The Detroit times., 1909-07-16
PLANNED To KEEP
FIFTY At WORK
Investigation Will Be Under DiIec-
ton of Council Committee, Courts
Ruling Thus Being Dodged.

In next Tuesday nights council
meeting, action will be taken whereby
/ the work OF the mayors Committee OF
Fifty will be continued under the
charge OF the council committee on
franchises. of which Aid. John Harp
Ter Is chairman. Aid. Gilman will in
| troduce resolution resembling the
action OF the council in appropriating
$4,000 for the mayors committee.
which action the supreme court has
declared void.
| After the passage OF this resembling
resolution, Gilman will introduce an
other authorizing the franchise com
mittee To make a thorough investign-
ton OF the street railway question.
employing such experts and assistants
as required and acquiring by purchase
any information or reports pertaining
to the subject which may be available,
providing the same have been pre-
pared within the past year.
For this purpose, $4,000 is TO be
set aside from the contingent fund,
the controller being directed to pay
bills presented by the committee and
approved by the mayor and com
nittee
| iHlo viii tHdDlc Tile COunCll W re-
imburse the Committee of Fifty for
the money it has spent and to pay
its experts for their work, also look
ing after the accounts for printing,
etc. There is some doubt among the
aldermen as to whether the council
committee can pay Secretary Renaud
and the Committee Of Fifty, but the
resolution Is intended TO be broad
enough 20 cover his salary also.
! Inasmuch as the supreme court did
not pass upon the question raised by
the Federation of Labor regarding the
| legality Of paying this money out OF
the contingent fund, there Is still a
possibility for the Federation TO ask
for another injunction.
Justices Blair, Grant. Ostrander,
McAlvay and Montgomery concurred
| in the decision adverse to the city.
while Justices Brooke. Hooker and
Moore dissented.
- In the opinion il Is held that the
council had no right to delegate It's
power to expend money for investigat-
ingsthis question 10 the mayor and his
committee, the matter being strictly n
legislative one. In another section OF
the opinion, the court holds that the
council may collect information for it.
self through any proper agency desig-
mated, even through the mayor or a
committee employed by 1t. This leaves
a loop-hole for the completion of the
ffty's work. the plan being for the
council to purchase the information
secured by the committee. The opin-
ion says
| 1t Is not contemplated by the
charter OF Detroit that the mayor
shall make extensive investigation
| requiring the examination of wit
nesses and the expenditure OF
large sums OF money. for the pur-
| pose of equipping himself TO rec
ommend action to the common
| council, and the provisions essen
tiai To make the investigation are
not given him therein. Such in
vestigation falls within the domain
OF legislative action, and the To-
cal legislature Is given the neces-
| sary powers to make them effec-
tive.
The committee has already expend-
ed about $4,000 in cash and Is liable
! for about as much more. Chairman
Frank w. Eddy has advanced $1,000.
and Mayor Breitmeyer and Secretary
Renaud have raised $4,000. These gen.
| Element expect the council to reim-
burse them.
| The injunction was sought by the
| Detroit Federation of Labor. NJ. J. Nc
CURE acting as relator.
Mayor Breitmeyer is not greatly
perturbed over the supreme courts
decision.
The committee will go ahead and
complete its work." he says. When
| | was elected last fall the people un-
derstood that l was going to name =
committee to settle this matter, and
I'm going to make good. The council
will stand behind me-"