The Detroit times., 1910-06-25
HUTchAHs flI9I
MASSACHUSETTS
SYSTEM
Tells Mayor Breitmeyer That II
terminate License Plan for OpsTor'
ton Lines Would Be WorkabIe
In Detroit.
Intimates That Boosting Of D. D. r.
Rental Will Result in Holding 4
Up Extensions. \.

II Mayor Breitmeyer expected Pre-
dent Hutchins. OF the Detroit UnIt
Railway, to come forward with prop
o sition for settling the street CO..
problem, definite as to terms and CO..
ditions, he must have been disappo1u94
cd with the letter submitted BY IT,
railway official late Friday afternooo
Mr.. Hutchins expressed the op1nlo4
that the Massachusetts, indeterm1nnfQ
license plan. which has bean In 500
cessful operation for IA years. wouI1
work out satisfactorily In Detroit, huI|
assures the mayor that the cOmpoM
is not insistent on any specific ploM
Of adjustment"
Mr.. Hutchins complains that the ~
titude assumed by the council towoxQ|
the d. u. r., as shown by it, actio.
IN increasing the company's roufmI3
from $500 to $3.50 per day, has ronQl6
ed In holding UP negotiations for oGR
curing the money with which to bull4
the extensions recently authorised. ana
the work is at a standstill. He enyuf
In effect. that II the council persists ~
this attitude and takes steps to BOOB
the rental further the extension W0Gx|
will be abandoned, for the present a.
least.
In this connection. Mr.. Hutch1uq'
calls attention to the increased co..
OF labor and materials, which hoo'
made 1t necessary for all kinds a
business enterprises to increase tho
lprice of their products, and continuQqs>
"A five-cent fare today will not pro-
duce more net revenue than three
and one-eighth cent fare would pro,
duce 10 years ago. Yet. In the faco|
OF all this, II Ia proposed still further
to increase the expense Of operation
and at the same time reduce the rate
lof fare. 1t simply cannot be done. No
other business institution in the city
OF Detroit or elsewhere could live
under such conditions"
| Mr.. Hutchins again takes occasi0u
to rap the city for Its failure to pat
the tracks and foundations Of the oI1
Detroit Railway lines 1E~yuUfr c0lRd1@
ton as to enable the company to Inn
prove the city. He says pointedly:
"The city, according TO the report
OF the department of public works, %
delinquent on its contract TO maintain
the foundations and pavements to the
amount Of $1,047,S20. yet It now.
threatens to forfeit our franchise for
not keeping up an impossible service
on lines badly out Of repair on ac-
count of the default OF the city. r.
the city will perform its contract, We
will Immediately follow up the work
with the necessary improvements of
the tracks. cars and service upon those
| lines"
Mr.. Hutchins insists that the public
has been persistently misinformod ~
to the profits being earned by com
pany, and at the outset OF his letter.
he says: "The only immediate plan
which l have In mind is that there
shall be laid before the public such
accurate information concerning the.
property and business Of the Detroit
| United Railway as will enable It to-
pass understandingly upon any plan
OF adjustment submitted to 1t for its
decision"
The company, he declares, Will.
agree to any plan by which 1t can OBJ
tain fair and reasonable return
upon the value Of its property" He
expresses the hope that the work
started by the committee of fifty viii.
be carried to completion.
With regard to the Massachusetts,
plan. Mr.. Hutchins says:
1.-THE rates OF fare are controlled by
q commission to which either party
may supply for an adjustment Of the
rates. This plan has been in operation
about IA years and up to the present
| time seems to give universal satisfac-
| ton.
IT had this particular method I'm
mind when wrote you that I was not
in favor of fixed term franchises. +
believe such plan could be worked
out here, and IL adopted the service to
be rendered by the company and the
rates OF fare to be charged would at
all times be under the control OF and
subject TO adjustment by an independ-
ent and impartial tribunal instituted
for that purpose, and the rights OF
both the people and the company
would he fully protected.
II assure you that any arrangement
| fair TO the interests committed TO our
charge will be acceded to. We fully
appreciate the honorable efforts you
have made to readiust the relations
between the city and the railway. and
will try at all times to meet you and
any proposition made by you In q
spirit OF fairness and candor.'