The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-06
CERTAINTY BETTER THAN UNCER-
TAINTY.

The court having dissolved the temporary
injunction, the city is free to go ahead and
perfect a contract with the new street-rail-
way company with which ii has been ne
gotiating. 1t is not matter of politics, but
one of business. 1t is not a question of what
the people of Indianapolis may get when
series of ifs and legal uncertainties shall
have been settled in the sweet but far dis
tant by and by. but what is the best thing
that can be obtained just now in the way
of cheaper and better street-railway facili-
ties.
Considering the important subject upon
that basis. the Journal believes that the best
thing which can be done for all the people
is for the city government to grant a fran
chise to the indianapolis company upon the
best terms that cen be obtained. The Jour
nal favors this proposition because it will
settle at once the contention and uncertainty
which have involved street-railway trans
portation for years Outside of such a GER
tainty all is uncertainty. All that the law
yers who have made the majority report to
the Commercial Club can say is that they
believe the law questions involving the fran
chise of the Citizens company be dis
posed of without unreasonable delay. This
might be mildly ing did not the mass
of people know from long experience that lit
lgation over such matters as charters is only
another name for protracted delay. With
two years before action TO eject the Citizens
company could be begun. the public ex-
pect, If the decision should be favorable,
that it could be reached before three four
years after the bringing of a suit by the
city? There would be at least five or six
years of deteriorating service and 5-cent
fares. With the present uncertainty the
service is not good now as three years
ago. The rolling stock is wearing out, the
power is less reliable, and no modern. first
class cars are being put upon the tracks.
Do the people prefer five or six years of this
increasing deterioration and 5-cent fares
while waiting for 3-cent fare. do they
prefer a 4-cent fare, better service and a
universal transfer as soon as the new com
pany can get control of the property? That
| is the question. and to such a question there
/ can be but one answer which is that a GER
tainty Of better things is better than a
/ somewhat distant hope of cheaper fares
4 than cents.
| The terms of the contract between the
| city authorities and the new company are
not yet definitely known, but there is reason
| 10 believe that the latter will make greater
concessions to the public than those inserted
in the limits to the act of the last Legislature.
| One of these features is the universal trans
| fer, which enables the passenger with a
| transfer to take car on any other line than
/ that on which he has obtained his transfer,
| and that ten minutes will be allowed in
| which to take another car. This is a decided
| expansion of the transfer. Further, when
the proposed contract shall be made public ii
will be seen that there is a penalty for fail
| ure to render the service which is especially
| agreed upon.
There is reason to believe that the city
authorities will act promptly now that the
| Injunction has been dismissed There GER
| tainly is no cause for delay on the part of
the City Council when the contract made by
the Board of Public Works shall be placed
before 1t, for the reason that first-class serv-
| ice. with 4-cent fare at once, is preferable
TO the possibility of Scent fare five or six
| years hence