The Detroit times., 1909-12-06
NICHOLS STRONG
FOR 3-CENT FARES
Says Settlement He and Gilman
Propose Is Temporary Measure,
Pending Final Agreement.

Since the hearing OF Thursday
morning before the council franchise
committee, City Clerk Nichols has
heard such varied comments on the
Gilman. Nichols plan, then discussed
that he believes the people OF the
city generally do not understand the
proposition. In an interview given out
Saturday he says in part:
81 desire dt this ime TO announce
that my personal opinion is that the
people viii never accept franchise
which does not call upon the ID. L. Il.
to give threeccnt fares on all its lines,
good at any time OF the day or night,
with universal transfers, and the COM
pany to pave between the tracks.
am eQuivically for three-cent fares,
and the sooner the ID. L. x. concludes
10 give the people this rate OF fare,
the better for that corporation. II IL
continues to- resort to the tactics now
employed of giving out figures that
are absolutely contradictory and If II
persists in its efforts To befuddle the
minds OF the people and prevent a
settlement on the three-cont basis,
there can be- only one result, and thai
is municipal ownership.
employed by the d. L. Il. in giving out
figures pertaining TO the cost of oper-
alton and earnings of the company, is
the statement filed by the ID. L. H..
with the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, IN which II declares that in
1905 there was an increase in gross
earnings, over the gross earnings of
1907. OF s41.5l5. while in the figures
al IN A
claim that in 1908 1t carried nearly
300 900 fewer passengers than In 1907.
Il il such remarkable conduct on the
part OF the ID. l.. X. that has created
distrus; of that corporation in the
minds e,f ti+e-pe ep+es--Btt-w hi4e-4-is'Ii
emphatically. at present and always
shall be for thTee-cent fares, | insist
that ii is apparent that the perman-
cnt adjustment OF the street car mat
ter is a long way off. and that in the
meantime the people OF Detroit who
live anywhere on the 60 miles of
track where the u. L. r. is now oper'
atnE without a franchise. are entitled
to have at least the same rate Of fare
as is now given on the old Pngree
lines. namely, eight tickets for quar-
ter and six tickets for a quarter after
: 80 o'clock at night
1T has been pointed out by some OF
the opponents of this scheme that II
the d. L. X wanted TO retalate II
could charge rate Of fare on Wood
ward-ave. OF eleven sents because
Cf the fact that there are strips or
track on Woodward whore the fran
chises have not expired. In answer,
| want TO say that the same condition
prevails all over the city and II the
people OF Detroit do not desire 10 fight
the H. Y r.. then quite possibly IL
would not bc a good thing to adopt
this resolution. but the fact remains
that one year from now or when any
permanent adjustment is suggested
the ID. Il. r. viii still be in the posi-
tion OF being able to charge several
fares on certain lines OF track. so thar
the only question is whether the pco-
pie OF Detroit want to fight the ID. u.
II. today and show them that they
mean business or whether they le-
sire to continue paying a straight
fve-cent fare on the 6S miles OF track
where the franchises have expired for
one year. two years or any length OF
time that may elapse before the per
manant settlement