Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-09-24
LEMAUX SAYS
SERVICE BOARD
RETARDS CITY
Grows Wrathy When He Dis
cusses Street Car Case
With Todd.
WORKS BODY HELPLESS

! Declaring that the public service
commission is retarding the growth OF
! Indianapolis by it's failure TO act upon
| the petition of the Indianapolis Street
Railway Company for financial relief,
| George Lemaux, president of the board
| Of public works, today told Robert !.
| Todd, president of the street car COM
psny, that If he were a citizen desiring
! extension Of street car service he would
organize a big delegation of citizens ana
storm the Statehouse."
why shouldn't citizens storm the
! Statehouse2" inquired Mr.. Lemaux<
"They storm the board of works here
almost every day and what can we do?
Our hands are tied; we can order the
street car company to make extensions,
but what can we do when the company
hasn't the money with which to make
themP
I'VE are perfectly innocent
We've gone Just al far as we can 60 ;
you know that perfectly well, Mr.. Todd,
don't you7"
Certainly" the traction head replied.
Earlier a citizen had been in to in
quire when the North Illinois street line
might be expected to be extended.
This extension has been discussed for
several years and the board has ordered
all without result
1T is a shame the way street car i'm
provements are holding back improve
ments In this city," Mr. Lemaux said.
1T looks to me like some one is
holding back on the company so as 10
wreck It or something.
"The Public Service Commission ought
TO say yes or mo- TO the street car
company's petition so we can know where
we stand on the matter OF future i'm
provements.
"Au that we know is that the com
pany does not have the money with
which TO make extensions and that we
don't have the power to force them 10
make the extensions.
Personally l have felt ali along that
II they bad been granted the right 10
charge l cent for transfers a year ago
the company would have been In such
shape now that It would not have to ask
for anything more"
In this connection Il Is TO be reElem-
bered that during the war when the
company was permitted TO make the
penny transfer charge the increased rev
enues amounted to what would have been
approximately $4,000 per year, which
IS far less than the sum the company
was compelled to spend By the board OF
works In laying few blocks OF track
In Indiana avenue.
CALLED FOR CONFERENCE
ON OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
NnTddl WIS called 70 the meeting 70
tell when the board might expect the
company to start repairing and making
changes IN its tracks in West New York
street between Blake and West street,
aud IN West Washington street between
Belmont street and Harris avenue.
This work is necessary before tho
Mansfield Engineering Company can com
plete resurfacing projects.
The section Of New York street haT
been without a surface since It was
removed by the contracting company last
May with the result that the concrete
base is beginning to go 20 pieces from
traffic whieh has run over It uninter-
rupted
representative OF the contracting
company said the surface was taken or
in May with the understanding that the
street car company would FIX its tracks
Immediately.
Mr Tcdd promised that a repair gaag
would be put 10 work on New York
street as soon as the new tracks Under
Continued on Page Fourl