The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-12-08
THOMPSON PLAN TIES[HE
\ CITY'S HANDS Thirteen
YEARS, SAYS {. A'BURCH
Member of Breitmeyer Commit
tee of Fifty Is Strongly
Against Mayors Fanchise.
POINTS OUT WEAKNESS.
"Only Possible ESuse Is to Give
d. u. r. BasisFor Future
Bond Isues."

K. A. Burch, wb was a member OF
the sub-committeeon appraisal OF tee
Rreitmeyer committee OF nifty and lis
still deeply Infested in the street
car question, hai given the proposed
Thompson Hally franchise careful
study and find several serious OBJ
)ections to II, ne OF the most seri-
Gus being thaut Is a franchise. In
his opinion. II he city were to grant
this franchiset would be paying a
very dear pre- for an option OF ex-
ceedingly douful value.
'tThe only xcuse for giving the
company an9er franchise is ito give
them a basi for future bond issues
ain order II make necessary extern
sions." saidMr. Bush to The Times.
IF. as thenayor says, the proposed
ordinance, fifth its option to buy, is
tc stand ! lien against the prop
erty andFill take precedence over
all subs$ent bond issues, how is
the ID. UR going TO raise any money
On thosSonds 20 build extensions or
anythinelse? A man would be fool
ish to y bonds under those circum-
s,ances wouldn't he? I'd like to
hear fyh the mayor on that point.
Hes anothed point I'd like to
call b mayors attention to, and
wouldike an answer on 1t. The d.
II RS now building big extension
Of n Third line out Hamilton-blvd.
Ind the proposed franchise the
cityin the event OF purchase. would
hayto pay for this and other extern
siol that have been built recently as
We as those 10 Do built In the future.
atctual cost plus 10 per cent for the
,s of the companys tools and equip
mt. Now, suppose the ordinance
we adopted and the city should
pceed Immediately, under the OPP
IN clause, to acquire the street rail
ay system, the cost Of that work on
amilton boulevard would no doubt
ave an important bearing on the
hiding OF the appraisers. for the d.
T.. r. has laid may miles of such
track in Detroit. Yet | understand
the city Is keeping no tab on that
work and nobody connected with the
civ knows what II s costing, al
though the city may be buying 1t In
0 year or two.
'If YOU owned a pee OF land and
leased II TO another mn with the un-
Outstanding that he vas to erect a
building or the PRIORITY and you
agreed to purchase from him at
the expiration OF thtlease, wouldn't
YOU make II your buAess to find out
what that building cttlhim to erect?
10 YOU didn't you void not be much
q, a business, man. Nov, | give the
r u. r. credit fol. bdng shrewd
enough to make TIT Hmilton-blvd.
iob. under the circustames, just as
exnensiye as Il is ossihls for them
IN make It and none Will be able
"a dispute their cures, either. IL
that's the kind business man
Mavor Thompson | rise to inquire.
is he n safe man thandle such big
rroposition as tn street car settle
apt and are waoing to accept the
ordinance he presses!
4 "If Mayor Thopson wanted to be
foir he would cAe out and urge the
oonncil IN giyehe people a chance
- ,ote ON the iestion OF municipal
,,rarabin alou before submitting
th,s franchise opposition OF his. liz
.ha naonIe vofor municipal owner
shin ard thetis no question as to
,,hsro tho nete stand on this mat
g. ,ot the a build line connect
49, nc caste and western markets,
80 ins,ancekqldp IL with few
paoch. disofstotage battery cars
and give tHpePie niue tasle Vi
real municit o"pership. II th,s en
pertinent pFed success, the -. y.
D would bdead willing to settle or
ssu on alutt an; terms the city pro-
posed. 49,. H.. 81. ID,
nrovides NJ shdtet cut to municipal
ownership d,n'tthink it does any
thing of he KIND. In fact, it means