The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-04-16

through the ordinance revoking the
| franchise. The ordinance will be pass
/ ed at the meeting two weeks hence, it
/ is believed. The committee on the
street car question submitted a long
report which is appended to this arti-
Gle
Under a suspension of rules the or
dinance was read the second time by
title. The third reading followed and
councilmen Won Pein and Engelbert
voted against rushing it through. They
gave no reasons for their action. Won
Pein occupied the mayors chair, va
cant because DR.. Zimmerman was i'll
at his home and unable to attend. .
| The ordinance charges the following
| violations of the cOmpanys franchise:
Not keeping the street between and on
the outside of the rails flush with the
tops of the rails; not painting the
poles, and failure to place all new in
ventions and improvements on the
cars. Every street in the city not
| bricked, and on which is a car line
with the exception of Richmond ave
nue., which is being repaved. and West
| Fifth street, which was repaired and
macadamized last fall, was named in
the ordinance in proof of the charge
| that the street car company violated
section twelve of it's franchise, which
requires the company to maintain the
| streets between and on the outside of
it's tracks at grade flush with the
| tops of the tracks. No poles except
the iron ones are painted so the ordi-
|
Wayne avenue were specified as
streets where the tracks were not
maintained at grade.
The committee alleged that it could
not find on the street cars any new in
ventions or improvements, such as
! lights, heating systems, vestibules,
I tenders, etc.
| A legal battle is imminent according
| to the city attorney, for the traction
company as soon as the ordinance is
revoked, will take the matter into the
courts. He believes the city will have a
suit on its hands as soon as the ordi-
nance is revoked. The committees re-
port follows:
To the Mayor and Common Council OF
the City of Richmond:
Your committee appointed March
to investigate local street car condi-
tons has finished it's work, and has
placed the results of it's investigations
in the hands of the city attorney with
the recommendation that the street
car company's franchise be revoked,
charter which the committee discov-
Of ioo
This step was taken after due thought
and deliheration. We have met in sew
eral homes of the committee members
and have gathered much information
as to the local street car conditions.
The information gathered we placed in
the hands of the city attorney at re-
cent meeting. He agreed with us that
we presented clear case OF violations
of the car company's franchise, and
agreed that our course, as we decided
upon, l. e. revocation of the franchise
of the Terre Haute, indianapolis and
Eastern Traction company granted in
1889, and the one granted to +. Free
man and John Lontz and since placed
in the hands of the T.. H. |. & E. trac-
ton company, was justified by the con-
ditions as we found them.
The many violations we found are
embodied in the ordinance to be pre-
scented by Mr.. A. NJ. Gardner revok-
ing the franchise. We believe it is due
to the citizens of the city of Richmond,
that the council consider the many vi
olations and without delay. revoke the
franchise This will result in the trac-
ton company either repairing their
system to the extent designated by our
complaint, or losing a valuable fran
chise The legality Of this course, we
are assured by the city attorney, is
unquestionable.
Aside from the many violations of
the franchise which we, working as
your committee found, and duly re-
ported to the city attorney, many con-
ditions were found which were viola
tons of the laws of hygiene and sani-
tation, and which are such that the
public is forced to endure physical dis
comfort when riding on the cars. Such
conditions the committee desires to
report with the recommendation that
they be considered in the light of chan
ges which should be made by the
street car company. The changes We
desire made. we believe, would result
in better service to the citizens of the
city, and although the cost would be
considerable. we believe the increased
popularity of the cars would induce
patronage and result in the return to
the company through this increase in
patronage, of the amount spent in
making the changes.
The committee has compared condi-
tions here with the conditions in other
cities of this state having the same
population. The service and cars have
been considered in this investigation.
We find that the service afforded local
patrons of the car system while not
admittedly bad, could be improved.
Morning, noon and evening, the shop
men should be given more considera
ton in the matter of accommodations.
We found in the course of our investi-
cations. many shopmen who would
ride the cars to and from work if they
could make connections and be at
their places of business at the proper
time The small antiquated cars. and
lack of a suitable schedule for the &C
commodation of the men results in
them walking. Aside from this not en-
ough cars are supplied at the busy