The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-12
Mayor BOOI<waIter Thinks Ii Is About
Time for the Matter to BE
Finally Settled.
MR.. H. ]. MGoWAN'S ATTITUDE
1T CAUSES THE INTERURBAN COM
PANIEs SOME ANXIETY.
Captain English, of the safety Board,
on the GameweII COntract-Other
Municipal Affairs.

A settlement of the long-delayed inter
urban franchise question will probably be
reached this week Mayor Bookwalter and
the members Of the Board OF Works got
together yesterday afternoon and decided
that Thursday morning next would be a
convenient time to reopen the subject.
The representatives of the three interur-
ban roads still outside the agreement were
notified TO appear before the board at 10
o'clock that morning. notice also
sent TO Hugh j. MCGOWAN, president of the
indianapolis Street-railway Company, to
meet with the board and the interurban
men,
The matter has been dragging so long
that all the parties concerned are anxious
to come to some kind of agreement.
Whether an amicable agreement will be
reached depends upon how much of a con-
cession the Board of Works is willing to
make to the Indianapolis, Greenwood &
Franklin line, the Greenfield line and the
Shelbyville line, the three roads concerned.
Messrs. Binford and Mcdonald will likely
represent the Greenfield road. VIII Irwin
the Greenwood road and Messrs. Harding
and Smith the Shelbyville road.
At the time George F. McCulloch was
granted franchise for his Union Traction
Company the Board of Works was disin-
Clincd TO give the smaller companies any
better terms than it had granted Mr. Nc
CullOch. When the lesser lines refused to
sign the contract the board was inclined
10 believe that they were "bluffing" and
that they were financially able to meet
the demands of the city in regard to COM
pensation for using the streets Then the
1nterurban men had several meetings and
showed themselves so much in earnest that
~ or eli IL, 80
feeling and relaxed somewhat. At these
meetings of the interurban men held I'm
the Grand Hotel and other places il was
claimed that the demands of the Indian
apOlis Street-railway Company are so high
for the privilege OF using its tracks that
If the city also demanded a high compen-
panies.
At this juncture Councilman Harry Neg
ley appeared with a plan for settling the
compensation TO be demanded by the city
that seemed to meet with much favor both
from the board and from the interurban
companies themselves. No definite state
ments were made by the members of the
board. but they intimated that Mr. Neg
ley proposition seemed to be an equita bic
one. The interurban men said ii was what
they wanted. Mr.. Negley suggested that
the rate of compensation demanded bv the
city be based upon the mileage of the re-
spectve roads concerned. 1t seems
probable that If action is taken by the
board at the meeting next Thursday
morning a franchise based upon something
/ like MIR. Negley's idea will be adopted
one feature of the question NAV arise IN
interfere with the action of the board
That is the apparent inability of Mr.. Nc
GOwan and the interurban men to agree
on what the Indianapolis Street-raiiway
Company shall charge for the privilege of
using its tracks. The interurban men
would like to have the board influence the
local company TO modify its tax. but Mr.
MCGOWAN says the board has got to keep
its hands off and has no legal right to in
terfere in the private arrangements of the
company. Mr.. Irwin, of the Greenwood
Company, says the interurban men can
agree TO no contract with the city until
they ind out how Mr.. MCGOWAN is going
10 treat them, and SO the situation remains
a little mixed. 1t is hoped by all narties
that Mr. MCGOWAN may present a state
ment or charges TO the board Thursday
morning that will be acceptable to the in
! terurban men and allow the of
the franchise to be taken up at once.