Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-08-19
CITY OFFICIALS
INDIFFERENTTO
CARCO.'SP PLIGHT
Works Board Head and
Corporation Counsel Have
Nothing to Suggest.
SERIOUS, SAYS JAMESON

Street car service in Indianapolis-pro-
nounced on the ragged edge of discon.-
tinuanee because Of lack of money with
which to purchase coal by the executive
committee of the Indianapolis Street
Railway Company-might strike rock
and sink and stay sunk without move
succor from the Jewett administrator
for all the interest displayed in the com
pany's plight by city officials today
Asked what he thought or had to say
about the announcement by the execu-
tive committee that unless financial re
lief is received soon the seven days
supply of coal at the West Washington
street power plant will be exhausted
and service 80 per cent curtailed WITHIN
a very short time with service TO De
completely shut down If aid does not
arrive shortly thereafter, Mark Miller,
acting chairman Of the board of public
works, told Times reporter;
'The matter is not in our hands ana
is not one upon which l believe can
properly speak.
CORPORATION COUNSEL
HAS NOTHING TO SAY.
1.-THE corporation counsel is the man
for you to see
So TO Samuel Ashby, the corporation
counsel. the reporter went and asked the
same question.
Il have nothing to say" was the cor
poration counseFs response.
.sWhy Mr.. Ashby. nothing to say about
the "service- at-eost" plan, nothing to
saw" the reporter continued, being
somewhat surprised at the reticence OF
the man who has represented the city
in hearings on the traction company S
petitions before the public service com
mission.
Il have nothing to say the counsel
repeated, ''the matter has not been
brought before me and ! know nothing
of it Officially"
Then Mr.. Ashby turned to a telephone,
repeating as the reporter hesitated, Il
have nothing to say
JEwETT OUT OF
CITY AS USUAL.
Mayor Charles W. Jewett was, as US
ual, out of the city and is not expected
back until late today or tomorrow.
While city officials were falling abb
which, according to car company OF
ficials, grew graver every hour because
Of the new coal miners strike in the
Indiana field, DR. Henry jameson, presi-
dent of the board Of directors Of the
street railway company. said that his
executive committee having pointed out
the plight of the company the next
move was up to the public service COM
mission.
John ". McCarde. vice chairman of
the commission, replied that If the street
railway company would present an emer-
eency petition it would be heard imme-
diately.
Earlier in the day DR.. Jameson said
that the company had not planned to
Gle another petition but is still waiting
f5r TIE COMMISSION 20 act apofv the ''serv-
iee-at-cost'' petition presented last April.
Unless additional finances, with which
10 buy coal At the present highly IN
creased prices, are available rush hour
service will have to be discontinued
within two or three weeks. and unless
relief is forthcoming shortly thereafter
the company will not be able to turn
wheel, the traction man said.
COST-AT-SERVICE
Plan Is AWAITED.
Immediate relief might be had by the
public service commission granting the
company the right to charge two cents
for transfers, DR.. Jameson said, but the
company viii not file petition specifical-
~ly asking for this, preferring TO wait for
the commission to act upon the petition
for the Inauguration of the service at
cost" plan which was filed last April
T. 1. Lewis chairman, ana OLheF MEM
bers of the public service commission,
with the exception OF Mr.. McCardle,
vice chairman, and Paul 7. Haynes, were
out of the city Oh vacations today.
The commission is scheduled to gather
Monday to hear the petition of the steam
railroads for increase of intrastate rates
to equal the interstate rates effective
Aug. 20, granted by the interstate com
merce commission several weeks ago.
DR.. Jameson indicated that as soon as
the commission gets together again a re-
quest will be made for earnest consider
alton of the "service-at cost petition in
the light of the present crisis faced by
the company.
This crisis, the executive committee an
nounced, is due entirely to the advanced
cost Of coal, and the inability Of the com
pany to get fuel, even at high prices, in
anything but comparatively small parcels.
The West Washington street power
plant which supplies the electricity nee
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