The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-14
INDIANAPOLIS WEDNESDAY
nearby line that reached park or the
woods and spend his Sunday afternoons in

nearby line that reached a park or the
woods and spend his Sunday afternoons in
the woods.
There is little doubt. so the informant
says, that the board will be unanimous in
Its demand that there be no poles in the
for sufficient reasons ii IS willing to grant
the privilege.
The per cent. of gross receipts demanded
in this schedule is not large, but the board
thinks il is better to have reduced fares
than a large payment 70 the city. If the re-
ceipts should be only H.0oo0o0 year the
company would pay in A:SoO'ooo. or an aver
safe TO estimate that the average viii be
more than twice that amount. This will be
to the people and the advantages extended
TO many who do not now feel able to patron
re the company to any great extent.
strong club 70 hold over the head of the
company in case 1T ever refuses to fully
comply with the contract TO the letter, and
VIII insist on the clause forfeitng the char
ter in case of a failure TO fully comply with
1t.
The demand that no rails be laid until
sample has been submitted to the board
and its approval obtained is looked upon as
good one. This is intended TO prevent the
use OF such rails as are now used on all
The members of the board are familiar with
the damage done to vehicles by the great
gaps that are now left at all tracks, and
also with the ease with which the North
Such rails permit the pavement to be laid
flush with both sides of the rail. leaving
nothing but small groove in which the
hange of the wheel runs and causing no
obstruction to vehicles. The present char
ter has a provision in IL that could be used
to compel the use of such rails, but 1T does
1t simply provides that all rails must be of
the most approved pattern.
While the charter, as proposed by the
company, provides that all modern equip
ments shall be adopted. the board does not
think that 1t is strong enough to cover
the important feature of underground con-
duits, and will ask a special clause covering
this. 1t is believed that the time is not
very far off when such system will be
perfected to such an extent as to make its
adoption practicable, and the board wants
d specific provision so 1t can compel its
adoptio.T
THE SUBURBAN FEATURE.
What T. looked upon as one of the most
important provisions included in the
boards demands is the one in relation to
suburban railways With the present rapid
advance in electric railway construction,
and the start in that direction already
made here. the board thtiks it will be only
a few years until Indianapolis will be con-
nected with all the towns for thirty or
forty miles in all directions by electric
lines. These must have some means of
landing passengers in the center OF the
CITY. lNlS proposition VIII ledVe IL ClScre-
tionary with the city company whether it
will allow the suburban companies to use
its tracks or transfer the passengers to it's
own cars and bring them into the city at
cents each. With the large traffic that
will be built up by these lines the board
considers this ample compensation for bus
mess which 1t could not otherwise get. In
support OF this ii was stated yesterday by
the Journals informant that ne had good
reason TO believe the statement that on
one of the best days at Broad Ripple the
receipts of the Citizens company from this
traffic was over $500. This would require
that five thousand people go to Broad
Ripple, which, he said, was not overesti-
mating it, and would be exceeded some
days.
In figuring this matter the. board has
endeavored TO estimate the value of the
charter in thirty years from now, but as
the principal feature of the demands are
the reduction of fares and the provision of
suburban traffic, which advantages accrue
to the people in proportion to the business
of the company, an accurate estimate of
the value OF the franchise at the end of
the time is not really Necessary. To cover
this advance in value the increasing scale
of payments to the city has been made.