The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-03
S~TREET-CAR MATTERS
DISCUSSED PRO AND cox BEFORE
THE HOUSE COMMITTEE.
President Mason snys Companies
should Pave Between Their Tracks
-Commfttecs XIII Some Bills.

afternoon in the Speakers room, with
Messrs. Leedy, chairman; Adams, Van Ars-
del, Boardman, Vonnegut, and McGregor
present. Among those who appeared before
the committee We're Messrs. Mckee, Presi-
dent Mason, Miller, Elan and Knox, at
torneys for the Citizens Street-railway Com
pany. and Judge Walker, Leon o. Bailey
and w. l.. Taylor, attorneys for the Broad
Ripple Company. Colonel Eli Lilly, Senator
Wishard, Mr.. Cardwill, Mr.. Spann, Grafton
Johnson, c. A. Bookwalter L. H. Gibson,
Griffiths & Potts and others were among
the listeners to the discussion concerning
the bill to grant enlarged rights to suburban
companies over existing street-railway lines.
Mr.. Mason was the first to address the COM
mittee. He opposed the bill, for the reason
that the existing law gives other companies
the right to enter over the tracks of the
Citizens company, and that a running ar
rangement for power, etc., could be made.
His company, he said, had already made
such an arrangement with the Greenwood
company, and negotiations were in progress
with Charles T. Henry, president of the pro-
posed line from Anderson to this city, for
a traffic arrangement under a special con-
tract, admitting it's business into the city.
The only thing that stood between them, he
said, was Mr.. Henry's desire to gain pos
S~S1oh Ny III Va a
power house, when the Citizens company
should have it's new power house on West
Washington street in working order. MIR.
Mason's speech thus made public an inter-
esting piece of news. He argued against the
bill for the further reason that there would
be much danger to the public. and possibly
conflict and disagreements between the two
companies. He thought that the plan of the
new company to string another trolley line
on the poles of the Citizens company would
SO complicate the trolley line as to cause
continual trouble. 1t would be possible, he
said, for the new company's men to steal
power from the trolley wire of the Citizens
company, the two wires being only two
inches apart.
Another reason advanced for not permit
ting the rights proposed under the bill was
that there would be a large number of ac-
cidents from rear-end collisions. The Cfti-
zens' company, he said, had from $4,000 to
$4,000 a month to pay for accidents and
as the result of one had paid the mother-in-
law of Judge Lott, of the Appellate Court,
$500 for injuries. The further increase OF
cars, Mr.. Mason said, would add to the
danger Of accident; The greatest trouble. he
continued, arises from the stubbornness of
two motOrmen, each refusing to give the
right Of way. This happens when they are
how much more likely, he said, would it
occur when the conductors were working
for rival lines. There is no need he con-
tinued OF the extended powers of the amend
mentsI to the suburban law. His company
stand ready to make a running arrange
ment with the Broad Ripple company. He
then declared that it costs the Citizens
company over a cent a mile to carry pas
sengers and that when the Broad Ripple
sengers over the Citizens lines to any part
of the city for five cents, the terms should
rather be accepted ,e, E than n to i FAD the dyea wires res
patrons of the Broad Ripple line a cheap
and a better arrangement than tho amend
ment would give them.
Leon Bailey addressed the committee on
behalf of the Broad Ripple company. He
said that the present law is a dead letter
and really gives the suburban roads no
advantage whatever, but places them at the
disposition of the Citizens company. The
the investment of capital In suburban lines
because 1T would then be possible to run
cars into the crowded parts of the city and
give the suburban roads a terminal. The
law, he said, limits the operation of SUI
burban lines to those ten miles in length.
moved. He also suggested that the bin
should be amended so as to make the law
apply to all the the cities hsnsat Of the the STATE and ID let
suburban lines.
BROAD RIPPLE CLAIMS.
Judge Walker replied to Mr.. Mason's
statement that the people are not riding
on the Broad Ripple cars, which pass up
the street without passengers. while the
Citizens cars have passengers hanging on to
the straps. If this be SO, he said, there
is no need of the Citizens company op-
posing the efforts of the Broad Ripple COM
pany to secure it's own power. The tracks
under the suburban law, he said, could not
be used by suburban companies because it
does not provide means by which such COM
panleS could furnish power to it's own cars.
The law would answer If the motor power
We're still the faithful mule, but that time
has passed.
Judge Walker recalled that from the time
of Tom Johnson's ownership of the road the
earning capacity of it's valuation had in
creased over three million dollars. He did
not score e the eom n;shinr on 1na account count OF the
dianapolis. nor did he take issue as to the
management, continuing his argument to the
suburban companies from coming into the
city at a fair and reasonable compensation.
beneath the gravel of the streets. kept out
of use and merely serving to block any
suburban company that might want to con-
struct its own tracks to the center of the
city. 1t had been claimed by representa-
tives of the Citizens company that If the
proposed suburban bill became a law these
outside companies might have the indiscrim-
mate use of the los miles of track which
the Citizens aan,ss company raaa1y, tSs s,r T, This 81, the 3e
substantiate his position. The bill fully
declares that the use of city lines by subur-
reaching of a central point in the city.
MIR. Mason at this point asked Judge
walker IL the SUBURBAN companies would
not practically have the use of the entire
system il suburban companies approached
the city from all points of the compass. The
Judge answered that 1t would only be fair
If such use of the lines should be permitted
q suburban company. He held that these
roads would be feeders to the Citizens COM
pany and would bring the company in large
revenue. Referring to the Broad Ripple
company, for which he appeared, Judge
Walker said the men interested in the
company wanted to make a five-cent fare
to the resort on White river, but were I'M
/ able to do so under a present arrangement
with the Citizens company. The Broad
Ripple people were willing TO spend $3.50. 900
in Improvements to make the resort a pop
ular one, and one easily and cheaply
office a few weeks ago, involving 800. 900.
for the benefit of this resort, which would
be a rival to Fairview. 1t was intimated
that the Citizens company had a consid-
cradle pecuniary interest in compelling the
Broad Ripple company to maintain a ten
cent rate.
THE PAVING /
After Judge Walker had concluded, the
m took up the paving bill, which
recently was introduced with a batch of
matters affecting indianapolis. 1t was ex-
pected that Ferd Winter, for the Citizens
company, would address the committee or
this bill, but he was unable to be present.
President Mason. of the compauy. made