Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 May 1914 — TRACTION CO. ASKING TOO MUCH [ARTICLE]

TRACTION CO. ASKING TOO MUCH

City Council Should Not Give It Franchise for All the Streets in Town. The Northwestern Indiana Traction line promoters, in their franchise asked for in Rensselaer, are wanting—and the council seems disposed to grant—too much. They ask for a franchise covering College avenue, Cullen and Forest street and Scott street from the north to south limits of the city, and Vine street from east to west limits, and Washington street from College avenue to the east line of Cullen street. This ties up practically all the streets in Rensselaer that would be available for street railway service, and why should w’e give away free gratis, for a period of 75 years, which the franchise asks for, to some promoters, who may hold up and prevent any other road from coming in here for a long time, even though the grantees may never build a railroad?

This proposed franchise should by all means be modified so that it will not prevent the granting of rights over the same streets to any other railroad, which may desire to build in here, providing the present company has not already built its tracks through at the time some other company desires to build. In other words, first come, first served. Also, it seems to us the height of folly to give away rights on all of these streets at this time. The city council should not forget that we got badly stung. on the match factory deal, where it was thought that all precautions had been taken to protect our local people, and it is well enough to grant further concessions, if necessary, when the time comes, instead of giving it all away at this time and covering practically every desirable north ana south street in the city. In reality there is no haste whatever in granting this franchise. There is plenty of time to grant it when we see some evidence of the road being built, more than we have yes had. The council has already struck out the term of years asked for in the franchise and have not yet determined what terms they will grant.