The Detroit times., 1910-01-06
CONCESSION ASKED
ON W0RKfNGMEN's
TICKETS
Universal Transfers and Building
Of Needed Extensions Constitute
Aldermen's Program for Tenn
porary Settlement of Problem.
Hutchins and Brooks Listen To Prop.
osition and Will Answer Soon
Koenig Fails To Break Into Con-
ference.

A long step toward q temporary
agreement as 10 street railway con-
dItions was made in the conference
IN Corporation Counsel Hally's office.
Wednesday Afternoon, between Presi-
dent Jere G. Hutchins and General
Manager F. w. Brooks, Of the De-
'troit United railwdy, and Aid. HAPPIER,
Gilman. Allen. Watson, owen, link.
Shapland. Korte. Theisen and Tossy.
representing the committees on fran
chises and ways and means.
The ID. U. X. will build several much
needed extensions OF lines this sum-
mer. without franchise. and 1t will
consider formulating a plan for uni
.versal transfers on workingmen's
tickets during the workingmen s
hours. The alternative on the city's
part Is to start litigation in the courts
by increasing the daily rental charged
the ID u. r.
Another meeting will be held with
In shore time at which more definite
conclusions will be reached. No re-
duction in fare on the present five
cent lines will be made until per-
nanent settlement Is reached. This
was told to the aldermen by Hutchins,
Wednesday afternoon, as he had told
IL to the mayor previously.
I'VE cannot bufld these extensions
by the sale of bonds unless we have
a franchise for them; therefore we
must build them out OF our earnings;
10 produce the earnings, We must keep
the rate Of fare as IL Is for the time
being" that was the philosophy or the
ID. u. r. position as explained by It's
president.
Most OF the aldermen present
agreed that street railway extensions
are vitality needed by the city on ac-
count OF it's rapid growth. They men
toned the Chene. Harper. Mack and
MYRTLE lines as requiring double-track-
ing or looping. They also wanted two
new lines, one an extension OF the
Third line out Hamilton boulevard,
and the other a north and south cross
town line, to be an extension or the
present Cross-town line and to run on
Iunction-ave and some parallel street.
The Harper line Is. and the Juntion-
ave. line would be. three-cent line.
President Hutchins was not sure
that all these lines could be built
this summer, but promised TO report
hack TO the aldermen soon. He was
trifie dubious about the proposal
nj an interchangeable workingmen'S
ticket or universal transfers on work
ingmen's tickets. This would result
"a q decrease In d. u. r. revenues.
and he stated that he would have 10
defer his answer.
AT present a man paying his rare
on the Fort-st car with greet eight
for-a-uuarter ticket during working
mems hours cannot transfer TO any
other five.cent line and vice versa.
Neither can a patron OF the three.
cent lines transfer to the WOODWARD
or other five-cent lines during work
ingmen's hours on three-cent ticket.
That means q great many nickel fares
are paid for the transfer privilege.
IL the D. u. r. accepts this PROPOSE
ton, Il will mean that passenger
raging his fare on any line between
) and $50 in the morning and 4:45
ad 5:45 in the afternoon with an
eight-for-a-quarter ticket can get
transfer TO an yother line.
Aid. Gilman tried TO get President
Hutchins to discuss a rate OF eight
tickets for g quarter. but the latter
smiled and kept still.
will you consider any rate or
fare less than five cents?" inquired
Gilman, referring to the five-cent
lines on which portions OF the fran
ehise have expired.
1--WE already have an, average rate
OF fare less than that" parted the
d. u. r. head.
When the talk Of extensions came.
Aid Gilman tried to get In with n
plan To have the Springwells plug
line coupled onto the present Cross
town line. He was the only one pres
ent who favored any such real. the
other aldermen declaring that a new
west side north and south line ought
70 run directly through to West JEFF
ferson-ave. Then Gilman began to
show signs of opposition TO the form
ulating OF any plan.
The extensions OF lines mentioned
we're all voted on once and rejected.
Since then the city has grown so rap
idly that they are much more neces-
sary than they were when the spe-
cial election was held. IL Is also the
fact that the decision regarding them
must be made soon unless their build
ing Is to go over until 1911 orders
for track parts having to be made
With the steel mills six months be-
fore delivery can be expected.
The aldermen who favor the extern
sions say that the street railway ques-
ton should be settled by the time that
the new lines are butt. No new fran
chise righs are involved In their con
struction. and the growth In taxable
valuations would be immense. Prac-
tically every householder in the Ham
lIton.boulevard district has signed
letition for the building OF that line.
II is claimed that It's construction
would resul In the building Of hundreds
of new homes, and the increase OF the
assessed valuations In the Fourth and
sixth wards by several millions of
dollars.
'.If the Forest.ave. east line goes
through, II will mean that lots which
are now worth s275 In the Seventeenth
ward will be worth $780," stated Aid
Korte Wednesday after the conference
In spite of the fact that the atti.
tudes OF the aldermen and the ID. T.
r. had both been made public before
the conference, Corporation Counsel