The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-20
URGES NEW VIADUCTS
Mayors Recent Ideas to Be Con-
sidered by a Council Committee.
Ordinance to Refund $4,000 of Bonds
Passed-COuncil Retains Power
to Sell City Property.

AT the meeting of the Council last night
a message from the Mayor on the viaduct
and wire condu questions was read. The
message was as follows:
1T is apparent to every observing person
that indianapolis should have a number OF
safe and convenient -passageways pro-
Vided over its streets where public travel
IS now INSTRUCTED and rendered hazardous
by the constant moving or trains and
switch engines across the same. At a
meeting of the heads of the city DEPART
question was fully discussed, and the opin-
ION prevails that the city authorities should
take steps to secure the building OF at
least two safe crossings at once and two
others In the near future. The ones
deemed Of most Importance at this time
are those on Kentucky avenue and West
street and Massachusetts and Clifford ave-
nues.. while 1T was also conceded that the
crossings on East Washington, at Noble
street, and on West Washington street,
near the Belt road, have also grown TO
be very dangerous. Other points might be
named where public travel is greatly i'm
pcded and life is constantly endangered;
make unreasonable demands of the rail-
road companies in the matter of construct
Ing viaducts or other expensive crossings
over or under their tracks, and hence the
discussions have so far been limited TO the
ones above referred to.
That part of Section @ Of the new city
charter under the heading Railroads gives
your honorable body broad powers on the
subject OF requiring viaducts to be built
Dy railroad companies, where, by reason
of large traffic, they render street crossings
dangerous and improbable to the general
public The courts have, by. their manda-
tory powers, when invoked by municlpali-
ties whose citizens have suffered by rea-
son of heavy railroad traffic over street
public f6ou mgRt d paof this wit sub tee eI ana nave
compelled the construction of safe and con-
yenient crossings. when the reasonable re-
quests or such m~unfcipalitieS have been de-
MED in the first instance. Let US trust,
however. that the courts will not have TO
be resorted to In order to secure the eity,s
just demands in the cases under consid-
Grafton. On the contrary, we may as
sumo, 1 think, that the railroad companies
will meet the city authorities in a gener-
Gus and friendly spirit on this important
public matter. 1t is more than a mere
business proposition. 1t includes questions
sands of our citizens, who are daily sub
Jected to danger, delay and annoyance by
present conditions.
Il hope an amicable arrangement can be
had with the railroad companies by which
safe passageways can speedily be secured
at a portion or all OF the crossings above
named. To that end / respectfully suggest
that the whole matter be referred to a
committee OF your body, with Instructions
resentatives Of the several interested rail-
road companies, looking to the building
be mutually agreed on. AS the Board of
Public Works would have TO join with
your honorable body in any final contract
to be made, l suggest that the members of
said board be called into all conferences
that may be held.
Permit me to suggest that prompt action
be taken in this matter, as much time will
necessarily be consumed In any event. If
an agreement mutually satisfactory cannot
known as early as possible. in order that
the proper legal proceedings may be COM
menced in the near future.
ELECTRIC WIRES.
1.-THE question of forbidding any more
telegraph, telephone or electric light wires
to be strung overhead and of requiring those
now suspended on poles to be re-
moved was also discussed at
the monthly conference. The opinion pre-
vailed that it is entirely feasible to bury
the wires. so far as the ability of the COM
panies to render good service in that way is
concerned. But as the cost of placing and
maintaining underground wires is much
greater than the present overhead system, it
was deemed unfair. as well as unnecessary,
to require the burying Of such wires in the
outlying districts. While no special bound
airy lines were decided on, 1t was the opin-
ion. generally, | think. that the wires should
be buried in the central business district,
extending at least TO North, East, South
and West streets. I respectfully refer this
question to you for consideration. and hone
II may be promptly decided by your hon
orable body"
The committee on railroads was ordered
to confer with the railroad companies and
ascertain what they would do in the way
of erecting the viaducts and the Board Of
Public Works will be party to the confer
enceS.
The ordinance introduced at the last
session of the Council providing a method
for the sale of personal property by the
Board of Public Safety provoked consider
able discussion. The committee on public
property, to which II had been referred,
ney that the ordinance was valid, but the
committee recommended il be not passed.
A number of diliatory motions were made
and voted upon and finally the report of
the Ommltte was cONCITre0 IN. MeSSrS.
coulter and Ryan opposed the report.
Messrs. Young and Koehring favored it
because they thought the ordinance dele
gated power of the Council to the board
and were opposed to further encroachments
upon the power of the Council. Afterwards
Mr.. Ryan withdrew his objection and the
ordinance was referred back to the COM
mittee.
Mr.. Golfer introduced a license ordi-
nance regulating retail liquor selling and
defining what should be understood by the
word retailer" TIL ordinance provides
for a license of $3.50 per annum for ali per-
sons selling spurious, vinous or malt
liquors in quantities less than a gallon
of the limits and repeats all other ordi-
nances in conflict with 1t. 1t was referred
to the finance committee.
The ordinance for the refunding of the
$4,000 in bonds, due in July, and for the
payment of $4,000 of the encampment bonds,
due on April 20, and interest TO the amount
of ~S1,513.20 on $4,000 of encampment bonds
was reported upon favorably by the finance
| COMMITTEES, and was passed.
| Inc ordinances Tor the paving with asphalt
of Alabama street were introduced and re-
ferred TO the committee on sewers, streets
and alleys. The committee will meet Friday
night i'm the office of the city clerk to hear
arguments from remOnStrantS against the
passage of the ordinances. The remon-
StrantS were present in force at the meeting
of the Council last night.
An ordinance was passed requiring the
Panhandle company to station a hagman at
the crossing Of Palmer street and the j., NJ.
& i. tracks.
The Board of Public Safety was ordered
to nave five hundred copies of the new mar
ket ordinance printed and placed in the
hands of the market master for distribution
among the marketers. The annual mes
sage OF the Mayor, with the reports of the
heads of departments. were also ordered
printed.
Petitions were received from Messrs. Veg.
horst and Il. A. Morris asking for the re-
funding of taxes alleged TO have been err
%roneously assessed and collected from them
Mr.. Weghorst claimed he had paid S27S.1
excess and Mr.. Norris claimed TO have paid
S2,OS1 81. The petitions were referred TO the
finance committee.