The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-05
IS STARTED ON IT'S WAY
NEW TELEPHONE CONTRACT INTRO
DUCED IN THE COUNCIL.
Pavement of the Cross Streets Deter
mined UpOn-TrOubIes of the
Safety Board.

The contract between the city and the
New Telephone Company finally reached
the Council last night and was sent to the
committee on contracts and franchises, of
which Mr.. Golfer is chairman and Messrs
Madden Knight Little, Costello Won
Spreckelsen, Scanlon, Rauch and Shaffer are
members. The ordinance has been
printed for the information OF the members
OF the Council so that they may speedily in
form themselves of it's contents ,r sJ ~
Mr.. Little last night called up his or
dinance fixing the maximum water rates
to be charged by the indianapolis Water
Company. He offered a number of amend
ments, the most important of which pro-
vides for the arbitration of five to de-
termine the business of the ordinance rates,
two members of the committee to be ap-
pointed by the company, two by the ,Coun-
Gil and the fifth by the four. This com
mittee is to be appointed in case the COM
pany does not accept the rates fixed in the
ordinance Mr.. Little prepared the amend
nent at the suggestion of the city attorney
to comply with the provisions of the present
contract beween the city and the company.
The ordinance and amendments were re-
committed.
Mr.. Higgins introduced an ordinance fixing
a month and of his two assistants at $50 a
month. The custodian now receives $50 and
his assistants $3.50 a month.
The greater portion of long and tiresome
session was taken up with the reading and
passage of the ordinances for the improve
ment of North Side streets. The Demo-
Gratis, aware that the Republican council
men in the wards affected would oppose the
ordinances. mustered sufficient votes to pass
them. Messrs. Madden and McGrew, Demo-
Gratis. were absent, but with the vote of Mr.
Shaffer Republican, whose ward is not
touched by the improvements. hey had six
teen votes, two more than enough Mr.
Allen explained in voting against asphalting
Fourteenth street from Pennsylvania to
Delaware street that inasmuch as the
majority, in party caucus, had decided to
force the improvements on the property
owners without consulting the Republican
minority. and inas1nuch as they had the
necessary strength to pass the ordinances
he was disposed to let Them pursue that
course without his vote. Mr.. Grail attempt
ed to explain that he was opposed to the
ordinance because not only a majority but
every single property owner had remon-
strated and he was not in favor of forcing
improvements against the wishes of all the
by President Mahoney who ruled him out
OF order, declaring that he was not explain
ing his vote in the meaning of the rule
The other street ordinances passed pro-
viding for asphalt were st. Joseph street.
Illinois to Pennsylvania street; ST. Joseph
street, Delaware to Fort Wayne avenue
Fourteenth street. Illinois street to Senate
avenue Fourteenth street, Meridian to
Pennsylvania street: New Jersey street
Washington to Virginia avenue. The last
ordinance was for a brick roadway i'm the
first alley east of Meridian street. from
st. Joseph to Eleventh street. Won Spreck-
elsen and Scanlon. Democrats, each voted
with the Republicans on one ordinance,
explaining privately that they did so by re-
quest of friends who wished them to
vote no.
Mr.; Little is at work on a new ordinance
regulating electric light charges. 1t will be
so drafted as to obviate objections that were
raised to his former ordinance by the cleo
tric-light companies. who succeeded in in
ducing the councilmen who stand in with
the corporations to vote to strike it from
the files. The objection made before was
that power for lighting is sold by meter.
while the ordinance fixed a schedule on the
basis of so much a month on each burner
The new ordinance will meet this objection.