The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-22
FIGURING ON A FRANCHISE
Municipal Authorities Making Slow
Progress in Their Difficult Task.
Complication About the Expiration of the Old
Chsrter-Policy OF the New Manage
ment-Min0r City Affairs.


Board and Mayor Working ON n Franchise-
Progress of the New Management.
The Mayor and Board of Public Works
were engaged all yesterday afternoon In
the private room of the board. discussing
the subject of o street-car franchise. They
have gathered considerable data and are
proceeding rather slowly in the matter,
comparing franchises of various cities and
searching for new ideas.
While the points already noted with
more or less frequency IN the newspapers
are understood in q general way
among the board to be necessary In q
franchise no draft. nor any part of one. has
been agreed upon or reduced to writing
yet. In fact the officials have struck one
or two points already upon which they do
not agree and it is likely that further
differences of opinion Will develop as they
progress In their work.
hope to get the matter in shape be-
fore long," said one of the members. IF
possible, we should like to see the fran
ChlSe question settled In tim for cOnstruc-
ton this season. But We are going as rap
idly as We car. 1t Is too Important q mat
ter to be settled without due considera-
tIon."
As soon as the Mayor and board finish
their rough draft it will be submitted to
the city attorney. who will put it into the
shape of o contract and c~OnfrmatOry o..
diDance. 1t will probably require some
time thereafter to "dicker" with the COM
panies anxious for q franchise. aud then
the matter will go before the Council,
which will require at least two or three
weeks for action.
In the meantime the situation is some
what complicated by the declaration of the
city attorney that the charter of the
Cltizens' Company expires next year. This
opinion, while the gist OF IL hos been given
to the board verbally. has not been re-
dnced to writing. but will be this week.
PROFESSIONALLY the company will resist
any effort TO forfeit it's franchise before
1901, and this new hitch means that the
streets are likely TO be thrown into litiga-
ton for at least seven years. Naturally.
in hat time. Ii the franchise
goes to another bidder. with it's rights for
even the intervening period In doubt. the
Citizens Ompany will, of course, not put
In any extensions or re-equip any of the
present lines with electricity. On the
other hand. the new bidder. even If 1t had
the franchise, subject to whatever rights
the Citizens company might be declared
by the courts 20 have. could not afford to
when the courts might GUST it any day.
Property Of any kind in litigation usn ally
runs down, and the street-car lines would
be no exception to the rule.
N1Is OICDOu6lQ huu HIS u6hOCl8to8 arc
patiently awaiting a call from the board to
bid for the franchise. and the Inducements
they are prepared to offer have already
been made public. The local capitalists
represented by Judge Elliott are also "ly-
inG low" to see what the board will pro-
duce in the way of q franchise before bid
ding on il.
Work of the New Man gement.
The results of a new and more liberal
~ A. 10
ginning to be felt by the people. Yesterday
the petition of the Irvington residents was
granted, and as soon as o new switch can
be put in they will have cars at intervals
of nineteen minutes. This will relieve the
crowded condition of the Irvington cars.
and will put an end to the confusing and
inconvenient arrangement of running half
tho East Washineton : street cars to
Rural street and half up State
avenue. The State-avenue people will
again have a ten-minute line and will
know when they are on the right car.
Hourly cars have been put on the fair
grounds line to accommodate the horsemen
at the grounds and people along the line.
An effort was made to give Brightwood
more cars. but it was found that the Bright
wood barn was full now, and as there is no
moro stable room at this end Of the line the
plan could not be carried out.
President Mason. when called upon yes
terday by q Journal reporter. begged to be
excused from talking on the franchise
question. further than to say that he had
no doubt the city would offer q fair living
contract. and that he thought the Citizens
company. having Its plant and equipment
already In operation. was in q position to
do better by the city than could any new
company. And as TO It's disposition to do
better" he continued 1.-The people will have
no doubt of that, think, after
they hav had some experience
with the new owners of the
road. The largest stockholders, Messrs.
Mckee and Werner. have q great pride in
their properties and arc as anxious to i'm
prove the service here as the people can
possibly be. Their plant In Rochester is q
remarkably satisfactory one. and every
where they have been they have had
smooth sailing. and have accom- lished it
simply by giving the people the best serv-
Ice they knew how. 1t is the intention of
both these gentlemen and the local direc-
tors to follow the same policy here and
strain every point to give the kind of serv-
ice desired"