The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-01-05
OUR Gan l[Fl1
TO REDUCE FIn|
SAYS HUTCH|hs


"Fifty's" Report Finally Pnrchassi
and Mayor Urges Haste in Opsnine
Negotiations for Settlement.
Detroit will not get any lower fnror
on the present five-cent lines until
permanent settlement Is reached be-
tween the city and the Detroit United
Railway.
This is the message OF President
Jere c. Hutchins In letter. to Mayor
breitmeyer, which the latter sent 60
the council, Tuesday evening. Pres
ident Hutchins will repeat his ulti-
matum to the aldermen Of the fran
chises and ways and means commit
tees Wednesday afternoon.
This position Of the street railway
company has caused Mayor Brett
meyer to put spurs to the council 10
hasten negotiations for a permanent
settlement. The committee Of ffty'
report was purchased Tuesday night
by the council. by a. vote of 20 to Is.
and arrangements made for print
ing II.
Present plans are to begin public
hearings as soon az possible. Tho
new franchises and public utilities
committees will be announced next
Tuesday night and II will be their.
duty to begin consideration immed-
lately.
Mayor Breitmeyer's annual nessaee.
which will be read next week. win
deal At length with the street rail-
way problem, reviewing the work of
the committee of fifty I'm gatheriux
data and recommending that that
body be consulted In drawing up d
final settlement plan. The mayor win
tell the aldermen that they now havc
data to work upon and
assure them OF his cooperation in Sc
curing speedy settlement on basis
OF lower fares.
At the same time that franchise
plans are being discussed, the quee-
ton OF municipal ownership viii be
taken up. Tuesday night the council
referred the matter of a vote On
charter amendment for municipal
ownership to the new committee on
charter and city legislation. II that
committee reports speedily, char
ter amendment can be submitted to
the people by the latter part or April.
BY submitting the question 81
municipal ownership first, the situs-
ton would he cleared. III three-ffths
OF the electors desire municipal own
ership, there IN no use OF submittfnx
a franchise; II not. some sort OF work
Ing agreement or franchise must be
arranged for.
Jere C. Hutchins' reasons for not
lowering fares temporarily il that ali
the surplus income OF the road at the
present time Is going into new cars
and equipment; that this need for Inn
provements is pressing and requires
all the surplus at the present rate OF
fare. and that additions and improve
ments in the equipment and service
are the things to be first attended to-
Building of new trackage In Harp
crave. Forest-ave. east. Grandy-ave..
and Hamilton boulevard. would still
further draw upon the ID. L. r. rev.
enues for the required new equipment,
he says.
Mayor Breitmeyer wrote to Presi-
dent Hutchins. Dec. 2S. setting forth
the fact that the ID. U. r. had not &C.
cepted the Glinnan-Nichols low fare
resolution and that some other plan
OF temporary arrangement seemed
exigent. The mayor declared that .
daily rental paid to the city by the
street railway company was not the
fairest method Of temporary settle
ment, since the benefit came to all the
taxpayers indirectly and not to the
body OF street car patrons directly.
Hutchins' reply is as follows:
Your desire to obtain for the
people OF the city every possible
advantage Is quite fully under
stood. We most heartily share
that desire with you. Let me adj
wise YOU OF our situation and OF
the efforts We are making:
The city of Detroit ranks I'm pop
ulation the eighth or ninth of our
American cities. Its present ra-
ito OF growth in population and I'm
industrial activities is probably
greater than that of any other
American city. The average rate
OF fare now I'm effect I'm Detroit
is below the rate in effect I'm any
other of these cities. Every doiar
OF this company's income. whether
derived from the addition OF new
capital or from It's earnings, Is
now being applied. and for a long
time past has been applied. tn he
maintenance and extension OF it,
service TO meet the growth OF the
city. We have added this year 80
new cars to our equipent, along
with all OF the appurtenances nee
essary for the operation OF the
same. 1t Is very necessary that
certain double-tracking. TO which
your attention has been called.
shall be done. and II will be nee
@ essary during the coming year to
supply many additional cars and
much additional equipment. All
OF the company's resources are
now being used for such purposes
There Is now under way an In
ycstigation, as inaugurated BY
Yourself through the COMMITTEES OF
0fty. which should show the exncf
status OF this company respecting
its capitalization its earnings and
its expenses. so that all fof these
matters may be dealt with from
the staudaolnt OF actual facts IL
would seem to me that under
these circumstances II would be
wise In the city TO let our reve-
nues and credit alone until the re-
suits Of this Investigation are
made manifest.
yoh Prsnsssu aese right. Tlmes
PrinsinE Co.. rs John R.-st. Call Main
l49s. or City SSte.