The Detroit times., 1909-02-06
CITY OWNERSHIP IS
POPULAR SOLUTION
OF RY. PROBLEM
PLAN STRONGLY ADVOCATED AT
PUBLIC HEARlNG-ooop SER
VICE THE REAL QUESTION,
SAYS REV. /. S. MecoLLEsTER.

That municipal ownership is the
popular solution Of the street railway
question Was abundantly proven by
the first public hearing held by the
committee OF So Thursday evening.
The council chamber was comfortably
filed Aside from the speeches py
members OF the committee, the talks
were generally for municipal owner
ship. and there was always vigorous
applause for the municipal ownership
advocates.
George T. Moody made the first ad-
dress. speaking of the patriotic. civic
duty OF the committee Or. J. II. Car
stems started laugh by declaring that
he is partially responsible for the COM
mittee and wants II 10 succeed. he
declared that the committee would
not usurp the privileges OF the com
mon council 10 draw up franchise.
but would educate the public as 10
the real facts c. p. Warren then got
up and declared that he fayors imme-
date municipal owenrship, the city
issuing bonds and buying up the lines
Of the d. Y. X. as fast as the fran
chises expire.
Francis H. Warren also made an
eloquent plea for public instead or
private owenrship, saying that the
evils Of the latter are intolerable. he
described poor service conditions and
the crowding OF men and women into
cars SO that they had 10 jam together
and jostle and crowd 10 get In and
out as being means taken TO fatten the
dividends OF the foreign investor. Cold
cars also were injurious TO pubic
health, he said He declared that no
private corporation would give the
service the people want and that the
only way 10 get it is by taking over
the lines.
T. A. Brown and F. A. Smart, OF the
committee, argued that no member or
that body should have strong opinions
as 10 a settlement until all facts have
been considered.
Then Fred H. Warren made long
address, opposing municipal ownership
and calling for a franchise running
until 1924. He described the present
tangle OF overlapping franchises and
said that the city could not, II the ID.
L. r. refused 10 sell its lines. success
fully operate an independent system OK
lines.
we are confronted by condition,
not theory" said Warren. Fifteen
years is not long time in the lie
OF city, although 1t is long time
In the life OF a man. hope that the
day will come when the city Will
own and operate every car in It's lin
its, but that cannot come until 1874,
unless the -. l.. K. Is willing 10 sell,
which | take It that ii Is not"
Frank ii. Warren then asked Fred
II. If the city does not hold club
over the ID. u. X. in the way OF the
expiring franchises. and the latter re-
torted that the people Of the city
would not consent 10 have the cars
stopped, and that the d. L. K. holds
a club in the way OF its lines that
run longer than this year and next
b. Schellenberg rose in the gallery
and declared for a fair settlement. no
matter IL the city gets no beSer than
seven tickets for a. quarter. He ex-
pressed regret that the Codd-Hutchlns
franchise did not pass. and said the
city would never get as good an orrer
again.
VI. f. Kelly harangued the audience
In a high falsetto which made some or
the committee laugh. He told them
that they were a set OF business men.
and that the motto OF business Is TO
buy cheaply and sell dearly There.
fore. he took IL that the people OF
Detroit were 10 be sold TO foreign
stockholders In a corporation.
The Rev. Lee s. McCollester gave II
as HIS personal opinion that good ser
vice, even at fve-cent fare, is the great
question and this aroused the Ire or
Lenton Crabb. who rose in the gallery
10 say that the man who earns 81
per day Is anxious 10 save every cent
he can and does not care IL he does
have 10 stand up as long as he gets
his rides cheaply.
The meeting broke up with no one
nearer a conclusion than at the be
ginning. Neither former Mayor Thomp-
son nor any OF his friends, advisers or
aDpOintees was present.
Mayor Breitmeyer discussed the
street railway question at some length
al the Dutch lunch OF the Order OF
Ku.Kus. I'm German Salesmen's hall.
Thursday evening. Two members OF
the OEuel, which - NOHiPOS." Va y"
ers and opticians, are on the commit
tee Of so.
People talk and talk about NUM-
cipal ownership and three-cent fares,
but they do not tell us how to get
them" said the mayor. Il think that
all you business men want TO see good
service first Bat let us reserve judy
ment until the committee finishes its
work"
The mayor came to the Ku.Ku meet
ing with w c. Noack and Frank Ken
nedy, after the open meeting Of the
con. mittee OF so.