The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-09
Commission of Conservative Business
Men in Whom the People
Have Confidence.
THE OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE
MEETING OF CITY OFFICIALS AND
RAILROAD MEN IN CINCINNATI.
Mayor Now Waiting a Reply to
Last Letter-Elevated Track
CommfssiOn's Statement.

Mayor Bookwalter has made public his
life and property at steam-railroad cross
ings and has narrated the history of them
and the correspondence attached thereto.
In brief, his plan is to submit the ques-
tion to an impartial commission of business
men, before which all interests, the city
executive administration on one side, the
railroads on the other and such civic insti-
tutions as wish to intervene may have a
hearing. The spirit of this is binding, but
of course there can be no legal obligation
on either the city or the railroads to accept
the commissions decision. The mayor
hopes through this process to have all the
questions involved fully presented to a
commission composed of unprejudiced busi-
ness men and from their investigation shall
come in the concrete a system that will,
with only trivial notifications, be accept
able to all concerned.
The mayor favors a committee of seven,
although President McCrea, of the Union
Railway Company. in a letter to the mayor
suggests one of five. The appointment of
this commission does not carry with it
promise to dismiss the litigation between
the city and the Union Railway Company
involving the validity of the track-elevation
ordinance. The plans for the reference of
the contentious to the commission is inde-
pendent, and the dismissal of the litigation
by the city (Which appealed from Judge
Carter's adverse decision) would only fol-
low adequate settlement of the question
through the commission.
QUALITY OF COMMISSION.
This commission" said Mayor Bookwal-
ter last night, lis to be composed of men
who not only have the entire confidence of
the community, but who also have conf
dence in the community. whose futures are
here and who are interested in seeing that
the city gets all that 1t should have. The
commission plan appealed to me with sat-
isfying force because 1 realize that, no
matter how earnest this administration
might be, how zealously it might work, how
completely IL should succeed in getting ev-
cry detail of advantage that the city should
feel that all had not been done that should
have been done. 1t also appeared TO me.
from what has already been said. that
some might regard that as mere carrying
out OF an understanding prearranged |
hold that the grade-crossing question is
not one for any settlement by politics 1t
Is pure business matter between the peo-
pie, who need protection from danger and
the railroads who are asked to give il, and
as l learn, are ready to settle 1t fairly. II
also appealed to me because the city on
one hand. is trying to enforce its track ele-
walton ordinance, and large portion of the
people (at least) do not believe that this is
right; on the other hand. the railroads con-
tend that the general and complete eleva-
ton of the tracks is impractical A deci-
sion by this commission would reconcile
the advocates of all systems of reform be-
cause they would all have a fair hearing
and an impartial judgment
1.-The men who compose this commission
should be men open to conviction; men who
are not precommitted as to the solution of
the question; who have no hobbies; men
who business men are capable of receiy-
ing all the plans suggested by those inter-
ested and bringing out of their sober care
full judgment an equitable and adequate
remedy. i can imagine no fairer method
of solving this problem.
NOT LEGALLY BOUND.
"And yet" continued the mayor '.if the
decision of that commission should NOT
satisfy the city 1t is not legally bound to
accept ii. Neither are the railroads. But
| feel that If a commission of the charac-
ter l have indicated evolved a plan which
it deemed equitable and adequate not only
for present, but for future needs. the two
parties at interest would not find more
than trivial exceptions II is doubtless 10
be expected that the decision would be
such that IL would itself suggest to each
side notifications that would be agreeable
and would work out the whole question
tion Is not one OF political exppdiency nor
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8. COL. a.