The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-14
STATE Comments
On Councils Action
A TALE OF TWO CITIES.

A TALE or TWO CITIES.
"All that II necessary for good
government IL to elect good men to
office
Where have we heard that before7
That is the cry raised by every OPP
ponent of every change in the present
form of government. Among these
are some OF the most prominent pub
lie service corporations. the traction
interests, the telephone interests, tho
water company's interest the con-
tractors-all who come into contact
with the public through their public
servants.
The Sun has never denied that re-
suits could be gotten out of the pres
ent system Of government. 1t has
only maintained that when public Off
Gals do not want to do their duty
there is no way of forcing them to do
what the public interest demands.
The Richmond city council, acting
under the cities and towns laws of In
diana, got up on its hind legs Mon
day night and in short space of time
accomplished the following things:
1t ordered the officials Of the water
works corporation to appear before
the council and testify under oath as
to their organization. their earnings
and their profits. 1t ordered them
also to bring in their books that 1t
might be known what the present
rates of the company are bringing
them on the investment, and what that
investment is.
1t ordered the city attorney to reco-
dify the ordinances in such a way that
there would be no hindrance in the
producer dealing directly with the con-
| sumer so as to cut out middlemen' q
profits by allowing farmers to come
into town without hindrance.
| 1t ordered the city attorney to, com.
mence suit to revoke the franchise OF
the T. H. J. & E. Traction company for
violations of it's franchise.
All this was done very simply and
quietly and speedily.
The action of this council was unan
imous.
Two things will occur to 1ndianapo
lis readers of the action of the city
council of Richmond.
Such instances as this will occur tC
them.
The board of works has sent one OF
it's reminders to the Indianapolis Ter
minal and Traction company that il
has not lived up to it's franchise obi
cations.
Lest we should fail to be specific
and indefinite in the great number Of
like instances:
On May 20 contract was let to re
surface Alabama street from Ohio
street to Massachusetts avenue.
The resurfacing has been finished
but, like tens of other instances thai
the citizens of Indianapolis can recall
to mind, the Indianapolis Termina
and Traction company has not made {
move. When called to account month
ago it replied that the company would
begin work in month.
If public service corporations won
der why they are held in SO light es
TEEN and why their words are though
to be not as good as the paper the.
are written on-here is the reason.
If they wonder why the citizens O
q town like Richmond are pleased
when their councilmen get up on theil
hind legs and take drastic measures
with the companies-there is the reas
on. If they wonder why honest news
papers call the citizens to arms-th,
reason lies there, too.
/ The time is ripe, and rotten ripe
in Indianapolis, to let the fragrant re
hinder written on scented notepape
be used exclusively by schoolgirls, ant
to pick up the slippery-elm clul
unanimously used by the city coun
lcil of Richmond.
The city charter is very nicely fit
ted for the benefit of those who fea
such methods, and so are many of tn
laws of the state. Butt can be done
indianapolis Sun.