The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-17
SENT BACK TO THE BOARD
CITY COUNCIL FAILS TO AGREE ON
THE TELEPHONE CONTRACT.
Must Go Back to the Board of Works
for ModificatiOn-HOw the
Members Voted.


ago by me Board of Public Works. The
Council decided TO- send the franchise back
for modification Under the amendments
that were adopted the board will have to
draft new contract providing, among other
things, that any. future notifications of the
franchise, or a transfer or assignment of it
to any other company, must be ratified by
the Council. In its original form the con-
tract vested the power in the Board of Pub
lie Works alone. Fhe company will prob
ably accept the contract with this modifica-
ton, provided it is made speedily by the
board ard is at once acted on by the Coun-
ell. After the meeting President Mahoney
said he would gall a special meeting to re-
ceiye the contract as soon as it was modified
by the board. 1t is now the programme to
have two special meetings, unless the entire
twenty-one members will consent to its pas
sage at the first special meeting under sus-
pension of the rules. Unless there is unani-
nous action there must be two meetings to
consider the ordinance, as it cannot be
passed at the meeting at which it is in
troduced without unanimous consent.
At one stage of the proceedings last night
Messrs. S. p, Shefrn, A. H. Nordyke, M.
3. Wilson, Harry b.. Gates and other repre-
sentatives Of the company who were present
walked out of the Council chamber and held
little caucus among themselves. AT that
moment the Council was sitting as a COM
mittee of the Whole, and had practically
agreed on number of amendments which
the company could not accept. The COM
pany had counted on the support of Presi..
dent Mahoney, who has expressed himself
as favorable to cheaper telephone rates.
There were two fep0rtS from the committee
on contracts andnfranchises. The majority
"a 1T1h q
The minority favored the passage or the
ordinance it came from the board. on
the question of substituting the minority Tor
the majority report President Mahoney
voted no. defeating the minority report. He
did this in order 70 get the contract before
the Council for full discussion, as he ex-
planned afterward. to newspaper men.
MIR, SHEERIN'S THREAT.
AS the COMMITTEE of the whole was about
to rise, after the adoption of many amend
ments, President Mahoney was informed by
S. P. Sheerin, vice president Of the COM
pany, that If the Council did not reconsider
the vote by which the minority report was
defeated and decide. to pass the contract as
introduced by the Board of Works the COM
pany would wash its hands of the whole
transaction and would to-day withdraw the
$4,000 cash it had deposited and cease it's
efforts to furnish the city with cheaper tel
ephones. There was short recess after
the committee of the whole arose Members
who had favored the passage of the ordi-
nance discussed the situation and came to
the conclusion that the situation was des-
perate. 1t was recognized that it would be
bad politics to have 1t get out that the
Council had cit off all prospects for
cheaper telephones. When the committee
of the whole was ready to report 1T was OBJ
served that Mr.. Shaffer. of the Seventh
ward, Republican, who had voted with the
obstructionists, had left the chamber. With
Mr. Shaffer gone and President Mahoney
voting in favor of the New Telephone Com
%9,Nrn hot h0J
efforts to amend the ordinance In such
way that it would not be accepted by the
company would come to naught, and they
at once resorted to- all sorts of tactics to
postpone the subject. Motion after motion
to adjourn was made. President Mahoney
tried to ignore them, but when the movers
insisted that a motion to adjourn was al
ways in order. the motion was put but. re.
peatedly voted down; After the report or
so far as it placed new restrictions on, the
company, Mr. Sheerip. and others, who had
again come into the Council chamber said
the company had no objections to the Coun-
Gil insisting on having a. say In the matter
of ratifying notifications of the contract,
provided the subject vas taRen up - ana n11,,5 a
lie Works soon. 1t is understood the adj
ministration will at once take steps to modi-
Gil so that it can be passed yet this week.
There is no assurance that the company
will not throw up the sponge to-day . and
ago to guarantee its good faith.
Edward w Little one of the councilmen
at large Of the most persistent Sn T6
it charged that Mr. Little was against it
because Mayor T9ggatt favors It, as Wen
one of the stockholders, They charged that
Mr.. Little has not forgotten the late county
convention in which his ambition to sue
coed his partner, John j.. Rockford, as coun-
ty chairman was defeated by the mayor
and the Sentinel There have been hints
from some directions by men who, DO not
IN 01rd he pl1I
of the highest officials of the city is inter
ested in the New Telephone Company. This
is denined by representatives of the COM
pany who declare that the list of stock
holders as submitted tohthe Board of Public
Works and published in the Journal at the
that no city official ,is interested under
cover" This idea had some influence on
certain members present last night; al,
that the influence OF. the Central Union Tel
ephone Company was being manifested.
During the evening Commodore Higgins
passed the press table after he had been
back conversing with, members OF the New
Telephone Company.
COMMODORE HIGGINS'S SALLY.
'yrell Higgins to 'whack up" called one
of the members to the reporters. Mr.. Hig-
gins laughed when the idea was suggested
to him. ~
CLARK just said to me: What's the mat
ter with you? You are voting against your
own interests 1 told him. Why, 1 was
not in that pull :" ts
Mr.. Higgins laughed and looked rather Sc
rious when he was informed his converse
ton would be published. The amendments to
the franchise as proposed in the majority
report and in the committee OF the whole
provided that at the expiration OF ten years
the Council should at that time have the
right to reduce the rates charged for teIe-
phones If it were deemed exorbitant at that
time. Another amendment provided for in
creasing the amount of bond the company
shall give guaranteeing the carrying out It's
contract from $4,000 to $50 600. Another pro-
vided that after five years the distance
within which the maximum rate $24 a year
and $40 for business a.phones) should be eX-
tended one-fourth of a mile and dn equal
distance every five years. Several other
amendments provided that the Council
should have concurrent jurisdiction with the
Board of Works in fatifying transfers or
assignments of the contract to some other
the company to pay female employees not
less than 20 cents an, hour for their serv-
ices ana not discharge them without two
weeks notice except for immortality. The
minority report. signed by Messrs. Scanlon
and Knight Favored the passage OF the con-
tract WITHOUT amendment Joseph II COS
tello, or the committee, did not sign the
majority report because he was. opposed to
increasing the bond He favored Mr.. Col
ters and Mr. Little's' contention that the
right to regulate rates after ten years
should be embodied
HOW THE MEMBERS VOTED.
There were innumerable roll calls for
votes on various phases of the question.
The MEMBERS in the main, held together
on their first position. The first vote was
failing he Si1hS