The Detroit times., 1911-10-23
MAYOR THOMPSON.


lines, where the streets are improved.
Where the street is paved, the obllga-
ton TO build new foundations rests
on the company.
What Mr.. du Pont regards as the
most important section In the whole
agreement is that which provides that,
IL any part of the ordinance is de-
clared void, the whole ordinance is
invalid. This clause has a most i'm
portant bearing on the municipal
ownership provisions OF the plan. un-
der II, IL the company, tor instance,
should attempt TO nullify the option
clause and should succeed, 1t would,
at the same time, lose all its rights
under the franchise. This being true,
il is hardly probable that the COM
pany would make any such move.
Will End Litigation.
Aside from the advantageous fea-
lures OF the ordinance itself, its adop-
tion would have some very beneficial
results. II would put an end TO the
litigation that has been dragging its
weary way through the local and fed
eral courts for years, at great ex-
pense TO both the city and the COM
pany, and wipe the slate clean. In
signing the agreement, however,
neither side has relinquished any or
the legal rights II now holds. Should
the plan fail the parties Will be in ex-
actly the same position, from a legal
standpoint. that they are in today.
The extension program OF the
Thompson plan is pronounced by Mr..
du Pont the most elaborate he has
ever seen, and itmeans much TO the in
dustrial welfare of Detroit The COM
pany, as already indicated, agrees TO
build a north and south crosstown
line in the west end and new east
and west crosstown line somewhere
between Bagg and Highst. next year.
And every year thereafter 1t viii be
required to extend its lines at the
rate OF not less than an average OF D
per cent OF the then existing track
age. the routes to be designated by
the council. The council, IL IL sees
At. can skip a year and compel the
company 10 double UP on the exten-
sions the following year.
The company also agrees to estab-
lish, next year, such new routes as
may be necessary TO accommodate
the traffic TO and from the new Mich
igan Central station; 10 pave between
the tracks as far as Dearbornave,
on West Jefferson-ave., in old Delray,
and TO pave between the tracks on
Jefferson in the Fairview district.
The proposed ordinance also calls for
n single fare to the city limits as they
have been extended, in every direc-
ton. At present, the company Is
charging an extra fare on Jefferson,
beyond the ear barns, except during
the hours when workingmeni tickets
are good and also on Grand River,
beyond the Boulevard. The ordin-
ance. of course, will do away with the
necessity for 'workingmen's tickets.
Negotiations Began In March.
The negotiations that resulted in
the formulation of the Thompson
plan began last March, and they
came about in this way. ]. c. Don
nelly, of Brennan. Donnelly & Van
De Mark, attorneys for the Detroit
United railway, in a conversation
with Judge William +. Connolly. OF
the recorders court, remarked that
there might be a possibility OF set
Ting the differences between the
city and the company. and he added:
What would the mayor think
about it?"
Judge Connolly conveyed this in
formation to the mayor. and the lat
ter, on April 5, sent a>letter to Jere
c. Hutchins, president OF the D. Y.
r., with reference TO the conversa-
I,td 81
Mr.. Donnelly. The next day the
mayor received Mr. Hutchins reply,
I'm which he expressed his willing
ness to confer with his honor on the
proposition. Accordingly, the first
conference was arranged for April
10, in Mr.. Donnelly's office, and from
that time until the present. except
when Corporation Counsel Hally was
on a vacation trip in the northwest,
there have been from two TO three
conferences per week. on an average.
There were present in the first and
all subsequent meetings, Mayor
Thompson and Mr. Hally. represent
ing the city Jere- e Hutehins- pres
ident. and Frank w Brooks. general
manager OF the ID. L. r.. and Attor-
ney Donueiiy.
Not p word Of what was going on
was allowed TO reach the public. lest
premature publication knock the
plans in the head Not even the
municipal reporters were let into the
secret and they. noting the mayors
continued absence from the executive
Office during business hours. began
to suspect that the mayor was loaf
ing on the Job.
The first 10 meetings. covering n
period Of about three weeks, were de-
voted mostly TO general talk. Each
side was sparring for an opening
and waiting for the other TO make a
definite proposition. They soon got
down TO brass tacks," however. af-
ter the mayor had consulted with
Mr.. Du Pont.+A Then the mayor sent.
down TO Washington for copies OF
the last two reports made By The
company to the Interstate commerce
commission and from these he was