The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-19
President McGowan Says Indianapoli.
Company Will Furnish Termi-
nal Facilities.
PROTEST AGAINST CAR TAX
RETURNS FROM TERMINAL, IN
VEsTMENT SUFFICIENT.
Shippers Committee Active I'm If.
"ork-Lega1 Opinion on the Right
to Carry Freight.

Inc conference between the city admin
Istration and the representatives of the
lnterurban roads was held yesterday after
noon in the office of the Board of Public
Works. Every road was represented and
the expressions, with one exception. an
proved the plan of the city and the In
dianapolis Street-railway Company for a
solution of the problem. Besides the mayor
and the members of the Board of Public
Works, Councilmen Holiday, Negley, Sour
bier and Mcfarland, of the committee on
contracts and franchises, were present.
Chairman Megrew, of the board, stated
the purpose and scope of the meeting.
First it was to discuss a terminal for pas
senger service of all lines, and second.
to discuss freight terminals. He announced
that the board was committed to the loon
plan, which has already been announced.
and that the discussion would not include
the plan of the Interurban Terminal Com
pany' which was Charles Finley Smiths
scheme.
Mayor Bookwalter stated, in addition.
that all present should understand finally
the attitude of the administration on the
freight question. He said petition was
before the board from the PENNSYLVANIA
Company asking the privilege of sending
pickup" cars about the city to convey
freight to the company's terminal. "The
administration" said he will not enter
tain any proposition of that kind and the
Pennsylvania Company will be so notified"
The mayor said any abutting property
owner could, by injunction, prevent the
use of the streets for such a purpose. He
read from the of 1893 and the charter
Of the Indianapolis Street-railway Comnanv
TO sustain the position that the citv had
no legal right to contract with companies
TO haul freight through the streets of the
city. The charter mentioned only certain
passenger railways" and made no mention
of freight business. He added that while
the city would not demand technical COM
piance with the law, it would by sufterance
permit electric roads TO carry light freight.
He said the policy of the administration
would be to require the interurban COM
panies to agree on some plan by which one
terminal would be used. This terminal.
or terminals, must be established within |
a district bounded by New York. Senate |
avenue, Georgia and Alabama streets
though these streets need not necessarily |
be the streets used for the downtown loop.
MR.. MGOWAN'S POSITION.
Hugh j. MCGOWAN. president Of the In
Street-railway Company, then
stated briefly the solution OF the interurban |
problem proposed by his company. and /
which, he said, was satisfactory TO all the |
companies. He said the interur- /
ban question was new and had given other
trouble. Negotiations in
the last few days. he said. have made II
possible for this question TO be solved 7 |
feel safe In saying that the interurban
roads Will unite In an agreement that the
Indianapolis company shall provide all ter
ninal facilities This IL important 70 ali
as the growth OF the interurban business
has been astonishing. and the logical con-
slusion OF al roads Is that the Indianapolis
Company shall provide terminal faciIitjes
Before the terminal question was dis
posed OF. however. he said there was one !