South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-22

Itcal capital of these negotiations the theory
that the administration sought compromise. be-
gin TO love we despise the mayors
antics. We happen know little something about the
the bid a compromise. from the in
diana & Mchgans engineers. and engineered from
office Of the Indiana Michigan. from whence
at the same time there engineered about town. a
pretense that the Indiana Michigan being perse
cuted had made all propositions to settle and
that Mayor Keller had declined TO hear The Chamber
of Commerce finally butted in help the Indiana
Michigan
As matter Of fact nothing in shape tangible
propositions settle ever the city until
within the past week They were limited at
on several occasions when request made that
they be put in tangible FORM the tangibty failed to
materialze is until after the utility commission
had given its appraisement of the electric COM
panys property Then the question became. "how can
get settlement now. and make it appear that the
administration sought it" Something. it would SEEM
had to keep Keller administration from
getting any credit for regulation Of electric rates
Politics. Teresa politics, but Mayor Keller isn't the
only South Bend that plays politics.
possible play politics with city affairs outside
office as well The only difference is
with those perpetratng them in this case everybody
they couldn't do much of anything affecting
the public. without playing politics. if they had
Politics is a second nature with them The Indiana &
Michigan is one great bundle of politics. perhaps has
to be. but politics. If going criticise
the mayor anything II would be listening
Of compromise, and for not insisting that
the commission go and settle the justice
Of case might require That the way ought
Justice is much the city ought ask
be willing to take.
the hand have
Indiana Michigan would have considered settlement
had they thought they had the city licked, it
had been proposed them Amy attempt 70 make that
institution phlanthropic by asserting that
made any concessions to South Bend which it did not
think il saving it's neck by making, is the
worst type OF humbuggery Ii has spent too much
time. and money, and energy the defense of this
case to give away anything that it did have to-
You bet your bottom dollar that the Indiana &
Michigan thought it getting the best of it by set
Ting getting by the settlement than it would
get from the commission, would not have agreed
TO anything That is where Mayor Keller made his
mistake, if any; by talking settlement all. He
could rested assured the lighting company
would concede nothing that it did consider less
than the commission would have taken from it.
Even though the Keller administration had accom-
pished something for the city, by admitting Of COM
promise he would still have accomplished something
for the Indiana & Michigan He would have that
institutions bond issuing neck 1t is already bonded in
of the value OF it's property To let the commits
sion fix that valuation, might TO throw the
pany's inflated bonds the market. and cause what
in Wall street. they sometimes call furry. To
the Indiana Michigan bacon, the Keller administra
ton admitted Of a compromise--and it's
pay apparently in being damned by the very people
whose bacon he has saved,-for playing politics.
Well, maybe he is playing politics. but from every
angle from which see it, the Indiana & Mich
igan is playing poppycock
And what is more. appear to have the conhrma-
ton of the commission apparently the city
badly licked that needed to be afraid. Instead OF
prosecuting the Indiana & Michigan and playing poll
tics. he to have been willing to concede
than the commission would let him, at least, without
a