The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-11
A FUTILE CONFERENCE
NO AGREEMENT ON INTERURBAN
FRANCHISE QUESTION.
President McGOwan Refuses to Accept
the Contract as Amended-Mu-
nicipnI Affairs.

The conference between the Board or
Public Works and the councilmanic COM
mittee on contracts and franchises was
held last night in the Board of Works
office. The members of the board and COM
mittee were present, together with Mayor
Taggart President MCGOWAN, and Mr..
Grant and Mr. Jones, of the indianapolis
Street-railway Company. There were no
representatives of interurban lines present.
The meeting was arrange for the pur-
pose of discussing the interurban franchise
to enable the Board of Works and Council
committee to agree on a franchise If pos
sible. The board prepared a franchise
which was accepted by the interurban and
Indianapolis companies, n when it was
sent to the Council for ratification the
committee on contracts and franchises rec
commended amendments providing for a
straight scent fare on interurban lines
for Indianapolis passengers. transfers from
interurban lines to Indianapolis Street
railway Company lines. and a tax of 2
cents per trip for each car.
The matter was discussed pro and con
at the meeting last night, President Nc
Gowan. of the Indianapolis mpan out
lining his policy, and Mayor Taggart TAX
ing an unusual interest in the proceedings.
The members of the board and committee
also gave their views on the subject. While
the question was not settled last night it
is safe to say the franchise as prepared
by the Board of Works will be amended,
and it will probably provide for a straight
scent fare On interurban lines for In
~dianapolis passengers, and no transfers
whatever. The provision to tax the cars
will probably be left as fixed by the COM
mittee's amendment.
President MCGOWAN claimed that the sec
tion in the franchise providing for the sell
ing of indianapolis Street-railway Com
pany's tickets on interurban lines should
be stricken out. as he had never agreed to
that clause. The members of the council
manic said they had offered the
amendment providing for a scent fare,
believing that the interurban companies
would better protect the outside passen-
gers by compelling the local traffic to pay
full fare.
President MCGOWAN then said he had
been thinking over the matter, and the
ioea had occurred to him that the city
could not legally compel his company TO
accept transfers or tickets from the inter-
urban companies. He said his company
was entitled to a Accent fare, n under
the arrangement with the interurban COM
panies and the franchise as proposed his
company would be compelled to accept
Scent fares and transfers. AS a repre-
sentative Of the stockholders, he said he
WOufu not accept the lrancnlSe. lie Salu
his company got three-ffths of each fare
OF the interurban companies in the city
and that was not the Accent fare his con-
tract with the city provided for. He said
the Indianapolis company was entitled to
and wanted the local business, and he
would insist on fair treatment on that
basis.
In explaining how the use of transfers
on interurban lines could be abused, he
said 1t would be possible for the conduc-
tors to greatly abuse the system.
Chairman Sahm, of the Board of Works,
said he realized that the interurban lines
would be a great benefit to indianapolis,
but he said ii must also be borne in mind
that Indianapolis will be a great benefit to
the interurban companies. After consid-
cradle discussion Mr.. MCGOWAN said he
wanted the franchise to provide for a
straight scent fare on interurban lines
TO Indianapolis passengers and no trans
fers. He said he was willing to exclude
the interurban lines. as he believed the
wear and tear on the tracks would be
more than at first calculated, and the In
dianapolis company would make but little
money out of the business of the interurban
companies. Mr.. MCGOWAN said that in a
short time the interurban companies would
have to use Ohio or Georgia street, in the
central part of the city, instead of using
Washington street. The matter was taken
under Amusement by the Board Of Works.