The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-19

would not De ABSURD enough 10 insist on
the company providing a terminal just TO
enforce the contract, but that it would re-
qu1re the establishment of a freight service.
AS to the release from the car tax" said
the mayor, the question is a new one, and
| will be frank to say that l do not view
1T with favor / will, however, have the
proper city officials give it consideration,
but | repeat that we will not view 1t with
favor"
Mr.. MCGOWAN said he thought this state
ment unfortunate, as the settlement of the
interurban question hinged the elimina-
ton of this tax. By relieving the companies
of this tax, he said they would be better
able to pay their fixed charges for terminal
facilities. and he declared that the interur-
bans were not prepared to pay any high
charges of this kind.
REVENUE FROM CAR TAX.
The mayor read a statement from the
controller showing that the Union Traction
Company for November and December 1901,
had paid only s62OS in car tax. He also
figured that an investment of $500 900 in ter
minal property would mean an income to
the city of $4,000 a year al a tax rate of so
cents. Some thought the mayors calcula-
tion on an S0-cent tax rate foreshadowed
the purpose of the administration to fix
the rate at that amount next September.
President Adams. of the Shelbyville line,
called attention to a law passed by the
Legislature of 1901, which, he said, seemed
TO be ignored when the legality of freight
nauI0S was CONSIDERED. InlS law, ne Sal0
and quoted from it, permitted the interur-
ban roads to haul persons and property,
and this language he thought gave the alb
so'ute right to haul freight. He said the
board had been cautious in making its
freight contract with interurban roads, but
Mr.. McGowans proposal to eliminate the
car tax seemed unpopular: Mr.. MCGOWAN,
he said, was right. Indianapolis is the
Mecca of the State and it ought 10 welcome
the interurbans BY diverting this car tax
to the terminal purposes the city would be
wa a IN
of reciprocity.
After a silence Chairman Megrew urged
expressions from all the representatives.
Charles Finley Smith, owner of the Mar
tinSville road, said he had always held that
any tax was unwarranted and unjust. The
roads, he declared, represented each the
equivalent of an addition of 5000 people
to the population of the city and the city
should encourage their entrance to the city.
Albert Lieber, president of the Plain
| field line, said the tax was supposed to
remunerate the city for expense in keep
ing up streets, but that all this was pro-
vided for in the local company's franchise
and that the tax was unnecessary and I'M
just.
The mayor asked Mr.. MCGOWAN to ex-
plain what his terminal project was. Mr..
McGowan said that only in a general way
had the project been discussed. He was
ready to devise plan in detail and sub
NIT it to the city. He had several pieces
! of property in view and he meant to estab-
! lish two depots, one for passengers,
complete as the Union Station and the
other for freight. But he said it was nee
essary to eliminate the car tax before the
terminal question could be settled, the
interurbans could not stand heavy charges.
Mr.. Littleton explained that the shippers
| felt that the Union Traction Company's
franchise was not complete 10 its duty
| as a freight carrier. The shippers only
wanted all the companies put a basis
where their franchises 50 far freight
was concerned, would be effective. The
board should fix a maximum not higher
than the freight rates of the steam roads
a cPriy,o ir1af iOn he
| asked him if he believed the city could
control rates outside of the city. Mr.. Lit
Teton said he thought it could as TO freight
| but not as TO passengers.
William Patterson arose and said he saw
enough to satisfy him that the Indianapolis
Street-railway Company owned everything.
| He thought the car tax ought TO be
moved and the companies required to give
| transfers. He said If this was now done
1t would prevent multitude of interurban
| cars from collecting scent fares.
AGAINST THE CAR TAX
w. G. Irwin spoke against the car tax
He said his road, the Greenwood line, was
surprised when the car tax was added,
and this was one Of the reasons it had not
| signed a franchise.
| Frank NJ Fauvre, of the Greenfield line.
said he had not come prepared to discuss
the subject before the board, but that he
and the company had consistently resisted
1
wanted was fairness and il had under con-
| sderation a proposal from Mr. MCGOWAN
| that seemed liberal and fair and would
| doubtless be accepted. He thought that
! the city acted hastily in requiring a tax
| and had departed from the precedent es-
tabished by all other cities.
| G. w. Mcclure, representing President
| McCulloch. of the Union Traction Com
/ pany, said his company had established it's
passenger terminal and was providing
| freight service, which, he thought would
| pany like other business institutions
/ il had policies and would follow them If
| il found good reason to change them 1T
] would do and whenever a change was
| asked 1t would be considered as a business
! proposition and decided as such.
| Pierre Gray, representing the Lebanon &
| Frankfort road, said terminal stations were
/ unnecessary as they were inconvenient,
| pecally for passenger traffic. He also
thought the freight question incapable of
| solution by fixing maximum charges now.
| Mayor Bookwalter then announced that
/ the city, in its demand for union terminal
/ according TO the loop plan. would welcome
| any plan agreeable 10 the local and foreign
| companies and not inconsistent with the
| citys theory. The streets, however. must
| be ridded of freight cars The city stood
and if II became necessary 10 prepare
new agreement ii would be done. But. the
| mayor repeated, something must be done
and done without delay OF else the sit-
uation would become intolerable
| Councilman SOurbier said he had always
| believed that the car tax was unjust and
| he favored it's elimination. c. F. Smith
1 added that there was an impeachment TO the
interurbans joining and building terminal