The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-12-19
Street RAILWAY
COMMISSION is
KNOCKED HARD
DISTRICTS MOST INTEREsTEu
NOT REPRESENTED, EDMUND
ATKINSON POINTS OUT. L.
HUDSON SEES JAhcLEs AHEAD.

Already the Breftmeyer street car
commission Is coming In for some
criticism. Men who have been inter-
ested In the traction problem for years
say that they do not think the por-
sonnet OF the body is such as to yse
the best results.
III the Breitmeyer commission were
composed entirely of men who have
the public confidence, there Is no doubt
In my mind that it-woald secure a ne4-
Element" says Edmund Atkinson, a.
sistant corporation counsel. 1T lacks,
however. membership from the dis
tricts most vitality interested In the
matter. The street car question In OF
particular moment to residents In the
outer wards.
The residents OF the outer distrfcta
must use the street cars at all times.
while those who live downtown have
not the same needs. particularly those
fortunate enough TO be able to use
automobiles. do not see. In the names
OF members already given out, any one
who represents the western wards
where they feel the need Of a street
car settlement worse than anywhere
else.
1T Is true that one factory super.
intendent Is on who has his place Of
business in the lower end OF the Eigh.
teenth ward, but he lives elsewhere.
The Sixteenth ward is not represented. /.
William c. Maybury is there from tina.
Fourteenth ward, and he will give . :
good account OF himself.
stronger II 1t included william B.;
Thompson. who has made the street !,
railway question a study for many;
years.
Even as It Is, the proposition SUBJ
mitted by the committee may finally
carry. 1t will come up in special
election at which its advocates will
be active and the opposition scatter
ed, instead OF In a general election
where everyone would be out and tho
matter discussed in every meeting.
The Codd-Hutchins franchise might
have carried II it had been put up to
the people In special election. As
1t was. however, II was made party
issue before general election. Re-
publicans who opposed the franchise
were driven from their party and
Democrats who were inclined to favor
1t were driven away from the fran
chise.
rs the commission chosen the ideal
one for the purpose? / should be In
clined TO say that II Is not"
Another prominent citizen. who for
business reasons does not care to re-
veal his identity, takes the standpoint
that the commission represents the
classes rather than the masses.
las made up, the largest element In
the membership is the group OF manu-.
facturers and factory managers" he
says. Next come the merchants, and.
third, the real estate and insurance
men; then there are several capitalists
and a few doctors and lawyers. Ed.
Brown. president OF the letter car.
riers: John ID. Cochell, a metal pols
Usher, and William ID. Mahon, presi-
dent of the International Association
OF Street Railway Men, are the only
ones who can be said TO represent
labor"
Il am devoutly thankful that was
not named as member of the com.
mission" says j.. l.. Hudson. adding
that il will be strange II ii does NOT
Il think the commission is too large
and that 1t will be difficult TO accom-
plish anything with a body of that
size" says Clarence A. BLACK.
AT best II win be soit OF thank.
less job" declared John Trix.
They will have TO go some TO rec
ommend a measure that will suit the
owners OF the ID. u. r. and at the
same time suit so per cent OF the cleo.
tors" asserts Wilbur ID. Brotherton.
Suggestions for Improvement In car
service are already coming In to the
mayor-elect. the latest being the re-
quest by a delegation OF Milwaukee
Junction manufacturers for new
cross-town line by which their work
men can reach the west side without
having to go downtown. Such line
would go over Milwaukee-ave and
would necessitate the opening OF that
thoroughfare between Lincoln and
Sterlingaves.
Among the members OF this delegs-
ton was NJ j. Murphy. who has been
named a. member OF the commits.
sion.
II is believed that the first action
taken by the commission will he in re-
arranging the routes. This idea was
first proposed a long time ago by Aid.
Vernon, who insisted that the present
system would be more expensive than
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