The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-07
General Manager McCulloch Says n
Freight Service Can BE Estab-
Iished Within Two Weeks.
CITY ADMINISTRATIONS POLICY
1T Is OUTLINED IN DETAIL BY May
OR BOOKwALTER.
Shippers Committee Represented at
the Meeting-Another Confer
ence VIII Soon Be Held.


the Union Traction Companys system was
held at Mayor Bookwalters Office yesterday
afternoon. President G. F. McCulloch, of
the Union Company, c. w. Mcclure, his
assistant, and A. l.. Drum, superintendent,
represented the company. Mayor Book
walter and Messrs Megrew and Mcguire,
OF the Board of Public Works. represented
the city, and James l.. Reach, W. ].
Mooney, G. d. Griffin and II. b. Hibben
the shippers committee.
Mayor Bookwalter opened the conference
with the brief statement that all knew the
purpose OF it. He added that the $50 days
in which the company was to establish
freight service with the city had expired
and that, as yet. the city had not seen the
color of a Union Traction freight car. He
suggested that Mr.. McCulloch explain why
no car had appeared.
Mr.. McCulloch made very lengthy state
ment of the attitude of his company. He
said II was assumed when all the companies
were asking for city franchises and the
city was striving to adopt standard fran
chise for all that the policy of the city
would be to require them to use common
terminals For that reason the companies
had permitted themselves to be bound TO
establish freight systems and TO establish
station. but it was understood that the
policy would be to assemble all the ter
minals under a common roof.
PROGRAMME INTERRUPTED.
The failure of the other companies to
sign the franchise as it was accepted by
his company interrupted this programme,
which had been the programme of the
Taggart administration and was, he under
stood. TO be the policy of the present ad-
ministration. 1T is our intention said
Mr.. McCulloch, land I am fully authorized
by our directors to so say, to establish a
general. 1 should rather say, light freight
service between Indianapolis and all other
points on our system. The company hopes
10 earn money and declare dividends from
just such business, and IL Is purpose
to establish just what the city of Indianap-
oils wants. But what does il want? Does
it want a general freight service, hauling
merchandise in car lots at all hours? There
is where we stumbled. If we opened our
business 10 all grades of freight we would
turn the College-avenue line into belt
railroad. To give adequate service for all
grades would be practically TO turn the
| College-avenue line into freight line.
Now, If Indianapolis wants freight for
| light service, mere parcel and package
service, We can give IL Monday morning.
| If you want to wait two weeks longer,
| two new freight cars, about forty-five feet
81
| Or. If indianapolis wants a more extensive
service, including everything that is port
able over traction system, We will be
| glad to give it,"
Mr.. McCulIoch then explained that the
reason the company had not plunged into
the freight business was because it was
| primarily a passenger road. 1t had no
| desire TO be pioneer in the freight buSi-
ness. In fact. he would much rather that
| some of the other roads should make the
| experiments, but If ii became necessary he
| would a himself Ha
| explained that the Union companys sys-
| tenn now reaches cities and towns having
an aggregate population of 100000. A new
| line is TO be built north through Broad
| Ripple, Carmel, Noblesville, Upton and
| from Upton TO Elwood. and also from
| Upton to Peru, thus adding cities and ter
| This new line, he said, would be built by
| the Northern Indiana Traction Company,
| but would be leased TO the Union COM
pany as part of its system. Bringing to-
| gether in a commercial way this great pop
ulation with city OF 100000 people pre-
| sented a freight problem that, he said,
| he was unable TO solve and that he pre-
| ferred TO deal with very cautiously.
INDIANAPOLIS A CENTER.
Indianapolis is the commercial, social,
religious, political and governmental cen
ter of Indiana" he said. 1T is more typi-
cally a capital of State than any other in
| the Union. Consequently the operation of
a new system OF freight between ii and the
| great area covered, by our company is a
difficult problem"
! Mr.. McCulluch then explained the freight
system of the company in its original terri
| tory. He said car a day had been run
! between Marion and Anderson because
| breweries wanted to make quick shipments
! of beer and ice This service soon became
boom TO others, and the street where the
| car received and discharged its loads in
| Marion blocked
| chandise most of the time. The Council OF
| that city promptly passed ordinance
prohibiting the use of the streets of Marion
| for freight purposes. Mr.. McCuloch
| thought competing railroad lines were be-
| hind the ordinance. The service he said
! is still continued but the car stops now
| two miles from the courthouse at an incon-
| venient place. A car a day is maintned
between Anderson and Alexandria, and
that, he said. is the extent of the com
pany's freight business. He said the com
! pany was not prepared to expand It's
| freight business until 1t knew the exact
basis on which TO do II. 1t did not want &c
! offend the public here with freight cars in
/ the streets loading and discharging car
| goes. 1t did want To establish light freight
business making rates that would be equa
! for all shippers. wherever they are
| IF il is the judgment of the city" ne
| concluded. that should establish serv-
ice. build a permanent or establish a tenn.
| porary freight depot-and l have thought
/ of renting old building and runnins
tracks into il for just such purpose-anC
/ giving thorough service nothing will
please us more. II may be that Mr. Nc
/ iowan will want to use the College avenu,
line a little while for his local cars. but /,
| mistake not, with a cheaper rate than tn,
| steam roads. would have such a bust
mes that College avenue would be full Of
freight trains. Besides this the PERI
branch will go out College avenue, becaus,
Mr. MCGOWAN intends 10 rebuild that roaC
for interurban traffic and does not wan
us to use Central avenue"
COMPANIES MUST JOIN
Mr.. McCulloch later added that the inter
urban companies must ultimately join II
terminal arrangements. also that his com
pany thought of establishing depots in sew
eral cities and supporting a freight dellv
cry system in connection.
James l.. Reach asked Mr.. Mcguire IL h,
had prepared a schedule of rates for tn,
advice OF the conferees. This was produce,
by Mr.. Drum. Mr.. Reach examined il ant
asked II IL was not about two and one-hal
times the steam rate. Mr. Drum said ne ha,
| not made parallel comparisons, but that h,
had calculated for an express rate, and, o
course, IL was much higher Mr. Keacl
then said he did not anticipate that thu
Union company would be hauling carloa,
minded him that the line between BelIville
III. and St Louis did this and had track
| age arrangements with steam lines I'm the 4
| Yards Mr.. Reach replied that the sam
| condition may happen here. but that n
| Sbo ha 1ato