The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-16
AT LAST THEY AGREE
BOARD OF WORKS AND pHoEyIN
PEOPLE PREPARE A CONTRACT.
City Will Get Five Per Cent. of Gross
Receipts-Rntcs VIII BE
Much Lower.

Yesterday the Phoenix Telephone Com
pany's representatives were before the
Board Of Works, and the complete terms
OF the contract so long discussed were fin
ally agreed upon. This will necessitate
some few changes in the contract drawn
up and presented at the meeting yesterday.
These changes will be made, and the con-
tract will be signed at another meeting, to
be held tomorrow morning, and will be
submitted to the Council at it's next meet
ing. The contract provides that there shall
be no overhead wires within the district
bounded by New York, Alabama, Louisiana
and Mississippi streets. except such may
be necessary to make the proper connec-
tons with buildings. and these shall be ap-
proved by the Board of Works before being
erected. The company may erect poles else
where, after having filed a map with the
board and secured Its permission in writing.
and may lease the poles and conduits to
other companies on the approval of the
board. Underground conduits are to be
built in the following streets:
New York street, from Mississippi to Del
aware street.
Indiana avenue, from Ohio to New York
street.
Pennsylvania street, from Washington to
Illinois street. from Washington to Louisi-
ana street.
Mississippi street, from New York to
Wabash street, from Pennsylvania to Ala
bama street.
1t is to have the use of sewers in which
to place cables as follows:
Washington street. from East to Illinois
street.
Illinois street. from Washington to Ohio
street.
Pennsylvania street, from Washington to
Ohio street.
Kentucky avenue. from Washington to
Massachusetts, avenue. from Ohio to North
street.
The company is to repair any damage
that may result from the use of sewers for
this purpose In the district outside OF that
in which conduits will be built the company
ia TO place its poles in the alleys as far
practicable, and Is to erect only such poles
as are located on the map that has been
hled with the Board of Works When ex-
tensions become necessary, the approval OF
poles can be erected.
The company agrees to begin work within
the Council. and all the underground work
shall be completed within seven months
from the date of beginning. Within the un-
foreground area the Board Of Works may
permit surface lines to such an extent as
may be advisable, but they are to be re-
moved on order of the board. The company
commodate all the wires of the city using
no greater electrical power than is used by
telephones. and shall rent the conduits 10
other companies at a rate not to exceed 10
cents foot for conduits for each year. The
contract also includes a large amount of
detail In regard TO the erection and change
etc. nv anu
The city is to have space in the conduits
without charge for all its wires. The COM
pany Is 10 put in and maintain at Its own
expense the cty's fire alarm wires, but tele-
phone wires are to be put in at the expense
or the company only in case the city uses
- I've frf,rn Iii
the company's telephones the charges are
to be SIS a year for all instruments connect
ed with the companys exchange, and SIS
year for those connected with the police
and fire department exchanges.
The other rates are to be somewhat lower
than Is now paid. For business houses not
more than two miles from the exchange the
charge is to be not more than $42 a year,
with an additional charge of s. year for
each additional mile or fraction of a mile.
For residences the charge Is to be not more
than $50 within the two-mile radius and 50
for each additional mile. For telephones
not connected with the company's exchange
each instrument, where there are two In
struments to the line, the patron to erect
nnd ana FOR his the own ~a lines Ibis
poles and conduits and for rental for the
instrument. The company is TO defend all
infringement suits and pay all judgments
rendered against the city on account OF IT,
The company is to pay to the city per
cent. of its gross receipts beginning with
the lOuTtn year, no pdymen 10 De made De-
fore that time. The franchise. win run for
twenty years, and will begin at the time of
its acceptance by the Council. The company
must file a bond of $4,000 with the board
within sixty DAYS after the contract Is an
proved by the Council.
Members of the Phoenix company say they
are perfectly willing for other companies to
come in competition with them, but they
want competition on equal grounds They
want that all companies be required to
place their wires underground. They hope
to be able to get the Council to repeal the
resolution under which the Central Union
Company Is operating, thereby compelling
that company to compete under the same
contract that their company operates UNI
dsr.