The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-25
Introduced in House and Reported ON
Favorably After Several Confer
ences Between Interests.
MUIR INTRODUCED NEW BILL
FAvORABLY REPORTED FROM THE
INDIANAPOLIS COMMITTEES.
Mayor Bookwalter Explains Reason
roads-COmmission's Attitude.

The city and the railroads have compro-
missed the question of grade crossing legis-
lation. The compromise was foreshadowed
in the Journal yesterday. The railroads
agree to support bill giving the city
power to contract for the elimination of
grade crossings. but not to give the arbi-
trary power to require 1t. The city, through
Mayor Bookwalter and the Board of Pub
lie Works, feeling that nothing would be
lost by giving the roads another oppor-
tunity to deal -lmicably and in good faith
with the city, consented to also support
this law. To carry out the purpose it was
found practical to eliminate from the Muir
bill, prepared by Mayor Bookwalter and
introduced in the House last Thursday,
Sections / and 3.
The bill, thus modified, was taken to q
final conference between the representa-
tives of the railroads and the city at the
office of V. 7. Malotr at 8 o'clock, and
agreed to. Commissioner Logsdon of the
Board of Public Works. then took it to the
House. where Representative Muir intro
duced ii as a new measure. In few min
utes the members of the committee on af-
fairs of Indianapolis signed a unanimous
report in favor of it, and so reported
through the chairman, Mr.. Muir. The bill
now stands on second reading, as the re-
port of the committee was unanimously
adopted.
FACT WAS EVIDENT.
1t has been evident to Mayor Bookwalter
for several days that his bill giving the
city the arbitrary right to require ele-
walton would fail. A canvass of the men,
t,ors IF tbo aoiclo fura rayeaied epoupb
to show that it's passage was only bare
possibility. 1t was also found that the
committee on Indianapolis affairs, which
has the mayors bill In charge, was divid-
ed on the measure and that unless the
committee could be kept together on the
question any bill would fail. To reject
the compromise proposed meant to make a
fight for the mayors measure which was
deemed almost certain failure at this late
day. Failure meant the complete absence
of legislation on the subject, the destruc-
ton of all the progress made between
the city and the roads through the grade
crossing commission, and involved the ne
cessity of an appeal to the next Legisla-
ture for remedial legislation. 1t was deemed
expedient to gain all that could be gained.
but consent to the compromise would not
have been given but for the protestations
of the railroads that they would agree to
any fair remedy recommended by the
mayors commission.
In the morning Mayor Bookwalter and
the Board of Public Works met with the
members of the grade-crossing commission.
The members. of the commission agreed
that any effort to secure drastic legislation
would be futile, and that the terms of COM
promise agreed to were step toward an
amicable settlement while the drastic law
even If passed undoubtedly meant years
of litigation with improvement in local
conditions. The unanimous opinion was
that the compromise proposed was, under
the circumstances, advantageous.
Before sending acceptance to the rail-
roads Mayor Bookwalter consulted w. G.
Bobbs chairman of the grade-crossing
committee of the Merchants Association.
Mr.. Bobbs thought the spirit of the atti-
tude of the association was represented
in the compromise measure
DISCUSSED BY THE MAYOR.
In discussing the subject Mayor Book
walter said: "a careful canvass of the
Legislature was made, and taking MEM
bers of the committee on Indianapolis af-
fairs as they talked 1 felt satisfied that
there was no chance for the passage of the
bill introduced last Thursday. Representa-
tives of railroads seeming to be in a posi-
ton to block legislation still insisted on
their utmost good faith in trying to settle
the grade crossing question through the
medium of the commission now sitting
Two propositions were open to the city-to
stand firmly for the rights and powers in
the bill already introduced, realizing that
there was but one chance In a hundred OF