The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-08-25
LOW Street CAR FARE
OFFERED IN DETROIT
Ten Rides for rs Cents Offered
During Working Hours for
All Workingmen.
Municipal Ownership Is Possible
in Eighteen Years Under
New Franchise.

Detroit, Mich, Aug. 23.-'1s there
money in the street car business at
2k cent fares?" was asked President
Jere C. Hutchins of the Detroit United
Railway. This question was put in
view Of the fact that Mr.. Hutchins has
agreed to accept, on the part of the
street railway company, a franchise
embodying this rate Of fare If the peo-
pie approve it.
1T took me six months to come to
the conclusion that a 2h -cent fare, as
proposed to me by Mayor George P.
Codd, could in any way be made ac-
ceptable." said Mr.. Hutchins. 1T is
not proposed to give this low fare all
day long, but only three hours in the
morning and two in the afternoon, dur
Ing the rush hours. This time gives
the entire working Glass; including
clerks and office employees, a chance to
go from and to their homes for cents
the round trip, or ten tickets for rs
cents. After these hours the regular
fare will be cents, or six tickets for
rs cents. This is practically Scent
fare for the entire family, for ten tick
cts for 25 cents and six for Is cents
makes sixteen tickets for so cents.
which is as near to Scent fare as we
can get
Cheap Fare for Everybody.
1t Is calculated that 40 per cent of
the people will ride on the ten for Is
cents tickets. Nearly all the other so
per cent will take advantage OF the six
tickets for. Is cents. Transients will
probably pay scent fares, not caring
to be burdened with tickets for which
they will have no use.
This is the cheapest street car fare
ever offered in the world. For with
this cheap fare universal transfers are
given, so that one can go from one end
of the. city between . o'clock and 8
o'clock In the morning, and 1870 and
6:3o in the afternoon. for 2h cents
1T is only after many conferences
that my associates have been won over
to this view Of the situation. We think
1t Is fair business proposition for our
side. or we would not have consented
to it. But it will take the most care
full management and the cheerful CO.
operation of the citizens of Detroit to
make the venture pay
In addition to this low fare during
certain hours of the day the Codd-
Hutchins franchise, as 1t now called,
provides that the company pave be-
tween the tracks, pay the usual taxes
on its real estate, and in addition pay
tax of 2 per cent on it's gross re-
ceipts.
Short Time Franchise.
The franchise runs for eighteen years
which is the length of the longest fran
chise now owned by the company, with
the exception Of what is claimed to be
perpetual rights given by some of the
adjoining townships before they were
annexed to the city.
Detroit las been fighting for cheap
fares for eleven years. A great victory
was gained when the late Mayor Pin
gree got through the Common Council
franchise for new company for
eight tickets for Is ceQ<s-3M cents a
fare. No sooner had 1t got Into good
running order than the stockholders of
the old company bought it up, though
continuing to run 1t on the cheap fare
basis About this time Tom L. john
+.
Pingree that the city buy out the en-
tire system for 100000. Attached to
this offer however, was a prov1so that
if the city defaulted in the payments,
then the old company should have a
fifty-year franchise at the old rates OF
fare|5 cents. Ibis proviso defeated the
measure, and the supreme court COM
pleted the rout by deciding that Detroit
could not be Interested in street car
lines outside of its own territory.
May Mean NJ. O. in Detroit.
The present company is running un-
der nearly dozen different franchises,
the longest one expiring in 1924. Some
Of the principal ones expire in 1909,
the others trailing in between The
proposed new franchise practically ex-
| tends all the franchises to the life of
the longest one. but it provides that
II the city then wants to try municipal
| ownership the present company will
sell out at the value Of the then ex-
listing physical property. It postpones
| the possibility of municipal ownership
| until 1924.
Thus far organized labor has shown
ASooAA AooNAIC ~ ZIG pIOpOScu 4FdHCHlSe
as the workingmen want municipal
| ownership at the earliest possible mo-
ment. The commercial and speculative
| classes generally favor giving the com
pany what it has agreed to accept
| The franchise will be introduced In
the council and 1t is planned to have
it pass to the third reading before the
fall election It will be submitted to
the people then, according to the may
! or's plan and If approved by them will
be passed, or If rejected. voted down.
AMERICAN GIRL Is