Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 May 1914 — FAIR AND HONEST WITH INTERURBAN [ARTICLE]

FAIR AND HONEST WITH INTERURBAN

Franchise Should Safeguard Our Interests Without Unnecessary Hardships Imposed.

Jf some one were to ask of every citizen in Marion township what this city most needed to assure its continued'growth, we'believe every one would reply “Better railroad advantages.” The reply would suggest our need of some method ot rail travel by which we might secure the advantages certain to follow the opening up of the vast area to the south and north and west.

Marion township recently expressed this desire by voting a, 2 per cent tax subsidy to the Indiana Northwestern Traction Co. There were six voting for the tax to one against it. If the proposition had simply' been whether or not an interurban was desired the vote would have been unanimous. Now the Indiana Northwestern Traction Co. wants to build an interurban railroad as we want them to. There is a mutual interest. The promoters want to build it bo cause they expect to 'make some money out of it. Rensselaer and Jasper county wants the railroad because it means so much in the way -of convenience and the consequent added value to the land and growth of the towns. The company has asked a franchise of the city, naming several streets that are under consideration. It does not expect to use all of the streets, nor to hold them, but to nominate later the particular street or streets over which it will run its tracks. The city council has a duty to the people who now, live in Rensselaer ahd who are to live here in future and one duty is to safeguard their interests by a careful consideration of the franchise. Another duty is to grant on terms of entire fairness a franchase to a company desiring to give to Rensselaer and Jasper county the very thing which we realize is most essential to our growth and development. The council must be as liberal as it can consistent with good conservation of our rights. The men behind this interurban scheme have spent a lot of money and will spend a lot more. They have played fair with us; have paid as they went and have tola no falsehoods. Promoters never pursued more honorable methods than Mr. Roberts, Mr. Zimmerman and their eq-workers have pursued. It is not right to antagonize them and place obstacles in their way by being either retrogressive or penurious. The sale of the bonds for the construction of the road will depend to some extent on the .terms of the franchise. The members of the city council should rise above the contemptible suggestions that eminate from some sources of objection and base the franchise upon their unbiased judgment as to what is necessary to secure an interurban railroad, so that we can emerge from the stagnation of being a 3,000 town and double or treble our population. And Jhe council will do this, too, we feel sure, for, thank fortune, it is composed of young men who have judgment coupled with ambition and who will not permit prejudice to control their action.

The Republican is not prepared* to give* its unqualified approval to the methods pursued by the rail* road promoters. It would seem that having been defeated twice in Carpenter and Jordan townships, it would be time to quit. You might have quit and so might L but Mr. Roberts and his co-workers are not quitters. They believe the matter of such importance that a third attempt should be made to carry the subsidy election. The people have hitherto voted on a subsidy ohe-hakf per cent higher in each townhip than is to be asked at another election. Carpenter township has made it quite plain that It does not care to support the railroad proposition with a 2 per cent tax It has never spoken with reference to a tax of 1% per cent. Jordan is now asked only 1 per cent Instead of l*/». ’ -j*. •

No one admires a quitter. MrRoberts has persistency, an admirable quality in any individual and in any enterprise. He has ascertained that the railroad can be built If Carpenter and Jordan Will vote the assistance. He has found many friends of the proposition in both townships who have informed him that many voted against the proposition before because the subsidy was higher than they could approve. Others have said that misrepresentations had been made to them, influencing their votes against the subsidy. Mr. Roberts learned a lesson years ego from the old saying, “When at first you don’t succeed, try. try again.” vl If the proposition makes the same gain at the third election that it did at the second, it will carry in Carpenter township. There is a chance and if the people of Remington and Carpenter township are as

wide awake to their interests as they should be, the third election will win for the subsidy and the interurban will be well under way yet this year. 7 An article in today’s Indianapolis Star is as follows:

“Suit to recover $50,000 as a result of alleged slanderous statements against the Indiana Northwestern TrActiop Company was filed in the United States District Court yesterday by Addison N. Love against John Hudson, John Wilson, Peter Gteb, 8. G| Hand, Warren T. Elmore O. L. Brown, A. P. Rainier, Charles A. Welch, James Bullis, Frank Fenwick, George Sage and James Kennedy. The complaint states that the defendants injured the reputation of the Indiana Northwestern Traction Company, of which he is a stockholder, by saying that “the Indiana Northwestern Traction Company is an irresponsible corporation, has no financial backing and is not able and does not intend to build a railroad through Carpenter Township, and its officers are irresponsible men and have no financial standing and could not and would not construct said railroad.” J. Fred Masters is attorney for the plaintiff.” The Republican can not help but think that the filing Of this action will be injurious to the railroad promoters in another election. It is understood, hbwever, that neither Mr. Roberts nor Mr. Zimmerman, president and vice-president, joined ih the action. Mr, Love, named as the plaintiff, is the treasurer. We feel that he is not acquainted with some of the methods apt to be employed in Hoosier elections. This would not excuse those, however, who may have misrepresented the responsibility of the men behind the interurban railroad. They Should be fair in ithe future and base whatever opposition they may have upon broader grounds than that of trying to belittle the men behind the road, who, so far as The Republican has any evidence, are men of financial reliability and perfect candor in the manner employed to promote their railroad. The budding of ithe interurban is too important a matter for the employment of petty methods in deciding an election. Those opposed to the election should make their fight on fair reasons of objection. And Mr. Love should withdraw his suits and step into the third skirmish with a broad smile.