The Detroit times., 1910-03-26
SLIDING SCALE OF
FARES BEST PLAN
JUDGE TAYLER.
To Give Long Term Franchises at
Arbitrary Rate Is Pure Specula-
ton, Says Cleveland Expert.
JUDGE TAYLER.

L
lem has been made In Cleveland. wai
the principal speaker at the Board o.
Commerce luncheon In the Hotel Cad
lilac. Friday. AS one of the lore
most experts In the country on trac
ton matters. his talk was received
with the greatest interest by the large
assemblage OF public officials and bust
ness men who attended the luncheon
While q United States jurist, Judge
Tayler has had the street railway ques
ton before him In all its phases dur
Ing the 10 years OF struggle in tina
city. IL was while the electric rail
way system was In the hands of re
ceiver that he proposed the "Taylel
plan" as solution. This Is the plar
upon which the committee OF fifty or
dinance Is based.
Strongest OF all the points made by
Judge Tayler was thar no franchise
should be given by any city for tern
OF years 10 street railway company
at a fixed and arbitrary rate OF fare
This he classed as pure speculation
A right and just agreement, he said
must be based upon fair return tt
the investors in the street railway
property and no more. This can bt
provided for only by sliding scale
OF fares such as is now in effect II
Cleveland and Is proposed In the com
mittee of fifty ordinance to be intro
duced In Detroit, he insisted
In introducing Judge Tayler, Presi
dent f. A. Sumner. OF the Board Of
Commerce. took occasion to make
plain the position of his organization
with regard to the street railway ques
ton, one OF his statements being In
the nature Of a criticism of the Whole
sale a. Manufacturers association. He
also referred to the Burrows incident
OF the recent Governors night" say
ing: There was 70 intention to cast
reflection - any public official"
"A most advantageous settlement oil
the street railway problem was pre-
scented TO the city by the terms OF the
Codd ordinance" said Sumner. land
the responsibility for the delay thai
has arisn rests with the majority OF
our citizens who. unfortunately, voted
I against the adoption OF that franchise
The Board Of Commerce has re
Trained as far as possible. from civic
criticism. We have endeavored to co
operate with the officials trying to ge'
results, and our actions have been
quietly taken.
| "The mayors appointment Of com
mittee of fifty TO consider this question
was a wise action. These gentlemen
have freely given great amount OF
/ their time to throw light on this vexec
question. We will refrain from inter
fering In the matter until IL is evident
that the question Is not receiving prop
er attention We do not propose to
| butt In until our assistance is neces
sary."
There were ESQ business men pres
ent IT the luncheon. AT the speakers
table sat Judge Tayler. +. A. Sumner
A. +. Larned. Mayor Breitmeyer. Fred
erick T. Bancroft. Frank w. Eddy, Geo
| T. Moody, Or. j. II. Carstens. Clyde !
| Webster. and others. A large number
of the aldermen were present.
Judge Tayler Is a small. wfry and
notwithstanding man. Before the
! luncheon an informal reception was
given In his honor When he was In
troduced as the man with plan. he
received hearty applause.
| blessed Is the peacefnaker. for he
shall he damned" said Judge Tayier
referring 10 the variety OF comments
made on the new Cleveland traction
settlement plan, Of which he is the
author.
! lie spoke of the troubles he had
had IN arbitratinS the tangles that had
TO be solved in carrying out the details
OF the plan he had proposed. He had
to spend 10 weeks In hearing testi
mony as 20 whether the traction prop
| crty should be valued at $50 100000 or
Sill 100000
Il had a terrible internecine strife
which affected every person in the
community before me as Judge" he
said. The questions as to property
light were very numerous and very
difficult. They were all turned over tC
me when I put the Cleveland electric
railways In the hands OF receiver in
1908. | was appalled, at the extent o'
the litigation. Therefore, | made Ell
settle.
when | found II necessary to put
into effect the franchise rate OF fare
three-cent fares having previously
been In effect found that on a part
Of the system there was rate of IL
tickets for so cents and on another
part OF Scent fares
| The speaker declared that the plar
he then came out for he considered
righteous plan FOR a uniform fare
| me element of speculation and uncef
tainty had first 10 be eliminated.
There is nothing SO certain as TIL;
business than a street railway vii
10. he said.
The two fundamental facts, he SAID
we're that the streets belong to the
community, end that those who use
| the streets for traction purposes
should be assured of safe return
upon their investment Heretofore, in
estors had had TO recompense them
selves for the risk or their investment
by demanding u rate of fare thai
would bring IN more than 5 or
per cent ytturn.
"A fair return and no more upor
the investment" ne gave as his motto
I'VE hear a great deal about three
cent fares and that franchise should
be given for 10 or rs or 80 years n
tnree-cent OF five-cent or some othe'
arbitrary rate OF fare. Just as IL any
one could go into any proposition %
that kind except as a speculative one
He declared trat IL is as sensible
for city 10 give a % or 30-year fran
chise at a given rate of fare as II
would be for blast furnace owner Il
contract for his iron ore for 20 yearf
in advance.
IF 1t he true, as Edison says, thai
cars are 10 be operated In future aJ
storage batteries at low cost. hoH
I