The Detroit times., 1909-12-08

some other hall that will hold every
one who desires 10 be present. The
mayor expects the committee OF fifty
members to attend these meetings
and, later. 20 hold their own meet
ings and adopt plan based on their
own reports and whatever additional
Information tho council acquires.
II will take one very large volume
or two fair-sized ones 30 hold the
committee ot fifty reports. Enough
copies will be printed so that those
who desire To go into the details can
have opportunity TO do SO.
That the Detroit United Railway
can we'll AFFORD to settle with the city
on basis of lower fares than the
present ones is Shown conclusively
by the report OF the cost Of service
subcommittee OF the mayors com
mittee OF nifty as presented 10 he
general body Monday night.
Unless the D. l.. r. experts can
overthrow the Bancroft physical ap'
praisal and Adams franchise Nalua
tion i'm the hearings before the com
mon council. that body must insist ON
"A final settlement at figure very
close 10 eight tickets for quarter.
Rate Is 3 2-5 Cents.
II must hc remembered that the rate
OF fare arrived az by the committee
of nifty. includes n fair return Oh the
value of the property As asccrtainec.
This figure is 3.i05S cents. while an
Cight.for-a.quarter rate would be
2.I25 cents and seven-tickets-tora a.
quarter rate would be SOL cents. In
the Codd.Hutchins franchise The ID. u.
r. declared that it was Offering an
average fare OF 3.5S cents.
Figures used In determining the
cost Of service were for the year 1908
when owing 20 industrial depression.
-ftttubr-r- -r1f 1r7rsseng gers VAS aeHer'
mally small This resulted in a high
or cost per revenue passenger out
also. by a counteracting result, made
the franchise value very small. "
the committee had the 1909 figures,
the cost per passenger would prob
ably be shown 10 be lower while the
franchise value would be greater, thus
striking about the same average.
The n. L r. may try 20 show
that another method OF figuring un.
expired franchise values. explained
hv Prof Adams in his report. is cor
rect. This would give franchise
valuation OF s4.246207 On The other
hand. the council NAV collect data 10
show that the d. L. r. operating eX'
penses were exceptionally high the
past three years by reason OF the
amount OF paving work done by the
an item Of expenditure
which will likely be less in the com.
ing years.
What Figures Show.
A survey OF the figures compiled
ND 10 this time would indicate that
the d. L. r. could afford 10 let the
terms OF the three-cent franchises for
the old Detroit railway lines stand
and sell seven tickets for a quarter
on the other lines doing the paving
in addition and paying the present
taxes or the three-cent lines could
stand as they are and a rate OF eight
tickets for a quarter during the day
and six tickets in the evening be Civ
en- on the present five-cent lines. with
the paving TO be done by the company
and a possible reduction in taxation.
Any settlement on a basis OF a Ger
tain number OF tickets for - cents
woGld have 10 take into consideration
the fact that a great many straight
fye-eonr fares would still be paid
IL is probable that the council nav
try to bring the plan in prospect IN
Cleveland into effecr here by allowing
a slightly higher rate Of fare than
necessary and providing that the sur-
plus above per cent on the invest
ment lie returned 20 the city.
In both the Adams report and the
calculations made BY Accountant Grid
ley for the cost Of service committee.
many things have had 70 he averaged