hobnobbIng with the various members of
the Council To q greater or less extent
| He was present at the last meeting of the
Council. and he has been try ing to gee the
| Mayor and the board TO put In several less
| strict clauses in the contract. Failing with
the board and the Mayor. il is not improb-
| able that he will look TO the Council for
them. Alter yesterdays meeting was over
| Nix. Bailey bad O long conference with
| Councilman Ryan In the formers Othce. Ii
there Is a man In the Council who is not
| friendly TO the Board of Public Works il ls
Mr. Ryan. He is, Furthermore. a member
| of the committee on contracts and fran
| cbises. and be has a way of putting things
| through In o hurry that is sometimes con-
| fusing to others Since Mr.. Ryan re-
| ceiyed en- out AL ut silub from the board
few days ago. he may not feel any too
/ much disposed to do as they ask.
POSITION OF THE CITIZENS COMPANY.
| 1t Cannot Now Bid-OfEcers Have Nothing
| TO SPECIALIZATION in Prospecf.
after having opened this bid would you
| consider bid from the Citizens company,
OF do you consider 1t estopped from bid
dingf" was asked of President Conduit,
when the turmoil had subsidized moment.
"Most assuredly we would not" replied
the president of the board. I'VE set time.
and this bid was put in in good faith. We
have opened it. We could no more permit
another company to come In and bid over
| IL than we could pursue the same plan In
letting street work. Internationally the
Citizens company is estopped from bidding
| on the franchise"
| Immediately after the bidding President
| Mason's clerk hustled down to the street.
4 rutlr nj IN n a
| dent Mason. Vice President Elder was
called by telephone. and the two were
holding Quaker meeting when q Journal
reporter was admitted 10 the room.
What do you think OF itp was asked.
"Idon't think" replied Mr.. Mason lacon-
| ically, all unconscious of the fact that he
was indulging in the latest slang. Both
| gentlemen announced that they had moth
ing to say and did not desire TO be inter-
viewed.
lyon understand that you are estopped
from bidding by your failure to bid to-
dayf' suggested the reporter tentatively.
whats that." and both hitched up their
chairs q little closer. The information
was repeated. Mr.. Latta observed that
the board, in tho notice. had reserved the
right to reject oil bids. This however, af-
forded but temporary relief. for the senfi-
ment of the board that the offer should be
accepted At once Was explained.
well. / can say nothing said Mr.. Ma
son. except that we shall send the facts
Does this mean that IL the Council ap-
proves the contract there will be no further
development of the lines during the next
seven yearsp
II am not prepared to even say that"
replied Mr.. Mason.
"Thsn you have nothing further to sayf"
asked the reporter. Withdrawing.
The returns are just in." replied Mr.. Ell
der. smiiIng.
1--WE can only say" said President Mason.
that those people have very different
ideas of the profits in street-railroad busi-
ness from those we have been able 10 gain. "
IL stands TO reason that the Citizens
company will not give M without hard
fight, and the general opinion among
attorneys Is that 1t Will succeed In
holding it's present franchise until 1901.
The company which secnres the franchise
for the street railway privileges. whether
II be the Elliott company or not. will. IN all
Likelihood. have To face long and tireaome
lawsuit. The Citizens company. now that
4 IL has been outseneralcd in bidding on the