Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-08-05

{Continued From Page One.)
company is able to show return on its
investment or increasing as it fails.
The citizens of Indianapolis can get
together and, with or without the as
sistance Of the. municipality, buy the
street railway system or finance 1t them
selves.
In either case the owners of the street
car system have publicly declared they
will be easily satisfied.
They are not seeking returns on a fig
ure of valuation greater than the valu-
alton on which they are compelled to
pay taxes, according to their petition to
the public service commission.
Nor can they consistently ask greater
price for their property than the state
tax board declares it is worth.
But the stockholders of this company
are about at the limit of their patienct
in negotiating with the city when tbe
city's interest in negotiations is repre-
scented by the present administration.
The city has a contract with the trac-
ton company now which st can net
enforce.
The company may have the lnclina.
ton. but it has none Of the other neccs-
saries TO the carrying out Of this con-
tract.
receivership can not particularly
harm, the company, but It 'can. and
doubtless would work a gread deal Of
harm TO the city OF Indianapolis.
The street car company and the mem
bers of the city administration prac-
ucally agreed on the service at cost"
plan at the hearing last April, which
was held by Commissioner Lewis
Then Mr.. Lewis, who IS a former mem
Der Of the stat OF the News and con
sequently was an ardent booster OF gen
Wood for president, took the "hrst leg
OF his vacation and spent 1t at the se
publican convention at Chicago, acting
as a publicity man for Win II. Hays
of the national republican committee
Following the April hearing. Mr.. Lewis
made trip TO Cincinnati and Cleveland,
where the Service at cost" system is in
vogue. to Investigate the success OF the
plan.
REPORT OF TRIP HAS
NEVER BEEN FILED.
No report has ever been made by the
commissioner on the result OF his trip
Of investigation.
Mr.. Lewis now says II is his plan to
hold conference between the counts
sion; Samuel Ashby, indianapolis cor
poration counsel, and II. II. HornbrOok
attorney fer the street car company,
about Aug. 20.
The delay on the conference Is due
to the fact that SIR Lewis left Wednes-
day afternoon on the ''last leg" of his
months vacation.
Action on this matter has been de-
layed by the large amount of time spent
| by Mr.. Ashby on the memorial bin In
the special session." said Mr. Lewis.
1t was my plan to hold conference
Immediately upon my return from in
vestigating the plan In other cities. but
Mr. Ashby's time was taken up with this
memorial proposition.
Then ! spent two weeks OF my vaea-
ton at Chicago and that delayed the
matter somewhat
THE commission could write the
order now, but / would rather wait un-
til we can hold a conference concluded
Mr. Lewis
The net result of all this is that there
is no better street car service in In
dianapOlis, because:
The street car company is fnAn-
cially unable to better the service and
without credit to finance betterments.
?. The chairman Of the public serv-
ice commission is away on the remainder
Of his months vacation.
5. The mayor OF the city Is too busy run
ming political errands for the Indianapo-
lis News to pay any attention to the
affair.
T. The indianapolis News managers,
who control the public service commits
sion's chairman and the city admins
tration. all ride in automobiles and do
not particularly care whether the street
cars run or do not run.