The Detroit times., 1910-03-23
SAYS ORDINANCE
MEANS LOW FARE
DR.. Carstens Discusses "Fifty's" Set
Element Before Wholesalers -
Clyde Webster Speaks, Too.

IF you want a settlement OF the
street car question, work for 1t.
This was the message which DR.. j.
H. Carstens, of the committee OF fifty,
gave to nearly hundred members OF
the Wholesalers & Manufacturers
association at their MONDAY luncheon
In the Hotel Cadillac Wednesday.
Frank II. Conant, vice-chairman of
the fifty" presided. and the two prin-
cipal speakers were Dr. Carstens and
Clyde /. Webster. who drew up the
committee OF fifty ordinance.
do you want settlement or the
street railway question In the city or
Detroit?:. was DR.. Carstens' beginning.
In response to many cries of assent,
he went on. Then go TO work. Work
as the committee OF fifty did
Carstens declared that no fifty bet
ter men In the city OF Detroit,t taken AS
whole, could be found than those
chosen by Mayor Breitmeyer
Five or six years ago. people used
TO come here and say that we had the
best street car system In the country"
continued DR.. Carstens. 1T is not so
now They say our system is bad"
The reason Is that nothing has
been done for Improvement. In 10
years not a mile of new track has
been laid, yet the population of the
city has doubled in that time. IL is a
bad situation, and the committee has
given particular care to extensions"
The speaker went on to explain the
plan OF extensions and then reverted
TO the fare question, saying that the
sliding scale plan had been chosen In.
stead OF a fat rate so as TO get tho
cheapest rate possible at all times.
While he himself believes that three
cent fare would pay now. the many ex-
tensions to be made complicate the sit
uation so that no one can guarantee
whether II would pay In year.
DR.. Carstens expressed his own be-
lief that the rate Of eight tickets for
quarter would never be lowered, and
he called attention to the fact that,
even if a higher rate had to be used
temporarily, the increase OF the work
ingmen's hours to five hours a day
would still be great benefit to the
laboring population.
DR.. Carstens argued for a fve-men
commission instead of single street
railway commissioner. He then went
on TO discuss municipal ownership,
saving that the municipal ownership
plan also called for commission. He
drew other lkenesses between the
two plans
He argued that the ID. u. RS fu-
ture expense would be cut down by
the replacing with new track and cars
of old equipment which now costs n
big sum annually to repair and which
has simply been patched together TO
last until settlement is had. The In
PRODUCTION of pay-enter cars will also
increase receipts by 10 to 10 per cent,
he said. and the great growth OF the
CITY will be another guarantee or per-
manent low fares under the commit
tee of fifty plan. With regard to the
Bancroft appraisal. he insisted that
million more or less would not make
any great difference.
Clyde I. Webster was introduced as
"the man OF the hour" He thanked
the association for adopting resolu-
tions favoring an immediate settlement.
hui told them that they should not
indorse the committee OF fifty plan un-
| I'll after Il has been passed by the
| council That ordinance may be
amended in many ways before 1t is
PASSED. he said. and he added that the
committee invites suggestions for Inn
provement.
There is no high-nown language In
| this ordinance" he said. There is
nothing capable of two meanings. IL
IA lust plain business settlement In
plain words"
He then urged the members OF the
association. knowing the need OF an
immediate settlement, TO see that the
ordinance Is fairly presented to the
people OF the city. For this purpose
he suggested that they call their EN-
ployes together in meetings. assuring
them that speakers would be provided
to explain the provisions of the ordi
nance and what Il would do for the
city and the people.