Indiana daily times., 1921-06-03
CITY PLANS TO
DIRECT SERVICE
OF TROLLEY co.
Contract for Board of Works
Control Will Be Negotiated
at Early Date.
FRANCHISE IS SACRED

FRANOdlSE 10 OACNGGO
Negotiations for a contract which
would give to the board of public
works authority to control the serv-
Ice of the indianapolis Street Rail-
way Company, with the exception
of general rate making, will be be-
gun at a conference Of city officials
with officials of the company imme-
diately after the utility carries out
its announced intention of surrender
ing its franchise, Corporation Coun-
sci Samuel Ashby announced today.
The city will fight to the last ditch
for continuance of every right guar
anteed by the franchise excepting
that of rate making, both Mr.. Ashby
and Mayor Charles w. Jewett an
nounced. Surrender of the franchise
was expected late this afternoon or
early tomorrow. No time will be
lost in calling the conference there
after, Mr. Ashby said.
CITY WILL DEMAND
$4,000 FRANCHISE TAX.
Particular pains will be taken by the
city to see that the provisions compell-
ing the street railway company TO pay
$4,000 franchise tax to the city park
department annual, is embodied in the
contract, Mr.. Ashby said. Failing in an
agreement on this score the city admin
istration will seek to have an ordinance
compelling the company to recognize the
city's rights, as stated above. passed by
the city council, the corporation coun-
Sc asserted.
VARIOUS ANGLES IN
FRANCHISE SURRENDER.
The various angles the franchise
surrender situation stood today as fol-
lows:
l. City officials charge that state
ments OF official sof the company
indicate that they are going to at
tempt to get out from under prac-
tieaIIy every important provision OF
the franchise, which is to be sur
rendered under an act Of the 1871
Legislature The city will resist such
move through the courts II neces-
sary.
? Street railway officials definitely
announced they VIII refuse to pay the
$4,000 a year franchise tax upon the
belief that with the surrender Of the
franchise they viii not be compelled
to- Dr. Henry Jameson, president OF
the board OF directors OF the COM
pany. stated that the company does
not deny the right OF the city to
make. orders relative to service con-
ditions, but insisted that II they are
carried out the company viii have 70
receive increases in fare cOmmensur-
ate with the expense Of the improve
ments ordered. He said he believed
an agreement could be reached in a
conference with city officials.
WOULD CONTINUE
RUTE ON PAVING
8. City officials are particularly
anxious that the present requirement
that the street railway company pave
between its tracks whenever the rest
of q highway upon which tracks are
Iaacted is improved, he continued. DR..
Jameson indicated that the company
will try to convince the city and the
public service commission that IL
would be wisest for property owners
to pay the original cost OF such paw
ing and the company keep It in re-
pair thereafter. The public service
commission les understood to be sym
pathetic wit hthe cOnfpany's view.
4 W hen the IrdncllSe Is SufEen-
dered. which will be accomplished by
the fling Of necessary papers with
the city clerk, the county auditor and
the public service commission, a Pc
tition for an indeterminate permit
will be fled with the public service
commission. This, street railway Of
iciaIs said, will be done Immediately.
DR.. jameson said decision to sur
render the street railway franchise
was reached by the board of directors
-four or five weeks ago"
CITY WILL FIGHT
EVERY INCH OF WAY"
The statements of off ills Of the com
pany Justify US in fig Ing them every
inch of the way" declared Mr.. Ashby.
He said that the city will fight for and
believes 1t will win sall the rights guar
antced by the. franchise because 1t will
ask in the contract IT hopes to negotiate
with the company for the continuance Of
such powers only until 1888. which IS
the time when the franchise would have
expired. In this, he said, the city will
be in the position of asking for nothing
20 which the company has not once
thoroughly agreed.
The city will take the further position,
Mr.. Ashby said, that any attempt on
the part of the street railway company
to evade orders for paving between
tracks, extensions and other betterments
viii practically amount to an indirect
increase in fares, since the net returns
Of the company would increase with
every financial obligation avoided.
won't GIVE UP RIGHTS"
PROMISES MAYOR.
I'VE don't intend TO give up any of
our rights except that of general rate
making" declared Mayor Jewett.
1T was stated by officials Of the street
railway company at the time the bill
permitting the surrender of franchises
was pending in the Legislature that the
company would not try to avoid any
provision excepting that as to fares.
That bill never should have been passed.
Now that It has been passed the street
railway company ought not to be relieved
Of one obligation contained in the fran
chise with the exception Of that pertain
ing TO rates"
In announcing that the company will
expect extra compensation for carrying
(Contiuued on pace TweIVe1