The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-19
CONTRACTSA
WHAT THE CITY Authorities RE-
QUIRE OF TELEPHONE COMPANIES.
Wires Under Ground and Bonus of
To Carry the Wires of the City.

! phone Companies have been completed and
now await final approval by the companies.
| City Attorney Curtis says that the officials
Of the Central Union Company have prac-
| tically agreed to accept the contract pro-
posed by the Board of Public Works and
| he does not believe that any controversies
will arise when first vice President jack
| son arrives here from Chicago to close up
| the matter tomorrow morning.
| The company is required to pay 5000 a
| year to the city, $1,000 six months after the
| contract is approved by the Council, and
| $1,000 semi-annually thereafter. 1t is also
| required to furnish one duct with capa-
| city Of 200 wires in its conduits for the use
Of the city. and is to place all wires for
fire alarms. police telephones and other
public purposes therein, and make all con-
| nections necessary. Its wires are to go
under ground within the mile square
bounded by North, East. West and South
streets. In addition to this the company is
TO furnish the top arm on all its poles out
side the mile limit for the wires of the city
and is 10 erect not to exceed 200 poles in
outlying districts where it's lines do not
run. The work of placing the wires in UNI
foreground conduits is TO be completed by
Sept. i. 1897. Within thirty days after the
contract is approved by the Council, the
company must submit plans and maps of
its conduits, and within thirty days there
after the work must be commenced No
delays will be allowed and the Board of
Public Works is to be the judge of whether
or not the work is being done with reason
able promptitude.
Inc central Union Company is required
10 use one trench in common with all other
telephone and telegraph companies, each to
bear its pro rata share of the expenses of
excavations and restoring the streets to
their former condition, with the same sor.
VI pdVements, or With such material as the
BOARD may choose, in case changes are
ndue IN street improvements. The board
at its wiz, may require conduits to be
moved, upon written notice, subject to re.
Monstrances from the companies, who may
state reasonable objections to sucn
changes.
ana citizens with telephone service at rates
not 10 exceed rates and prices charged
otner ci1ies within its territory. of similar
SIZE ana population. The company is to
forthwith furnish new exchange with all
modern appliances, including instruments
ana ana sWitchboards, which 1T has in use. The
right Is granted 1t to lay its wires under
ground, subject to all ordinances and reso-
buttons now In existence and the company
agrees That the right herein granted to
20 under ground and make local dstribu-
tons shall not enlarge any rights or privi-
leges which the company enjoys, under
ordinances, contracts or otherwise exeept
as herein granted A bond of $50 600 is re-
CURED TO guarantee that the company will
complete the work by Sept. 1. 1897. and
and other public places to as good condi-
ton as they were before, and that it will
perform the other obligations stipulated in
Board of Public Works to designate where
poles for local distribution within the UNI
foreground limit shall be placed, and it
har nh ss
necessary. The company will not be permit
ted to string wires from pole TO pole and
they may not be placed in such way
as to interfere with the working of fire
apparatus
Mr.. Curtis says that he thinks the Board
of Public Works has secured as advantag-
eous a contract as possible. When the cues
tion was first presented representatives of
the company came here and declared they
~ WsIe ready srGund to place their wires
ing to give anything in ex-
change for the privilege of using the
streets. Finding it impossible to secure a
fixed schedule of rates. the board talked
about gross sum to be paid to the city
and the Central Union Company agreed to
Cling. Then the matter of getting free tele-
phone service was discussed and the board
discovered that. the company was willing
to permit the city to use one OF its ducts
to draw the wires into it and make con-
nections 1t is the intention to extend the
fire alarm system and police telephone boxes
and it's agreement to furnish and erect 200
poles, without charge TO the city. is regard
ed as quite concession. The time in which
the work was to be completed was a very
important question, and the company
demonstrated that 1T would be slow and
tedious work to take down all its wires as
cables of 100 wires each have to be used.
The extension of time made in the contract
Mr.. CurtisS says, will not conflict with the
ordinance passed year ago. there were
no provisions made as to the manner in
which the work of laying the cables should
be done, although the ordinance specified
that all telephone and telegraph wires must
go under ground within a year.
The contract proposed will entail upon
the company an expenditure of about $3.50 :
600. Old wires cannot be used again. and
with the inception OF a new exchange the
plant of the company will be practically
new throughout.
Any controversies that may arise between
the different companies as TO the expense
of excavation and maintenance of a COM
mon trench are to be decided by the city
engineer.
The city has accepted the proposition of
the Phoenix Telephone Company with
| to those placed On the Central Union com
pany. The Phoenix asked for a twenty
| year franchise and submitted a schedule of
rates which is regarded as satisfactory. 1t
| proposes to furnish telephone service to all
business houses within two miles of its
exchange at rate OF s42 a year and IS a
| year additional for each additional mile of
| wire. Within the same radius the rate for
residence telephones. is to be $50 year.
| 10 a year d0OlIlOn2l Tor edcn mile.
Recognizing the reasona bleness of claims
! of the Phoenix company that IL should not
| be taxed as much at the outset as the older
| company, which has grown wealthy on its
earnings off citizens of indianapolis, the
| board has fixed a schedule of revenue TO
| be paid the city deemed to be just and
| equitable. The company is required to FUR
| nish plans and begin its work within sixty
| days after the contract Is approved by the
| Council. Sept. 1, 1897, it is demanded by
/ the city that 4 shall pay $1,000 into the
city treasury $500 Sept 1. 1898. 1000 Sept.
| l. 1889. the amount increasing $500 each
year until 1907. when it 1t to pay $1,000 a
| year. This allows II eleven years in which
| to build up its business before it is taxed
| as much as the Central Union.
| The Phoenix company is required to fur
| nish bond for $4,000 guaranteeing that it
| will begin work within the time specified
| and that its plant will be in operation with
| in one year. The bond is also to cover
agreements as to repairing streets and
| other stipulations of the contract. similar
| TO those imposed upon the other company
| Until few days ago, Mr.. Curtis says
| he understood that the Phoenix company
| is a local concern. l.. j. Walker. attorney
| for the company now says that he will
| have to submit the contract to Eastern
| parties interested. AS soon as he reports
1 that they are willing TO accept the contrac,
| city. the company will be given franchise
| ton in telephone rates depends on whether
| the company Will accept the terms of the
city. Aside from the revenue demanded
he pfroo 10 bo, bo