The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-07
They Do Not Ask Them to Pay
City Any Money for Street
Rights as Would the Local
Administration.
TOWNS ANXIOUS TO
GET MORE LINES.
In Many Cities Traction Lines
Run Into Town Without
Franchises of Any Charac-
ter Whatsoever.

On learning that City Attorney r.
]. Study in an effort to embarrass 10
cal shippers and to build a fence
about the city, had informed the city
council that Mayor Schillinger and his
business" administration favored
the Dayton & Western
traction company to pay for the fran
chise it has applied for. Secretary e.
NJ. Haas of the Commercial Club to-
day wired to officials in several cities
in this section of the country asking
them If il was customary in their re-
spective tcvns to compel traction
lines to buy their franchises, even
though they entered the city over lines
of other companies.
He received several replies and
learned that in no instance is a plan
similar to the one proposed by Mr..
Study and his henchmen pursued. In
several cases he learned that COM
panies operating over lines of anoth-
er company are not even compelled to
that nowhere is a traction company
compelled To pay a city a bonus for a
franchise. Is il natural to believe that
the Dayton & Western would establish
such a precedent in town the size of
Richmond" asks Mr.. Haas. He has
found by his investigation that every
city is too glad TO have traction lines
to compel them to pay for their fran
chises. Here are some of the replies
received to the queries sent out by
Mr.. Haas:
J. A. Jackson, city clerk of Muncie-
"An traction companies are given free
franchises. The only revenue Muncie
receives from traction lines is through
taxes. Traction lines pave streets on
ly between tracks"
L. c. Morris, city clerk Of Anderson
We have three traction lines and
all OF them received their franchises
free Taxes are the only revenue de-
rived from these lines. They are not
compelled TO pave any part of any
street"
Want More Lines
w. n. Russell, deputy city clerk Of
Oayton-"Eight traction companies
operate in Dayton. Only three hold
franchises because these three are the
only ones which have tracks within
the city. They received their fran
chises without pay. The other five
traction lines operate over the tracks
of the three which hold franchises and
do not pay the city one cent. even in
taxes. Dayton would like to have
more traction lines enter the city"
J. q. Byers, city clerk of Columbus,
Ohio-"All traction lines operating
within the city hold free franchises.
Those operating over tracks of the
ones which have lines in the city do
so without franchise but with the
consent of council These companies
pay the city nothing-not even taxes
and Columbus wants more traction
! lines"
/ Controller Guffin, Terre Haute-
Traction companies have been oper-
aing over city lines without fran
chises. Their right to do so is now
being contested in the courts"
| Eli Coates, city clerk of Marion, Ind.
Three traction companies operate
into Marion. They received franchises
free and the city only receives taxes
/ from them"
! City Auditor, Hamilton, ohio-"All
/ traction Companies operating in Ham,
! ilton own their own tracks and re-
ceived their franchises free. The on
/ ly revenue the city receives from
these lines is in taxes
! City Clerk, Fl. Wayne-"All traction
/ lines entering the city operate under
free franchises and on the city lines.
| The only taxes these companies pay
the city is on freight terminal prop
erty. Traction lines are a good thing
for city and Ft. Wayne will never
compel company to pay bonus for
a franchise. We want all the traction
/ lines We can get"
City Clerk, ianapolis-''Twelve
companies operate in the city over
the Indianapolis Traction Terminal
lines These companies pay no taxes
but pay five cents for each car which
makes a round trip. Franchises are
given traction lines absolutely free" "