The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-14
TERMS COMPANY OFFERS
sTREET-CAR CoNFABs WITH CITY
AUTHORITIES BEGIN.
Provisional Three-Cent Fare Hfnted
At-City Attorneys Fran
chise Draft.

| dOne except TO break the ice for future dis
cussion between the two parties at some
future meeting, 1t being expected that both
sides will require the rest Of the week TO
consider the propositions submitted
The afternoon session was the most i'm
portant Of the two. disclosing as it did much
OF the purpose OF the city officials Early
In the morning the street-railway company
effected permanent organization previous
to appearing before the board to ask for
franchise by electing the following officers:
President-Hiram P. WATSON.
j. MCGOWAN.
secretary-Henry Jameson.
Treasurer-Julius A Lemcke
Directors-H. z. WATSON, H b. Hibben,
George Brown, j. A. Lemcke ard Henry
jameson, of Indianapolis; Randall Morgan
of Philadelphia, and Hugh j. MCGOWAN, OF
Kansas City.
IL was then decided TO appoint President
WATSON and General Manager MCGOWAN as
a committee 10 present the claims OF the
company before the board and accordingly,
as soon as the Board OF Works met, the
following proposition was laid before it:
The. Indianapolis Street-railway Com
pany desires TO enter into contract for
the use OF the streets of the city OF In
dianapOis for street railway purposes. un-
der the provisions of the act concerning
street-railroad companies in cities the popu-
tation Of which exceeds 10000, passed by
the Legislature at its recent session, and TO
that end makes to your honorable body the
following propositions, viz:
Il. Said company will acquire the prop
erty and franchises of the Citizens Street
railroad Company OF Indianapolis and of
the City Railway Company, and surrender
all the rights and franchises held Or claimed
by said Companies under prior legislation
and contracts.
- Said company will engage to convey
to the city of indianapolis the Shelby-street
barn and real estate on which the same is
situated and the Fairview Park real estate.
3. said company will, at its own cost,
pave and repave when necessary and keep
In repair the space occupied by and between
Its tracks, and for eighteen inches on the
outside thereof, and will eXpend In the ex-
tension and Improvement of Its plant, cars
and lines of street railway all sums that
shall be necessary in order to put the same
in condition to afford adequate and efficient
service, all which shall be specially provided
for in the contract.
~ Said company will pay TO the city of
indianapolis the sum of $4,000. at times
and ir installments to be agreed upon.
ferred to is granted, said company will
maintain and operate a first-class and eff
fcient street-car system in said city, and
carry passengers on the same for a fare OF
cents for single ride, with suitable trans
fer privileges. and will sell tickets emitting
the holder to transportation and to such
transfer privileges in amounts of six tickets
for p cents and twenty-five tickets for
one dollar.
80 That the city shall grant to said COM
pany the franchise to use and occupy its
streets for street-railway purposes for a
period of thirty-four years
81. If this proposition is acceptable, said
company is ready TO enter into a contract
embodying the same and other necessary
or suitable provisions In pursuance OF. ana
in accordance with, the provisions Of the
act above referred to, to secure the
citizens of Indianapolis thoroughly salts
factory, cheap and convenient street-car
system"
BY the time the proposition had been read
the board decided the: it would take the
matter up for consideration at o'clock, as
the many matters to be discussed would
take up more time than was available dur
| ing the morning. c. +. Smith came in a
| few minutes after the board had adjourned,
| but left Immediately to show up again as
soon as the board met In the afternoon. At
Kern. Controller Johnson President Ma
| honey. of the Council; President WATSON,
OF the company, and Charles +. Smith, in
addition to the members Of the ne, d Board OF
| in executive session in the private rooms
| Of the Board OF Works.
OUTLINES OF a FRANCHISE.
| AS part OF the consideration of the prop
osition Of the company City Attorney Kern
| submitted the outline of the conditions
which the city intended to impose on the
| company. Its provisions, in brief, are that
| before the company will be allowed to con-
| struct any new lines it must get permits
| sion from the City Council; that within
| sixty days after the contract has been made
| between the company and the city the
| company must surrender uncondltio;Ially all
rights and franchises it has acquired from
| the Citizens Company, and unless this is
done it's contract will be void. 1t further
provides that transfers may be made by
passengers from one car to another. either
at the first intersection or at any general
diverging point. and may be allowed to
board either the first or second car due TO
| leave the point Of transfer at the time
punched on the ticket This will effectually
prevent passengers being required to pay
| two fares when for any reason, they miss
another following it. The effect of the whole
| section is that passengers may transfer
wherever they choose to do SO, instead OF
/ being compelled to change where the con-
| ductor requests them to.
In the section relating to fares, the
| amounts are left blank and will form the
| basis of a discussion at n later period.
| BY person familiar with the inside nego-
| tiations II is said that the city will attempt
| to insist on Scent fare with some moditi-
| cations; for instance, when II shall be
| shown that by decreased expense of opera
! ton the company can operate the system
| on a Scent fare with proht IL Is lntended
| 10 give the Council the right TO order the
| fares reduced and on an objection from the
/ company the representatives of the corpor-
alton may appear before the Council and
/ Board OF Works and state reasons why
| fares should not be reduced. In event the
Council decides to sustain it's position the
| company must reduce fares or be subject
| TO penalties. The proposition is as yet in
| the rough, but Will be the most important
| feature Of the next meeting.
| On the subject OF fares. Mr.. Kern's prop
| osition contains the stipulation that should
| passenger board a car and offer TO buy
| tickets from the conductor and that official
| for any reason is not able 10 supply the
| demand. the passenger shall not be COM
| PEELED to pay q cash fare, but may ride
| free, providing that if the conductor shall
| be able TO secure tickets before the passen-
| ger shall have reached his point of debarka-
| ton he may compel the passenger TO buy
| tickets.
| A DEPOSIT FOR REPAIRS.
Passing to other matters the paper stipu-
| lates that the city may require the COM
| pany to change it's motive power at any
time a new power is shown 10 be desirable.
The overhead wire system may continue
| only so long as the city desires TO allow it.
| and the Board of Works is given full power
TO test the apparatus Of the company at
| any time. The company shall be required
| TO pave between and for eighteen inches on
| either side of its tracks and also the por-
| tions OF the floors Of such bridges as its
| tracks run over. This latter provision is
| one which the city tried vainly 10 extort
| from the Citizens Company. The company
| Will be required 10 at all times keep de-
| post OF 81 600 in the hands OF the city treas
| necessary and the company neglects to re-
| spond promptly, the treasurer may pay the
| company's share out of the emergency re-
| pair fund" in his hands.