The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-10-18

street but at such point in the stree.
as with the laying OF another track it
will constitute "a double track road and
thus prevent the tearing up of the
street and pavement. which may have
gone in. for the removing of the then
existing track.
Wants Voltage Specification.
:. Section w does not limit the COM
pany to the voting of electric current
which may be carried on its trollev
wires and voltage on wires suspended
lover the streets is extremely dangerous
both from the probability of falling
wires and from the contact of other
wires Herewith. The trolley wires
must of necessity be exposed and can
not be insulated as are feed wires.
Whatever might be said on this sub
ject to electric lines using private
right of way it is certainly dangerous
and we believe ill-advised to not limit
the power that may be carried in tho.
trolley wires on the streets.
s. BY Section I and s reference is
made to paving by the company of its
tracks. BY these sections no obligation
is placed on the company. to do any
paving at all until in the language OF
Section the city shall pave the balance
OF the street with brick stone or other
durable material" This means that il
macadam drivewaysi is put in, the com
pany shall be under no obligations TO
pave the portions OF the street occr
pied by ii and 1t also means that no
obligations to pave shall rest upon the
company If the street occupied by its
tracks is improved by the township or
county As Section s expressly limits
!, ~t.ft
the city shall pave. There Is also no
obligation in these sections or any
other part of the contract upon the
company to repair and replace the
pavement which it may put in when it
wears out. The only obligation to re-
place or repair the pavement contained
! in this contract is to do SO when the
company shall destroy or injure It by
removing or repairing its tracks.
Is This q Joke Cl.use.
| g. The only obligation build or
| forfeiture for not doing so is contained
| in Section 5 and careful scrutiny of
this Section shows that by it the city
is in no manner sure that it will build
any track whatever outside the city of
Gary or connecting its tracks in Gary
| with any other city. BY this section II
can build a line in Seventeenth avenue
from the east limits of the city to
Broadway and thereby tie up that por-
| ton of Seventeenth avenue for period
of fifty years without doing any work
or making any other connections. IN
view of the experience the city. has had
with that portion of Broadway south
| of the Little Calumet we should be
very cautiousabout letting proposed in
/ terurban lines have the opportunity by
/ franchise to bar local lines from a
street in the City in which local service
/ is most important without binding the
| company occupying the street to
| first, build its interurban connection.
This section not only authorizes the
Lying up of Seventeenth avenue east of
Broadway without any interurban con-
nection, but also If such. is done ties up
Seventeenth avenue west of Broadway
| for a period of two years without any
work being done thereon. and IL they
shall then desire to put in a single
track west sof Broadway they may
maintain 1t for fifty years without ever
building foot OF line beyond the limits
of the city.
| Calls Franchise Unsafe One.
| Their. may be many other objections
Ito this franchise which a careful
scrutiny will develop, but in view OF
the objections pointed out we feel 1t
tunsafe to further consider, this ordi-
nance and contract. The company has
mot shown that 1t has any track in
Operation and we believe before the city
administration should consider any
franchise for an interurban line to pass
in or through our city It should con-
struct its line in the outlying territory
| at least sufficiently to give practical
assurance that something will be done
to give 1t interurban connection with
| other cities.
] This franchise appears to have been
drawn with view by the company to
tie up an important street of our city
where it may be used for speculative
purposes without any provisions prop
eriy protecting the city.
NJ. N CASTLEMAN.