The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-05-02
W ILL BARCR0F
EXPERTS AFPEAA?
BIG QUESTION
Engineer Says Their Promises To Aid
Fifty" Were Obtained BY Web
ster BY Misrepresentation
Attorney Makes Denial
Frederick w Walker Engaged To
Defend Appraisal Report Before
D. u. r. Arbitration Board

croft is more than mistaken In stat
ing that the experts who assisted ~
the preparation of the Bancroft report
Will not appear 10 defend II at the
arbitration before Judges laSler,
Grant and Murhn is the statement
made by Attorney Clyde l. Webster.
who has returned To the city atter
visiting these experts.
Il did not get a refusal from any
man. nor have words with any OF
them says Webster emphaticahy.
There Is not word OF truth In Bar
croft's statement that misrepie,
scented the situation. To each man
detailed history OF the whole mat
ter concerning the committee oi flity
report. | told them OF the cOnvenlns
OF the arbitration board and Bar
croft's refusal To appear before II ana
n What had been done since. eNplainit :
the resolutions adopted by the coul-
mon council.
With no one did | have any talk
as To whether the arbitration Is to o.
Official or not M one inquired
These experts told me that they
could see no other thing for them TO
do than TO come here and testify
They are ready to do what Is right
and just Some said that they could
not understand what Bancroft IS
about In persisting In his refusal 10
appear simply told them just what
had occurred.
II Bancroft thinks that he can TOOL
+ w. Walker the engineer We nav"
engaged. with any such stuff as he Is
quoted as saying. he Is mistaken.
Walker is high-class man who
l. ~. tl,sf,f II
"Shoul Bancroft succeed In keep
Ing any Of these experts away from
the hearings, after their promises 70
me TO come Walker can get other
men TO take their places. although We
would rather have the men who ORG
inally did the work He can get the
lest men in the country and. with the
Bancroft figures aud the - L. X. tcs-
ttmony. those men can put themselves
in position TO testify in rebutta with
IN a day or TWO
Il think that all the distractions
have been put away now and that W"
can 20 ahead and carry ont this work.
The experts 10 whom talked were
uuch pleased with the personnel 81
the court. especially with the selection
o. Judge Tayler OF Cleveland as the
third member.
Frederick W Walker member of
the Comstock. Haigh 4 Walker Co,
Of Detroit an engineering nrm. Is the
engineer chosen 10 succeed Frederick
T. Bancroft in defending the Bancroft
appraisal OF the Detroit United Rail
way physical property. He will con
suit with the various experts who as
sisted Bancroft and will be- prepared
To go ahead with the hearings next
Monday
Clyde l. Webster. Paul G. Remand
and l.. c. Stanley, who visited Bar
crofts assistants all reported that
these men would assist in the defense
.of the report Bancroft says that
they will not He claims that Web
ster misrepresented the situation.
stating that the hearing would be- Of
fcial and binding upon both city and
company
This direct difference OF opinion
will be cleared up as the result OF
Engineer Walkers trip TO various
cities 10 see these men
Leaders in the committee OF fifty
are convinced that they have secured
a hrstclass man in Engineer Walker.
He graduated as mechanical
engineer IN 1895. and entered the EN-
plCy OF the Edison Co in Brooklyn,
rising step by step until he was super
intendent OF construction and opera
ton of all the Brooklyn plants OF that
company.
In 1929 he went TO the Wrestling
house Church Kerr Co. and later
Joined his present firm He has had
charge OF the construction and en-
cheering work Of a number OF cleo.
trio railways and is thoroughly fami-
liar with traction matters.
Engineer Barefoot takes the APP
pointment of Walker philosophicaily.
He regards the statements that his
experts will testify AZ the appraisal
arbitration as In the nature of q Joke,
1T is not for them to say; they are
4 my men" he remarked Monday Il
have been asked TO take mp new
piece OF work and have refused. Even
II we were married to this proposed
franchise. there would be no use in
going ahead with this proceeding II
will all have To be done over again
later
The people will reject this fran
chise II the city gets something
tangible for consideration, II will he
time for man TO start his brains
working 1t is dangerous To apply d
matter OF valuations to different cases.
ms dpptdlSal may ne uStu TOT any
one OF number OF different plans.
It should first be determined which
use is desired This arbitration is
the official act OF no one.
Attorney Webster declares that the
question as to whether the u L X.
will accept the committee Of fifty fran
l. chlse Is one that is not involved IN
the arbitration proceedings That is
up 10 the common council committee
on franchises.
|. we have nothing al this time To
do with the details Of the ordinance.
he stated IT is true that il may he
amended; ! have four or five amend
fnents which ! shall ask TO have con.
sidertd But the basic principle OF
the ordinance will remain the same
and IL Is in connection with that that
We wish to fix the valuation
Matters of past friction between
Bancroft and members of the commit
tee of hfty are just coming out. one
complaint ia that Bancroft after be
ing engaged only 10 appraise the
physical property. spent six weeks in
examining franchises and expended
$500 In that way. while clyde T.
Webster was doing the same work
y under the authorization of the cum
4 mittee.