The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-24
THAT FRANCHISE FINISHED
City Authorities Have Completed Their
Draft of General S,reet-Car Charter.
Conditions Imposed Upon the Successful Com
paDy-Cen;Tactors Labor Troubles
Nest Street Paving.

terday putinto typewriter form by May
or Sullivan and the clerk of the Board of
Public Works. 1t is yet TO be gone over
and revised by the Mayor and full board
before being submitted to the city attor.
ney TO be put into legal form. THIS is
more a matter of formality than necessity.
however. as Mayor Sullivan Is lawyer
himself. and his draft would probably
stand the test of law as we'll as any that
might be made by the city attorney.
For the first time authentic information
vas given out yesterday as to the condi-
tIons imposed in the franchise, and by COM
parieon with back numbers it will be no.
ticed that the Journals statements have
been accurate on the provisions.
In the first place il Is sought to treat the
company very much as an abutting prop
erty owner upon the streets it occupies;
that is TO say. it Will have to bear it's pro-
portion of paving, sweeping on improved
streets. sprinkling on unimproved streets
and other burdens that may be taxed
against abutting property except sewer as
easements. The company is required to
pave and sweep or sprinkle that portion of
the street Included within Its outside rails
and eighteen inches outside of these rails.
The motive power is not specified. as this is
believed to be unnecessary. 1t Is cheaper
to operate electric lines than horse cars,
and it Is possible that new arrangement
OF steam, anhy ammonia, electric
storage battery or some still undeveloped
motive power may supersede the trolley
system. The authorities believe that
self interest will dictate the adop-
, ,san. q The sao ssss %sshSa eo0s
ly as good. will be required. There 10 q
provision for O reduction of fares by sell
ing six tickets for quarter or twenty five
for dollar. There is a provision for owl
oars" which would probably be run with
horses or mules. at intervals of an hour
after midnight: not on all the hnes but
one toward the south, another east. an
other west. another north and on each of
the diagonal avenues, On these "owl cars"
cent cash fares. This is for the accommo-
dation of night workers in the printing,
telegraph. railroad and manufacturing en-
terprises. lie is believed that these cars
would soon be well patronized. as the fam
lilies of night workers, now crowded In
downtown tenements. would seek sub
urban homes.
The board reserves to itself right to fix
maximum interval of schedules. that is
to specify that OH certain streets cars shall
run at least every fifteen minutes, and OH
other streets every ten minutes. etc. A
sufficient penalty is fixed to enforce this
provision and to make it exceedingly ex-
pensive for the company to do as MIR. Fren-
eel did last winter when he permitted a
snowstorm of one nights duration to close
nearly all the mule lines for two or three
days until the sun did the work of clearing
them.
The contract requires the payment of 3
per cent of the gross receipts of the COM
pany into the city treasury. and gives the
board the right TO at any time examine the
books and accounts of the company. lt Is
upon this point that competition Is ex-
pected and the responsible company bid
ding the highest percentage of it's gross re-
ceipts will, other conditions offered and &C.
ceptab]e being equal, get the franchise.
The franchise, while general in the fact
that 1t specifies oil the streets now occu-
pied. Is not q monopoly of all the streets. as
Is the one now in operation. The streets
granted are specifically named. ana the
board will be free to make future grants OF
streets not named. The tracks on WASH
ington from Pennsylvania to Illinois street,
on Pennsyl vania from Ohio to Washington,
and on Illinois from Ohio to the Union Sta
ton are to be free tracks," that Is, other
companies are to be permitted to use them
on a wheelage basis.
One of the most important points in the
matter Is yet unsettled, that is as to wheth-
CT the franchise shall run twenty or thirty
years. but one thing is certain: that Is that
it shall begin at the time the confirnetory
ordinance 10 signed by the Mayor, not in
1901.
The authorities believe that they will
have the franchise question settled within
thirty days. They will set a time when
all the competing companies Will be invit-
ed to examine the franchise offered and bid
upon a higher percent age or offer futher in
ducements. This will not be town meet
ing' but will be attended by the board.
the Mayor, represen tatives of ell com pet
ing companies that have asked for fran.
chise and newspaper representatives. The
responsible company-and all bidders will
be required to make large cash de posit as
an evidence of good faith-offering the
largest percentage ami most adv an tageous
terms will get the franchise and then. if
this does not happen to be the Citizens CO IN
pany, the board will let them fight it out
in the courts, providing always that the
franchise is accepted by the Council,
which is o very big factor In the matter.