The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-30
Mr.. MCGOWAN BEFORE BOARD
HE PROPOSES BELT LINE TO CON-
BINE CROss-TOwN LINES.
Final Answer Promised the Board
This AfternoOn-Other Munic-
ipaI Affairs.

lnterurban anairs occupied the city off1-
GERS all OF yesterday. In the morning the
mayor, some councilmen and the Board OF
Public Works looked over the proposed
Lexington-avenue extension OF the Vir-
ginia-avenue line and the Prospect-street
and Sixteenth-street cross-to town lines. After
the trip the board met at the courthouse at
o'clock TO receive the answer of Mir. Nc
Gowan as to whether he would build these
lines or not. Beside the mayor and the
board George F. McCulloch, president Of
the Union Traction Company, and w y.
Harding, of the Shelbyville company sat
talking about interurban affairs The con-
Versation was not official, but was enter
tanning. While it was in progress Frank L.
Littleton reappeared. Mir. Littleton is the
attorney for the shippers committee and he
possesses characteristics long ago made
familiar in BanQuo's ghost Mr.. Littleton
enters smiling at all conferences and asks
in placid tones if this meeting will take
UP the freight question:" Seeing that the
meeting was not in order he dropped into a
chair next TO Mr.. McCulloch
Then began a discussion OF freight rates,
freight cars. freight service no service.
public rights and private rights. The dis
cussion waxed warm and emphatic. All
three said things seemingly final in their
tone.
Mr.. McCulloch said he did not intend 10
put halter on his neck in the freight rate
settlement. He said he was willing TO ac-
cept the rate OF the steam roads as the
maximum, but he wanted the minimum
fixed at 50 per cent of the maximum rates.
Mr.. Littleton insisted that no minimum
was necessary, as competition would regu-
late the minimum
MR.. MCULLOCH EXPLAINS.
"A good theory" said Mr. McCulloch.
vigorously, but in it there is the halter
that don't want about my neck Suppose
the competing railroads put the price or
transportation way below cost and 10 meet
it down came my price. Wouldn't the rail-
road company be smart enough 10 load my
cars with its freight and make me haul
it back and forth, as 1 would have 10 do
being a common carrier, at a loss? Then
there is another thing. The provision in
my contract that the board reserves the
right to control the freight business is an
other halter. Suppose 1 spend a good deal
of money in expensive freight equipment
and at the end of the year the board de-
cides interurban freight cars in the city
streets, where will l be?''
''Well, If you think" said Mayor Book
walter. that the city is going to withdraw
that provision OF the franchise, you are
badly mistaken. II will never do il. While
the cheap rapid freight system Of the inter-
urban lines is desirable for merchants,
don't believe the people want their streets
used for freight cars and we will keep the
northern system is made 10 operate from
Logansport. Marion. Fort Wayne and other
places clear 10 this city there will be only
one way for this stream of freight cars TO
reach the city-through College avenue.
Do you suppose for minute that the prop
erty owners along that street will stand
that? Why, they would enjoin the use OF
the streets for that purpose and the sooner
they 90 il the better No, sir. the city will
not eliminate that provision"
Then, said Mr.. McCullOch. there is
little use trying 10 settle this freight ques-
ton. For the benefit OF your merchants.
you have been asking freight rates and
have been asking US 10 make an investment
of two or three hundred thousand dollars
for freight equipment, and this with the
constant menace Of being kicked out any
minute you decide the cars are nuisance
1 am willing to compete with the steam
roads II you Will guarantee permanency
10 this branch OF the business / will pur-
chase an electric locomotive for $4,000 and
freight cars that cost $500 or 500 and / will
haul trains OF twenty cars as fast as any
railroad. But you want no unsightly cars.
You demand a car that costs $500. and
that requires two men at least TO operate
il and the cars must run singly. We can't
compete on that basis.
THINKS IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL.
''The law" said the mayor. con-
templates the use OF the streets by street
railways as a public utility for the trans
portation OF passengers. l don't believe il
is legal TO permit their use for freight pur-
poses"
"oh. yes. IT is" said Mr.. Harding. who
had been an interested listener. the high
ways are for the use of transporting
products as well as human beings man
may haul his merchandise in a wagon on
the highway. or he may haul II in a car"
We'll, anyway" said Mr.. McCulloch. Il
don't care rap what you do. You can re-
quire me TO do freight business on a busi-
ness basis, or you may strike the whole
freight feature out l don't believe freight
traffic IN the streets OF indianapolis ever
will be popular. Nor will IL in the other
municipalities. We have those 10 consider
too Why should Anderson want our trains
OF cars passing through its streets? l
sometimes think that the steam roads are
interested in having the interurban freight
cars pass through the city 10 engender op-
position and destroy this feature OF COM
petition"
I do not know about that" said Mr.. Lat-
tleton. but II you want the wnole Qu.s-
tion eliminated from the contracts that r-'l
leave II open 10 separate settlement in the
future"
Mr. McCulloch then said that he had
waited as long as he could and left. The
impression conveyed by the conversation
was that the interurban freight question IS
far from being settled. and that the inter-
urban roads feel that by establishing IL
through city streets they will be inviting
/ disaster.
Soon after Mr.. McCulloch left Mr. Nc
Gowan came in. He asked the board for