New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-02

with horses 10 draw the cars, on light
strap iron rail The development Of the system
from horse power 10 electricity was fought al
every step The Hendr.es, unequal TO the task OF
nshting alone. brought in outside capital through
Tom L. johnson. of Cleveland and Detroit. and r.
T. Wilson. of New-York. P.ngree demanded cleo
trio propulsion quicker service better roadbed and
lower fares. Just what Johnson. Wilson and their
associates put into the scheme is not known for
a certainty but from the best information obtain
able It can be stated that they had about 100000
invested when they organized the new Detroit
Citizens Street Railway Company. with a capital
of sl2 co., o and with franchises the best streets
( in Detroit.
Pingree continued his fight. invited Henry \.
Everett. of Cleveland and Albert Pack. of Apena.
to come In. and obtained through the Council
franchises for a parallel line to many Of the best
lines OF the old company the basis Of a three
cent fare electric power and the company To pave
between the tracks and twelve inches outside ;he
rails This company in time absorbed by the
johnson interests. and that the condition when
Mayor Pingree became Governor.
| In his first term as Governor he attempted to
secure a measure for municipal ownership, but
the LEGISLATURE hostile. ard he accomplished
nothing. On his reelection bill was prepared
called the Mcleod bill which. in brief. author
tied the Common Council OF Detroit to appoint
three Commissioners. who were 70 negotiate with
the street railway company for the purchase Of the
roadbed and equipment and 10 give the present
owners a mortgage at an agreed rate Of interest
IL stipulated in the bill that the Commissioners
should not take into consideration any value the
present franchise might have, any value AS 10 the
amount Of stock which the company had issued
or any goodwill Of the present owners The price
to be paid for the road was 10 be agreed upon
after this manner one set Of appraisers was 10
look over the 179 miles Of road which the com
peny owned it's equipment. power houses and the
value Of the real property in sight, while another
IN % oiiqyb he q
the company find out the profits of the past. est-
mate the prospective profits for the terms the fran
chises had TO run, and on the report Of these two
boards Of appraisers the purchase price was 10 be
based.
II Is not hard see why the railway company Is
anxious to dispose OF its holdings. 1t has fran
chises running all the from ten to thirty
years the average length Of which about sew
enteen years but the franchises Of the best lines,
those on the four main streets Of the city, have
only ten years run and there is moi one chance
in twenty thst they will be renewed
Governor Pingree signed the Mcleod bill, because
In an election held in 1896 the voters OF Detroit
by a vote of four to one decided in favor OF munich
pal ownership, but nothing was then said about
municipal operation. There three classes Of
opposition 10 the PiHgree measure. One wants
TO have an election for the voters 10 express them
selves or the whole proposition. the second class
OF opposition is to municipal operation az u IS
feared that II may result IN building up Poiiticai
the city. The third class OF opposition IS MOI only
against municipal operation. but utterly opposed
10 municipal ownership in any guse.
While Tom L. Johnson. VINO is here in person. re-
fuses TO talk 1T all Of the proposed sale. il Is
known that ne and Governor Pingree have come to
an agreement and it is believed that this agreement
contempates the purchase Of all the rights OF the
existing companies al total cost Of about $1,000
900 The Citizens lines have bonds out for
100000 the Fort WAYNE and Belle Isle lines for
81 600 and the Detroit Railway lines for $2sOO0D
Careful estimates show that the Citizens lines
last year had gross earnings Of $4,000, the De
troi Railway of an average OF %75CO and the For;
Wayne line OF $1,000 Grouping all the lines to-
gether and deduct.ng the operating expenses known
they show a profit Of about 500 cO1 annually. There
Is no basis on which 10 estimate the real cost or
the present lines IN Detroit. Many costly exper-
ments were performed II tho laying Of the tracks
which would not be necessary now. The Rapid
Railway. running from Detroit TO Mount Nlemeils.
TWENTY-FIVE miles. cost to construct about AbcD
a mile but there was no street paving 70 be done
and no costly experiments were performed. At this
pr.ce the present holdings in Detroit would have
cost only s. $4,000 In Toronto where the line was
recently appraised for sale, with It's equipment. a.
sag mile the length Of track In Detroit would
have cost 81 400
The great fear expressed by the opposition TO the
Mcleod bill H. that the city cannot operate the
road successfully; that it will become tired of ita