The Detroit times., 1909-12-22
MAYOR J0lIEa HI|
. TURhIhe DOWN
OF SOS" Bile
Council, By Majority Of 0ns. uss
clines To Purchase Report, BAT
Matter Comes Up Again Next
Week on Reconsideration.
Administration Forces Hope 70 II
feet compromise-Result To Dats.
Is Victory for Gilman.

foiioWing the action Of the council
tuesday evening In which Il refused In
pay the $I7.500 expense account or
the committee OF ffty, Mayor Brett.
meyer issued on Wednesday the sol-
lowing formal statement:
i realize perfectly that the mem
oers OF the common council are entitled
70 all the Information there II 10 be-
mad about the reports and appraisaIs
OF the committee OF fifty. which they
are asked To buy. and are entitled 10
such assurance az can be given them
as to the future expense OF the justi-
hcation Of the figures given In these
reports and appraisals. I will person
ally guarantee that the experts who
formulated these reports will back
them up absolutely, and that they will
DO so at no expense To. the city except
their legitimate expenses for coming
to Detroit and staying here such time
as the common council may want them
10 stay. I know that no expert would
be required to come and give his tes-
timony on his report more than once,
or at the outside twice, and IL the AID
ermen desire surety bond as TO the
future expenses Of these reports. I my
self VIII give them a surety bond that
the city will not be asked to pay any
thing to these experts more than their
actual expenses for not more than
two visits to the city. II there are
other expenses will, as private citi-
zen interested only In seeing the street
car question settled In "A business way
and outside the realm OF politics and
four-hushing. ace that those expenses
are paid out or some other purse than
the city's.
Personally, I care little for the
glory of effecting a street car settle
ment; my interest In the matter is en-
tirely that Of a Detroit business man
who realizes that the city's industrial
growth Is being seriously retarded by
this ever-increasing turmoil over the
future OF the transportation system.
II looks to me. howevar. as. thouels,
There are some people who are desper-
ately afraid that street car settle
ment will be effected through the work
OF the committee of fifty. and are de-
termined to prevent that II possible,
even II they have to go to the length
OF denying to the city the use Of this
valuable data which constitutes the
first constructive step which has been
taken In street car matters I'm Detroit
In my memory.
'I realize that street car settle
ment must come through the common
council. but every such ridiculous
action as the vote last night on 1.-THE
question OF securing this information
as basis for a street car settlement
tends to weaken the respect which the
people, have for the council and makes
more difficult the framing OF proposi-
tion in which the people will have con.
fidence.
II am by no means discouraged.
however, over the situation. Tho
question is going to be settled and
settled with the assistance of the busi-
ness men who have given their time
and money TO prepare the groundwork.
for settlement; and the quicker the
aldermen realize that and commence
to help instead OF hinder what they
ought 10 recognize as the most import
ant work Detroit has ever undertaken,
the sooner We will have the settlement
that the people want.
The action OF the council was q
radical victory for Aid. Thomas Glin-
nan. president-to-be Of that body.
Aid. Thomas Gilman. president-to-bo
OF tne cOHhuOn council, Was ViCtOTlOuS
over Mayor Breitmeyer In the contest
Tuesday night over payment OF the
committee OF fifty's bill OF s17.500.
He had &c votes to Is cast for pay
meDt OF the bill, Aid. Heineman later
changing his vote so as to bring In a
reconsideration Of the matter next
week
The result came as complete sur
prise to the administration leaders. IL
Is charged that some aldermen who
had promised 10 vote for payment OF
the bill switched at the last moment.
Two democratic votes were cast for
the payment. while four were In oppo-
sition.
II is probable that compromise
will be arranged by next week which
will placate two or three of the repub-
lican aldermen and that the bill will
then be passed. The vote was:
Yeas-Ald. Allan, Field, Freiwald.
Grindley. Harpfer. Heineman. keating.
Koenig. Ostrowsh. Owen. Thompson.
Tossy. Vernon. Watson and Zink-15.
Nays-Burton. Deimel. Ellis. Glin-
(Continued on Page Eieven.)