The Detroit times., 1910-06-14
FIFTY ORDINANCE
NOT ACCEPTABLE
TO D. j. R.
Hutchins Approves Cardinal Princi-
pie, But Declares Measure, With
Bancroft Appraisal as Basis; Would
Be Unfair To Company. t.
Says Company Is Averse To Entering
Into Long Term Contract Because Of
Rapidly Changing Conditions.

President Jere c. Hutchins. OF the
Detroit United railway. submitted to
Mayor Breitmeyer, Monday afternoon
reply to the mayors open letter oil
a week ago, asking IL the company
would accept the Webster franchise
with the Bancroft valuation written
In. AS expected, Mr.. Hutchins' an
swer Is an emphatic negative. and at
great length he explains just why the
ordinance Is not acceptable to the d.
u. r. on those terms. The cardinal
principle OF the ordinance Is approved
hut Mr.. Hutchins reiterates state
ment made by General Manager
Brooks several weeks ago, during the
negotiations with the motormen and
conductors on the wage question, that
the company Is averse to entering In
TO any long term contract. owing to
rapidly changing conditions In the
city.
In Mr.. Hutchins' opinion, there
should be no fixed term franchise at
all. Both the company and the city,
he contends, should have the right at
any time, when conditions have chang
ed. to appeal to some competent
tribunal TO change the rate OF fare In
accordance with the changed condi-
tons.
There are only two questions 10 be
solved, in Mr. Hutchins' opinion.
These he states as follows: WHO
shall operate the street car system.
and how shall IL be operated?" In
this connection he says:
II goes without saying that we
desire TO continue the operation
OF the system IL II can be done on
reasonable terms and conditions.
II is equally true that the public
desires and has right to have the
best terms and conditions possible
under which the system is TO be
operated. On these two questions
the Detroit United Railway stands
ready at all times TO meet the peo-
pie or their representatives In eff
forts to solve these questions
fairly for both parties.
The average rates OF fare now
, charged on any OF the lines In this
!, city are below those in effect else
"a where In the world. And so IT
would seem, I'm fact we all know,
that the immediate necessity which
confronts us all I'm this rapidly
growing city Is the extension or
railway lines into those portions
OF the city not now served, and
the construction of such tracks
and loops as will sensibly relieve
much OF the present congestion OF
traffic. In this particular we are
now adding cars and power anu
are arranging for the construction
OF some trackage involving an ex-
penditure exceeding one and one
half millions of dollars, which
sum or larger amount we hope
TO provide this year.
"But I wish again to emphasize
the fact that no step toward an
entire reimbursement can be intel
igently taken until the fair value
OF cur property Is ascertained
and made known TO the public,
together with information as to
what Ii costs under economical
management to carry passengers.
And to that end | most earnestly
hope that means will be found to
complete the patriotic work Of
your committee OF fifty"
With reference TO the Bancroft ap-
praisal. Mr.. Hutchine declares that
The company did all in its power to
and Engineer Bancroft In arriving at
a Dir valuation OF its properties, and
although inquiries were made from
time to time as to what was being
done with the data furnished. the
company. he says, received nothing
but promises that II would be given
q hearing at the proper time. That
time. however. never came. The let
ter continues:
From as careful an examination
as we have been able to make OF
this so-called appraisal. we are
able to state that II has omitted
bodily from consideration at all
millions OF dollars Of our property
used In the city service. 1t gives
no method of procedure. nor does
II furnish any means whatever OF
ascertaining how the appraise-
ment was made. nor does II give
the reports Of his assistants from
which TO check up Mr.. Barcroft's
own conclusions. Neither does 1t
point out any errors or mistakes
of our own appraisal. All We do
know is that the total stated by
Mr.. Bancroft is a gross underval-
nation Of our property, and, IL the
board of directors OF the Detroit
United railway should accept 1t
as q basis of an ordinance. they
would betray the trust imposed
upo nthem | am, therefore,
obliged to say that for these rea-
sons among many others neither
the Bancroft figures nor an or
dinance with those figures written
into Il can be accepted.
Mr.. Bancroft has admitted he re
ceived considerable data from the ID
u. r., but he has explained that h'
did not want data furnished In this
way. What he tried to secure from
the outset. he d, ,lares, was an op
portunity TO sec re this data by &
personal Inspec, on of the company:
books and recoi DIS, which. he has re
reatedly stated. was denied.
30, A self-dumping barge which hal