The Detroit times., 1910-06-03
MAYOR WILL PUT
TRACTION MATTER
UP TO COUNCIL
Aldermen Will Likely Be Asked To
Take Up Settlement Plans Where
Fifty" Is Compelled To
N Abandon Them.
Breitmeyer, Chairman Eddy and At
torney Webster Engage in Long
Conference on Middle.

Mayor Breitmeyer will send q
communication TO the common coun-
Gil next Tuesday evening with regard
TO the street railway question. Al
though he will not at this time dis
close the nature OF his message, IL Is
regarded as not improbable that he
will ask the council to take up the
work OF the committee OF fifty where
that body has had TO leave OF with
. II.
Theirs was a conference In the
mayors office, Thursday morning. at
which Mayor Breitmeyer discussed
the situation with Chairman Frank
W. Eddy OF the committee OF fifty,
and Attorney Clyde I. Webster. These
three were appointed special COM
mittee by the executive committee or
the fifty" some time ago when the
arbitration proceedings were stopped
owing to the discovery that the Bar
croft report could not be used as q
basis for q valuation OF the ID. u. r.
physical property except with the CO.
operation of Engineer Frederick T.
Bancroft.
At that time II was decided that,
to go ahead with the work. in the
absence of Bancroft, II would be
necessary for a complete reappraisal
to be made by Frederick T. Walker
the 'fyty's" and other engineers. A
number of alternative plans were
considered but none adopted.
II Is possible that Bancroft might
be willing to act were the arbitra-
ton proceedings to take place under
the auspices OF the council. II he
were not willing to do this. the re-
naih 10 leo
whatever else may be necessary to
60 ahead toward a settlement would
lie with the council.
There will be nothing given out
with regard to this communication un.
I'll Monday. at the earliest. and pos.
sibly nothing until 1t Is read in the
council meeting" stated Mayor Brett.
meyer. Thursday noon.
The mayor and his advisers are
convinced that It will not do to have
the committee of fifty traction ordi-
nance submitted to an advisory vote
OF the people without the valuation
Included. The time is growing short
for the making OF reappraisal as a
basis for arbitration. 1t Is possible
that the whole matter may be put up
to the council
Friday the committee on charter
and city legislation will meet to dis.
cuss Aid Fields municipal owner.
ship charter amendpent. II this is
adopted, II will be submitted as n
substitute for the George William
Moore plan which has already been
put in line of submission by means OF
initiative petitions. The Field amend
ment differs from that of Moore In
that II provides for the appointment,
instead OF election. of commissions
and provides that the street railway
commissioners be bonded and their
accounts controlled and audited the
same as those of the city depart
ments. with the exception of the
water board. now are. 1t does not
make the purchase OF the lines com.
pulsory. as does the Moore plan.
Il am for municipal ownership, but
am against the Moore plan" de-
ciares Aid. Trevor. chairman of the
charter and city legislation commit
tee. ut Is no good. That plan re-
quires that commissioners be elected
every two years, thus throwing the
commission into politics constantly.
"Once the commissioners have hold
they are given absolute power II
Is made mandatory that the council
authorize bonds of the value of one
per cent Of the city's assessed valua.
ton and the commissioners have the
handling of this fund and OF millions
to be realized from the sale of other
street railway bonds without any
check or hindrance. They may make
any kind OF contracts they wish,
spend money as they please, run
things absolutely without the control
Of the mayor, council or other city
officers. They are to give no bond
and no provision is made for even
auditing their books.
1t might be that the street rail
way commission would be run honest
ly under these circumstances. but
there Is no guarantee of 1t and no
provision to guard the city against
dishonesty in the Moore plan
The negotiations between the coun-
ell and the Michigan United railways
for the entrance OF the latter into tho
city are at halt temporarily. Attor-
ney Sanford w. Laid, general couE-
sci for the NJ. u. r., went to Jackson,
Wednesday, to consult some Of the OFF,
GERS OF that system. Il Is likely
that an answer will be given to the
franchises committee of the council
soon with regard to the Gutman COM
Lromise plan by which the NJ. u. z.
would build line either on Livernois
and Michigan-ayes or on Warren and
Junction-aves and FOREST west, and
give the city an option to purchase T.,
but with the proviso that the NJ. u. r.
interurbans be allowed to enter the
city at an equitable rental.
Clyde !. Webster will not appear In
the debate on municipal ownership
before the Stadtverband Detroit, in
Turner hall, Friday evening. He has
promised to attend the Taft banquet
and cannot make the two affairs in
the same evening. This will leave
DR.. ]. Fl. Carstens as the sole oppon-
emit OF municipal ownership In the de-
bate.