The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-12
insult PLAN
LIKELY TO Be
SHOWED ASIDE
City Probably viii Draw Up
New Proposal on.
Street Car Co,
COMMITTEE is SILENT.
Group Not Willing to Make
Stand Known Until
Hearings End.

insult prposal for reorganization
of the Indianapolis Street Railway
Company probably will be sheived
by the city hall street car commits
tees and another proposal. drawn
by the city, offered to insult inter-
ests for consideration.
This was learned today from an
authoritative source, as the COM
mittee prepared to hear civic league
representatives discuss the proposal
tonight in the city council chamber.
AT the same time. John F. White
civic leader and legislative member.
declared civic league members are
overwhelmingly in favor Of public
ownership.
The city's street car committee
probably will make no statement on
it's stand on the insult proposal until
after at least two more public hear
ings and a conference with Mayor
Reginald H. Sullivan, it was learned.
Likely to Ignore Plan
After the hearings are completed.
it is expected the committee will
present Sullivan with the informa-
ton it has obtained and will recon-
mend ignoring the insult plan. The
committee, it was learned, also will
suggest the employment of an ex-
pert to draw up a plan that will
be suitable to the city for presenta-
ton to the utility interests.
Statements by city officials reveal
that if insult proponents will not
deal on the basis Of a city offer the
next step viii be consideration of
public ownership.
The greatest change to be con-
tanned in the expected offer Of the
city is q franchise for not more
than twenty-five years. The city
already has stated its opposition to
an indeterminate franchise pro-
posed by insult and, it is known,
the committee viii look twice" be-
fore agreeing to any control of the
streets for as much as the quarter
century period.
Study Other Franchises
The city's proposal is expected to
be drawn after a study of other
franchises throughout the country
for similar utilities, which proved
successful in the last decade. Incor-
porated with this will be the city's
own provisions that, committee
members believe, will make a fair
proposition to taxpayers and the
administration.
White appeared before some
members of the committee today
seeking postponement of the hear
ing tonight until the Indianapolis
Federation of Community Civic
Clubs could outline its attack on the
insult proposal.
E. Kirk Mckinney. chairman of
the committee, told White that the
meeting tonight will give individual
league members a chance to ask
questions and express their views
and meeting next week probably
will be devoted to hear the or
ganized statements of the fedora
ton.
White then stated the stand of
the league members on public own
ership.
Members of the organizations ara
overwhelmingly in favor of it," he
said. Eve can see this as the proper
way for operation Of the city's street
car system"
Trusteeship May Be Urged
Mckinney stated he believed it
would be better for the city hail
committee to seek beneficial deal
wit hthe insult interests rather than
to step into public ownership at this
time.
eff that fails" he declared,
public ownership is next"
The public ownership angle from
the committees viewpoint is vir-
tually blocked now because of finan-
cial condition and because the com
mittee feels there seems no way for
assurance that the street car sys-
tenn, under future administrations
might not become a political play
thing.
The committee, it Is believed, first
would favor operation of the COM
pany under trustesanip or some
similar method. Purchase of the
company and leasing Of it for op-
Grafton by an individual also would
gain preference before the COM
nittee, it is known.
II. H. Hornbrook and Leo Kappa
port, attorneys representing security
holders favoring reorganization of
the Indianapolis Street Railway
Company, and Charles w. Chase,
expert of the Midland United Com
pany, insult organization, viii at
tend the meeting tonight to reply to
civic leaders.
Chase, Wednesday night, declared
that without the indeterminate
franchise the company would be
unable to operate fairly and would
not invest money in the project.
Proposal of George j. Marott,
merchant and hotel owner, that the
city buy the street railway COM
pany and operate it as a municipal
project, has met loud acclaim from
citizens. His views were applauded
Wednesday night.
Abundance of Grandparents
! By United Press