The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-18
PAYMENT OF ONLY $4,000
THE COMPANY TO SPEND A MILLION
IN BETTERMENTS.
Bill Covering Contract City May Make
to BE Reported FavorabIy
by Legislature.

| TO ratfy with the company when that cor
| poration asks for franchise. will embrace
the following essential points:
That the company relinquish all claim to
perpetual rights in the city, including all
grants made by County Commissioners and
those made by suburban towns which are
now part of the city.
| That the company pay over $4,000 in in
stallments, to be arranged for between it
| and the city.
That it shall pave between its tracks on
all streets in the same manner and with the
same material as is used in paving the rest
of the street, the work to be done to the
| satisfaction of the city engineer and the
| Board of Public Works.
That the company shall spend 81 ZOO, 900 in
betterments to the plant as rapidly as pos
| sible to insure perfect system.
That it shall provide the best service with
| the latest improved methods of transport
| tation. all to be under the control of the city
| authorities.
That the city shall have an option to pur-
| chase the plant at the end of the franchise.
which will be for thirty-four years from
1899.
The company shall agree to give six tick
cts for 25 cents or twenty-five for 81, and is
to lease to the city Fairview Park and the
| Shelby-street barns for rental of 81 a year
and deed both places to the city at the end
of the franchise.
These points were agreed to, as far as
the committees, the street-car people and
Mayor Taggart were concerned, with the
understanding that the company shall fur
nsh good guarantee that the terms Of
the proposition will be carried out. After
being in executive session for two hours and
discussing the matter at length the COM
mttee finally adopted a motion that it was
the sense of the committee that a bill prop
erly covering the terms Of the contract that
the city may make with the company will
be reported favorably by the committee,
and Senator Hawkins and, Representative
Noel We're named a subcommittee to
draft such q substitute bill.
The Senate and House committees on the
affairs Of the city of Indianapolis came to-
gether with the plan fully developed of ab
soiutely rejecting the proposition made by
the representatives Of the new street-rail
way company. 1t had been decided by men,
bers of the committees to insist that a new
proposition be made which would include
reduced fare, a cash consideration for grant
factory bond to abide by the provisions Of
the proposition. The committee did not feel
justified IN pressing the point asked for by
! several of the citizens, requiring the COM
pany to accept 3-cent fares, but the con-
sensus seemed to be that, while the regular
single rare might justly remain at cents,
the company should generally issue six
tickets for Is cents, not simply to working
men at certain hours but to every one alike
at all hours of the day. The committee fur
ther felt that the company should pay the
city 900 in cash in satisfactory INSTALL
ments.
CITY OFFICERS PRESENT.
Aside from the committees there were
present Mayor Taggart City Attorney
Kern, H. p. WATSON and Hugh MCGOWAN,
the latter representing the new company.
Az % ri a 70 oil
the attitude of the committee as against the
proposition made by the company, after
which Mr.. MCGOWAN arose and said that as
he was not aware of what was in the minds
of the members of the committee as to what
would be a suitable proposition from the
company, he would suggest that the COM
mlttee make some proposition which would
relieve his embarra ssment and suggest what
the company could afford to agree to. All
the members began the work OF leading up
70 the subject with great caution, Senator
Hawkins finally breaking the ice by admit
ting that 1t was not intended to insist on
scent fare because it was felt that it would
impair the service but he felt that It was
due to the public to give some concession
in the way of reduced fares.
Senator New said that while the commit
ton settled he did not feel that the COM
mittee ought to make any proposition, but
| that 1t should come from the company.
Mr.. MCGOWAN said that he felt that the
| people of the city did not realize what a
| liberal system of transfer was contemplated
| by his company, and that when the COM
| pany made its first proposition it was never
| thought that the committee would reject 1t.
| He said. however, that the company wished
| 70 grant any reasonable concession, but
| that, IL reduced fares were accepted, the
| company felt that it should not give the city
| any cash consideration. He alleged that the
present Citizens Street-railroad COmpanys
| system was In bad condition very much
| run down, and in need of immediate and eX-
| tensiVe improvements all around. He then
mazda verbal n nr
| the franchise, and the acceptance of fare
tickets sold at the rate OF six for % cents
| or twenty-five for 81.
Representatives Glossbrenner and Noel
| suggested some slight reduction in the
! length of the franchise but Mr. MCGOWAN
| disposed of this by saying that 1t would be
bonds on anything less than thirty-two-
| year franchise.
THE MAYORS VIEWS
Senator Hawkins asked Mayor Taggart to
! give the views of the city administration on
| the subject, and the mayor at once said
| that the thing the city needed the most was
! good service, and Mr.. MCGOWAN, he under
stood, promised that, and. while he could
| only speak as mayor. he felt that, so far as
| possible, the Legislature should leave the
| question of settling the street-car matter
| to the city, which, he believed, would make
| no less favorable terms with the company
| than were embodied in the proposition sub
| mitted. The tenor of his remarks was ia
! vorable TO the last proposition of the COM
| pany. City Attorney Kern suggested that,
| while the Legislature could not legally for
| muate any franchise for the city. it would
| be wise to provide limitations governing any
| franchise the city might grant. At o'clock
| the committee went into executive session
/ to consider the proposition made by Mr..
| MCGOWAN and discuss other matters relat-
| ing TO the franchise. such as sprinkling as
/ sessments, paving improvements and car
/ Va II Thought n IN