The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-10
CITY COUNCIL is SCORED AND
CITIZENS ARE TOLD THEY HAD
TIME TO MAKE OBJECTIONS
BEFORE.
BOARD GROWS GENEROUS.
Says It Is for the Interests of the
People as Whole That II Acts
Proceedings.

AS was anticipated, the board of
works in it's statement issued today
declares its unanimous refusal of the
proposition to reopen negotiations in
regard to the interurban freight line
through Glen Miller park. The board
appeals to the spirit of sacrifice for
others on the part of those persons
who ask the line to be placed on some
street, but not upon that whereon they
reside. The board claims that 1t acted
fairly and In response to public senti-
ment at the time it approved the fran
chise. The attitude of the city coun-
is alluded to satirically as an object
lesson in consistency. The board
claims to have acted only after ma
ture deliberation, explains the causes
for delay and makes mention of the
fate the quo warranto proceedings met
with In court.
The statement is directed to Pc-ll
Ross, chairman of the committee of
demonstrators and Is as follows:
The undersigned members of the
board Of public works, are unanimous
ly opposed to reopening the interur-
ban passenger and freight route prop
osition by asking the traction COM
pany's consent to a cancellation of the
present contract and to the starting
route than the one now agreed on
through the west part of the park,
known as the Twenty-third street
route. running from Main to E street.
The members of the board sincerely
regret their inability to agree with the
large number of people, both men and
women, who have urged us to take a
different course with so much zeal,
with the best of motives. and with all
the force possible under the circum-
stances. We have given much time
and thought to this question of an
anterurban freight route, perhaps more
than anybody else. We have tried
from first to last to treat the matter
broadly in an impersonal way, and
with minds single to the greatest
good to the greatest number and the
least harm to the smallest number of
our fellow citizens.
The vexfng problem has been before
the city officials and the public for
more than a year and half. Soon
after the present city administration
came into power 1t was discovered
that the traction company's were using
Main street without any franchise
that they had from the beginning
been trespassers on this congested
thoroughfare. Here was an oppor.
tunity to get certain and lawful relief
from the burdens of the fnterurban
business. especially its freight traffic
and still retain its evident and increas-
ing benefits to the city. This was the
very question that was and is now
disturbing all the cities having inter.
urban lines. But as most OF them
have granted wide open" franchises
their problem was more difficult
one than ours, as we thought.
History Of Negotiations.
Supported by the mayor and com.
mon council, the board and the city
attorney opened negotiations with
the proper officers of both traction
companies operating here. notifying
them OF the situation, and requesting
them to take out franchises, to the
end that both parties might know
their rights and duties, and have them
clearly defined as the Jaw provides
After first assuming to have complete
interurban rights under the old city
railway franchise of 1850 and the
Lonta and Freeman franchise of 1900
these officials finally came down, ant
accepted the city'g view of the case
and began negotiations for freight
land later on-when litigation was go
bng against them-tor passenger rights