The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-15
Public and D. U. \. Are
Both Against Ordinance

scIanDle on the part or the Senerai
public or the Detroit United Railway
officials TO embrace the proposed com
mittee OF fifty ordinance, made public
Saturday night. On the contrary. the
reception rendered Il has been rather
chilly one thus far, and the present
outlook cannot be regarded as favor
able TO the acceptance OF the drdi'
nance when II is submitted to the
people for the approval or disap-
proval. One thing Is certain. the or
dinance will never be adopted by the
common council in It's present form.
The aldermen quite generally are
agreed that ii will have TO be amend
ed. Some of the city dads see no
merit In IL at all.
The feature OF the ordinance most
distasteful to the riding public. the
citizens who pay the freight" Is the
provision for sliding scale of fares.
Sucn a provision. IL II contended.
leaves the way open for the ID. U. X.
To Juggle its finances In such manner
as 10 collect the maximum fare, six
tickets for quarter. There Is feel
ing that the. company would be able
w tulS III SlllG Va oil NhC
precautions that have been taken by
the makers OF the ordinance.
On the other hand, the ordinance Is
unsatisfactory to the company be
cause. by accepting its terms II valves
all rights I'm the streets after Dec. 4.
1924, rights which Attorney Fred A.
Baker. OF the p. L. RS legal stan.
says are perpetual. There are other
A - nj
not grab at the ordinance. and when
the mayor says that the company has
got TO accept" Il Is evident that he
has not consulted Mr.. Hutchins and
the latter's associates on the PROPOSE
ion.
Baker Finds Fault.
81 have read the ordinance all
through. but | am not at liberty TO
say just what / think OF IT," said At
torney Baker. Monday morning. II
will say this much. however-it leaves
cut one of the most important fea-
lures in the Cleveland and Chicago
ordinances and the Indiana statute.
and that Is a provision safeguarding
the investment. Under this ordinance
the company has got To get its invest
ment out In Ia years unless e wants To
take chance on the city's purchas-
Ing the property when the ordinance
expires. for. II the company should
waive It's rights and the city should
not see At to purchase. the remaining
property could be taken away without
cent being paid for It.
Section 81, OF the Cleveland ordi-
nance. provides that II, at the expir'
alton of this franchise, no extension
or renewal thereof Is granted by the
city, and the city does not then pur-
chase the property. any person or per
sons 10 whom a franchise may be
granted TO operate O railroad over the
then existing lines or any OF them or
any part OF them, shall have the right
and be under obligation TO purchase
said railroad or such portion thereof
from It's then oxher upon the terms
herein provided That provision
guarantees the investment absolutely,
but there is no such guarantee in the
committee OF fifty's ordinance. and Ii
Is serious omission. The same pro-
vision in substance. is found in the
Chicago ordinance and in the Indiana
statute" ~ 49,
Attorney j. G. Donnelly, OF Brennan.
Donnelly & Van De Mark, general
counsel for the Detroit United said
he had not had an opportunity to look
the ordinance over carefully.
Donnelly Mum on Ordinance.
From what / have read of It,
should say that the fundamental pro-
vision OF. the ordinance is that Great
ING q supervisory commission" said
he II am not prepared 10 give an
opinion on the ordinance. nor do
know what the attitude of the com
pany is on the proposition. have
seen neither Mr.. Hutchins or Mr..
Brooks for several days
At the Offices OF the D. IT, r.. Mon
day morning. II was said that Presi
dent Hutchins Is still out OF the city
and that General Manager Brooks is
confined to his home. He is sufferNe
from an attack of rheumatism.
Amendment BY Council Certain.
That the ordinance will not pass
z the common council except after
amendment which may be more or
less extensive was the general bur
den OF the talk about the city hall
Monday morning Few of the alder
men have yet read the ordinance
tDIOUEH. PAL ny PbAo6'ofhf VIII
sufficient study to form an opinion as
TO the merits Of each section.
Even the slight study which has
been given the measure SO far has
developed some points which viii
meet with considerable opposition
among the city fathers. One OF these
Il the clause In relation TO extensions
of existing three-cent lines. An amend
ment TO this will certainly be intro
duced I'm the council. The clause pro
vIdes that extensions OF such lines
shaIl come under the terms OF tho
new ordinance: in case OF an Increase
IN the rate OF fare on the general sys
tenn. this would force patrons OF these
extended lines, living on the new
nortion. 10 have two kinds OF tickets
an one Of which they could ride down
town while on the other they would
ride home
There will be dual hurry In re-
card to the measure during the nexl
i, tvo weeks. AS soon as the commit
tee OF fifty ordinance goes to the COM
mon council. supposedly Tuesday eve
ming. It will be referred to the fran
chises committee.
II shall call meetings as often as
can but IL will take more than
week before we can report back to the
council" stated Chairman HARPER, o
the franchises committee. The coun
I'll Is now considering the estimates
and am also member of the liquor
reyuIatIon committee. which may hole
night meetings 10 dispose OF the
number OF applications for saloor