The Detroit times., 1909-07-17
BRE|TMEYER TO
FINANCE FIFTY
Will Put Up Cash Till Works Fin
ished, Then Negotiate With Ceun-
To Purchase II.

At conference between Mayor
Breitmeyer and number OF aldermen,
In the mayors office Saturday morn
ing, an agreement was reached as 10
the completion OF the street railway
investigation by the mayors Commit
tee OF Fifty.
Mayor Breitmeyer, and possibly
some of the members or the commit
tee, will finance the investigation until
the report is completed. This Will In
volve the expenditure of another
$4,000 or $4,000, in addition TO the
So. 600 which has already been adj
vanced by Breitmeyer, Secretary Re-
maud and Frank w. Eddy, chairman OF
the committee.
When the report OF the fifty" Is
complete. it will be delivered To the
mayor, who will negotiate with the
franchises and ways and means coIn-
mittees OF the council for its purchase
by the city at cost This course Is
made necessary by the supreme court
decision that the council cannot ap-
propriate money directly for the eX.
penses OF the Committee OF Fifty or
delegate its power OF making investi-
cation.
THE Committee of Fifty will go
along as il nothing had happened"
said the mayor cheerfully, after the
conference. II will see that the bills
are met. Possibly some members or
the committee may assist. But@therc
will be no talk of passing the nat
until the council has said what 1t
will do with the report. | expect that
It will be accepted"
A complete change In the program
hastily ADOPTED when the supreme
courts decision was first announced
has been made. The council will re-
ceive a message from the mayor. Tues
DAY night, reviewing the history OF the
Committee of Fifty and the supreme
court decision. Then his communica-
ton will be referred to the franchise
committee. which will be empowered
TO make an investigation of the street
railway question.
1--WE shall get any information
which we may require" stated Aid.
John HARPER, chairman Of the fran
chise committee. IF the report OF the
Committee of Fifty is all that we
need, we shall purchase that only. But
II we find that more information is
needed, we shall get II from any source
that may be available"
The agreement does not bind the
council to purchase the report of the
Committee OF Fifty. 1t was the sense
of the aldermen assembled that there
IL a moral liability to accept and pay
for the report since the council orig
inally approved of the appropriation
for the committees expenses, which
appropriation has been Knocked out
by the court.
The plan agreed upon Is believed TO
be proof against any further litigation
started by the Detroit Federation OF
Labor.
Among those present at the confer
cnce were the mayor, Controller Dore-
mus. Corporation Counsel Hally. Presl-
dent link. OF the common council;
Chairman Gilman, of the ways and
means committee; Chairman Harp
fer. of the franchise committee, and
Aid. Korte, Freiwald and Tossy.
Hally informed the other city Of
ficials that, as he reads the supreme
court decision, the council may pur-
chase information regarding this or
any other question wherever II may
find It, He approved OF the plan pro-
posed.
Aid. Gilman was inclined to insist
very strongly on the non-recognltion
of the mayors committee. He Is
placed in q very influential position IN
the matter from the factthat- he IS
chairman OF the committee which
must approve of the payment or any
money for the report.
"The only thing the franchise COM
rnittee has to do Is to be sure that
il is not advising the buying OF gold
brick" he cautioned. The commit
tee will be called upon to defend It's
recommendation upon the floor of the
council. After you look around. you
find some individual who can furnish
more information for less money.
These people have got to show
us that they have something that ls
valuable" asserted Aid. Tossy. re-
rerring to the report CT the fifty.
The other aldermen present TOOK
rather different view, apparently feel
ing that the acceptance OF the report
will be 2 perfunctory matter.
In the meantime. the work OF En-
eineer Bancroft and others connected
with the committee Is going on, re-
gardless OF the supreme court de-
cision.
II leads all rivals. Strohs Beer sells