The Detroit times., 1908-12-24
MAH0N WILL URGE
CITY OWNERSHIP
OF CAR LINES
ACCEPTS PLACE ON BRElTMEY-
ER's COMMISSION AND OUT.
LINE s PLANS-THREE-CE
FARES NOT THE BIGGEST ISSUE

Municipal ownership OF street rail
ways Will have at least one strong ad-
vocate on the commission named by
Mayor-elect Breitmeyer. William ID.
Mahon. president OF the Amalgamated
Association OF Street Railway EN-
ployes. has accepted the place offered
him. and will take an active part IN
the deliberations OF the body His
long experience in handling street rail.
way matters should entitle him to a
large influence In shaping the final
decision.
This is a bigger question than
merely three-cent fares" declares Mr..
Mahon. There are two interests
which should be considered most
owning the streets and patronizing
the cars, and the right of the men who
actually operate the street railway
system. The stock and bondholders
are entitled To less consideration.
This street railway problem should
be studied In different way than 1t
has been in the past. We have more
data and more experience to go upon.
The streets belong TO the people
and we should have municipal owner
ship, which would restore the streets
To their rightful owners. The ques-
ton OF depends OF lines and unex-
pired franchises does not enter into
the matter; 4 start must be made
some time, IL we are to have muni-
cipal ownership, inasmuch as that
same question of loose ends OF fran
chises could be raised for many, many
years TO come. Why rot start now?
IF an arrangement cannot be made
satisfactory TO the owners OF the De-
troit United railway for their prop
erty in rails and wires and cars, then
let them get out and let us build a
new system that will be all our own.
True. under the new constitution, we
cannot bond the faith and credit OF
the city for the purchase OF the rail
ways we can bond only the property
Itself
But that is all that private capital
can do. Half OF our railways are built
by adventurers who get franchise
and capitalize il. II they can raise
money on limited franchise why CAN
not we on an unlimited one?
las member OF the commission,
I shall take the view OF a citizen or
Detroit. not as n representative or
few hundred men. That Is the only
view | can honestly take
Mahon is recognized as a conserva-
tive. and his vigor and honesty are
we'll known, so that 1t can be depend
ed upon that he will not he In the
rear OF the debates. He Will be busy
until about Jan. 10 with labor situa-
ton in Massachusetts which affects
nearly all OF the street railway en-
Moves OF the state, but will then come
home TO attend the commission meet
ings as citizen.
The Philadelphia agreement. when
Mayor-elect Breitmeyer brought back
with him. has an interesting history
4 corrupt council granted the old
companies OF that city 99-year fran
chise. There was a popular uprising
and the new grant was invalidated
and entirely new negotiations were
started. The new agreement Is for %
wears. with greater concessions In re-
gard TO paving and division OF profits
than have been secured from street
railway company in any other large
CITY The fare is five cents, and the
lines are TO be turned over TO the city
without cost at the expiration OF the
chisa