The Detroit times., 1910-05-03
WILL BARCR0FT'S
EXPERTS APPEAR?
BIC 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. +. Arbitration Board

the preparation Of the Bancroft repor
will not appear TO defend II al th'
arbitration before Judges Tayiei
Grant and Murfin is the statemen
made by Attorney Clyde |. NebSttf
who has returned TO the city ate
visiting these experts
II did not get a refusal from an
man, nor have words with any O
them" says Webster emphaticaily
There is not a word OF truth in Bar
croft's statement that misrepre
sented the situation. To each man
| detailed a history OF the whole mat
ter concerning the committee of nifty
report. | told them OF the convenlns
OF the arbitration board and Bar
crofts refusal 10 appear before II and
what had been done since, eXplainlrs
the resolutions adopted by the com
mon council.
with no one did have any talk
as ia whether the arbitration is 10 be
Official or not. No one inquired.
These experts told me that they
could see no other thing for them 10
90 than 10 come here and testify.
They are ready 10 do what is right
and lust. Some said that they could
about in persisting in his refusal To
appear. I simply told them just what
had occurred.
= IF Bancroft thinks that he can fool
F. w. Walker, the engineer we have
engaged. with any such stuff as he Is
quoted as saying. he is mistaken.
Walker is high-class man. who
knows all about electric railroads.
should Bancroft succeed in keep
ing any of these experts away from
the hearings. after their promises 10
me TO come, Walker can get other
men to take their places. although we
would rather have the men who orig
inally did the work He can get the
best men in the country and with the
Bancroft figures and the D. u. r. tes-
timony, those men can put themselves
In position 10 testify in rebuttal with
in a day or two.
81 think that all the distractions
have been put away now and that We
can go ahead and carry out this work
The experts TO whom | talked were
much pleased with the personnel OF
the court. especially with the selection
OF Judge Tayler OF Cleveland as the
third member"
Frederick w. Walker. a member OF
the Comstock. Haigh & Walker Co.
Of Detroit. an engineering firm. is the
engineer chosen TO 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 60 ahead with the hearings next
Monday.
Clyde l. Webster, Paul c. Renaud
and L. G.. Stanley, who visited Bar.
croft's 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.
fetal 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 TO see these men.
Leaders in the committee OF fifty
are convinced that they have secured
a first-class man in Engineer Walker
He graduated as mechanical
engineer in 1895, and entered the en-
ploy 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 1899 he went to the Westing-
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 Bancroft takes the APP
pointment of Walker philosophically.
He regards the statements that his
experts will testify az the appraisal
arbitration as in the nature OF a Joke.
ut is not for them 10 say; they are
my men," he remarked Monday. Il
have been asked 20 take UP a new
piece of work and have refused Even
II we were married 70 this proposed
franchise. there would be no use In
going ahead with this proceeding. 1t
will all have 10 be done over again
later.
The people will reject his fran.
chlse II the city gets something
tangible for consideration il will be
time for man TO start his brains
working. II is dangerous 10 apply a
matter OF valuations TO different cases.
This appraisal may be used for auv
one OF number Of different plans.
II should first be determined which
use IL desired. This arbitration Is
the official act OF no one"
Attorney Webster declares that the
question as TO whether the u " X.
will accept the committee OF fifty fran.
chise Is one that is not involved I'm
the arbitration proceedings That is
up to the common council committee
on franchises.
I'VE have nothing at this time "a
do with the details OF the ordinance 81
he stated sit Is true that IL may be
amended have four or five amend
,nents which | shall ask 90 have con
sidered But the basic principle OF
the ordinance will remain the same
md II is in connection with that that
We wish TO fix the valuation"
Matters of past friction between
Barcroft and members OF the commit
7, tee of fifty are just coming out. one
complaint is that Bancroft, after be
ing engaged only TO appraise the
& nhysical property, spent six weeks In
+ 1xamining franchises end expended
III 400 I'm that way. while Clyde |
X vebster was doing the same work
kndsr the authorization Of the com
+ knittee. -
The Massachusetts plan. which has
<oefl highly commended by Bancroft