The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-28
ONLY five AGAINST
VOTING MACHINES
Proposition To Bond City For $685.
600 Slips Through Easily At
Special Meeting Of Council.

machines. This goes to the board OF
estimates at it's session Wednesday
night where there will be another dis
pute over the item.
Sentiment in the board OF esti.
mates SCENE to favor the purchase OF
the machines. the committee having
the matter In charge having unani.
mously adopted a report favoring
them.
II took more than an hour of the
hardest kind OF struggling to pass the
item at thu special council session,
Roll call after roll call was held, and
Assistant Corporation Counsel Law.
son was called in to answer half q
dozen questions bearing upon the
matter.
There was much talk among those
opposed to the measure OF the lobby.
ing In favor Of 1t, but no charges OF
undue influence were brought. Sew.
eral representatives of voting ma.
chine companies were present,
Charles H. Weber, former alderman
from the Fifteenth ward, being one of
these. It Was Weber who initiated
the movement for voting machines
last fall.
The opposition o. the Board OF Com
merce directors, who adopted resolu-
tons Tuesday afternoon opposing the
purchase of machines, was brought up
In the size talks but apparently,
given little consideration by the alder
men.
When the session was called to
order shortly after II o'clock, there
was not quorum present. Sergt.
Hicks was sent to the assessors Of
nee to hale in the members OF the
board OF review and other aldermen
kept coming In until there were 81
present. Aid. Freiwald, president pro
tenn, gave up the chair to Aid. Keat-
ing In the absence OF President link.
Aid. Heineman objected at once to
taking the voting machine proposal
from the table and was defeated on a
vote. Then Aid. Vernon rose to pro-
pose an amendment to the report OF
Aid. Gilman favoring the proposition.
Vernon said ne was for voting ma
chimes but wanted them paid for by
five-year bonds instead of In 10 years.
At this point. Lawson was called in to
tell the council whether such an
amendment would constitute new mat
ter and allow of one objection putting
II over and causing another special
session. HI decided that It would not
and other questions were fred at him.
1t was apparent that Aid. Gilman
and others dlstrusted Aid. Heineman
and would not give him a chance to
delay by parliamentary technicalities.
Hcineman declared that he would not
object further.
We'll know when we get through
with you. Eelnemar. II you are sin
cere or not" shouted Gilman.
Aid. Allan explained that ten-year
bonds had been specified because II
was figured that Il would take FIVE bi-
ennial elections to save the cost OF
the machines. Aid. Gilman proposed
to cut out the time limit for the tonds
entirely but this did not meet with
favor.
After maIy speeches, Aid Vernor's
five-year loading amendment was
voted on and lost by vote of IA to
II. Aid. Field rose to plead again
that the city buy few machines each
year and test them.
On the firal vote. only Aid. Heine-
man, Garvey. Field, Thompson and
Vernon voted against sending the ten
of estimates, those voting in favor or
the plan beng: Aid. Allan, Deimel.
Ellis, Freiwald. Gilman, Goeschel,
Crindley, Gutman, Harpfer. Heating.
Koenig. konkel, Korte, Lempke, Os-
trowski, Owen, Reinhardt, Rosenthal,
Rutter, Schultz, Shapland, Tossy,
Trevor, Walsh. Wing and Zoeller
Aid. Allan and koenig then sewed
IN hxf
slider being indefinitely postponed.
The voting machines trust was
here and had the goods" was Aid.
Heineman's comment.
Wednesday mornings session was
sequel TO Il hot discussion In the
council meeting Tuesday evening. Al
ter test Cf strength in which those
favoring voting machines showed un-
der the 'antls' rs to 6. Aid. IIeine-
man tabled me resolution to pass the
proposition on to the board OF esti-
mates by offering objection TO its
passage. one objection being sufficient
under the rules TO held 1t up.
The credit OF the city Of Detroit is
the best In the country" declared
Eeineman. 1T has become so because
the city has kept its bonding limit
down and has bonded oniy for per-
manent improvements. This serial
bonding provision is in the law that
the voting machine companies jam
med through the legislature
IF this matter were put up to the
men who have made the credit of the
city what IL is, to the people OF finan-
cial experience who realize what this
bonding proposition means, they would
rather pay this sum of money at once
in taxes than have bonds issued. The
board OF estimates takes cowardly
position In saying that the machines
are necessary, but refusing to put the
amount on the tax levy. giving bonds.
pIomissory notes instead"
Controller Doremus was called on
for his opinion as TO the effect of these
bonds on the city's credit.
Issuing them will certainly do no
good TO our credit. but would not
I like to say that this one act standin,,
alone would be harmful" he said. 1T
! Is bad precedent. however"
The merits OF the machines were
discussed at length, Aid. Gilman pro.
ducing correspondence TO show that
they work we'll in other cities and urg.
( ing the saving that they would be Ia
cutting down election expenses. Ala
IIeinoman declared that the machines
would not accommodate The vote an.
that two or three times The amour;
asked would be needed 20 properly
equip the city.
/ ON the test vote. Aid. Field. Garvey
Grindley. Thompson and Watson voted
with Heineman.