The Detroit times., 1911-10-23

able TO get pretty fair idea OF what
the company was earning per pas
senger This gave him something
tangible to work on, and, after that
the conference began to produce
some real results.
Earlier In the proceedings, a
proposition to sell the railway to
the city was discussed, and this
brought up the question of valua-
tion. Mayor Thompson called a
halt
Cant String Me- Said Thompson
you can't string me along for a
year or two on valuations" he said
You're only giving us a stall"
The conferes at length got down
to a discussion OF the question OF
fares. The company was asked to
make a tabulation of rates OF fare,
including every rate they had ever
heard OF. In compliance with this
request, Messrs. Hutchins and
Brooks later submitted 29 tables
which gave the mayor and his ad-
visors something to ponder over for
several weeks. They compared the
figures with the reports TO the inter
state commerce commission and they
went over them with du Pont, with
the result that they discovered a
number of flaws. 1t was during
this discussion that the mayor made
definite statement Of what his
proposition was to be-
At the very outset, as before in
dicated, the mayor made it plain
that he could not be party to any
agreement that did not provide for a
municipal ownership option, as he
proposed to keep faith with the peo-
lple. After several meetings the
company agreed on these conditions
That the company be given a 30
: year franchise, with rate Of seven
tickets FOR a quarter and penny
FOR a transfer on ticket; that the
company be exempt from taxes or
that the city pay it $15O,0OO per
year, and that the ordinance should
not take effect until one year after
its approval by the people.
IL was then that the mayor came
forward with his familiar proposition
oil three-cent fares. That was about
the middle OF May. The company in.
sisted that fiat three-cent fare was
out or the question, but suggested that
the city's representatives select. from
the tables submitted, the rates OF fare
that most appealed to them. Three
were chosen One called for three.
cent fares and a penny for n trans.
Ter; another. eight for quarter
transfers to be given only on the pay.
ment of nickel fare, and the third
was the proposition that has finally
been accepted, based on the Detroit
Railway ordinance.
The company, however, was he
first to suggest giving service on the
basis of that ordinance, but its origin.
inal proposition had ay number OF
strings to It, The company among
other things, wanted free taxes. n
also offered to keep its tracks in re.
pair at the city's expense, stipulated
sum for this purpose TO be liked In the
ordinance. The mayor offered s1OO,.
900. but later withdrew the offer on
Mr.. DuPonts advice The company
agreed TO give eight tickets for a quar-.
ter from a. m. to s p. m. a
straight nickel fare to prevail after
that hour.
D. v. RS Loss 81, 100000 Year
The city's representatives hammer.
ed away on the fare proposition and
extended the time first TO d. m. and
then TO p. m, standard time. The
company also agreed to give SIX
tickets for a quarter after 8 O'Clock.
Messrs. Brooks and Hutchins, how.
ever, produced figures TO shown that
these rates OF fare would result in an
annual loss TO the company OF s1.3O0..
0Oe. based on the number OF passen-
gers carried in 1910.
What will you give us In return ?"
they asked. Or. as one OF the negoti-
ators fdcetiously put IL:
What is the 'squidgulum' (mean.
ing 'equivalentD
The mayor took out his pencil and
did a little figuring He estimated
tnat Il was worth $500, 900 year 10
the company, in the financial world,
TO be at peace with the city; that the
privilege OF having a terminal for its
interuTban lines was worth $500, 900 |;
that the company could save 100000
a year in lawyers fees by ending liti-
cation, that the increased business
under a three-cent fare would amount
to 100000 a year He also pointed
out that. when the franchises expired
on Grand Rtver.ave., In 1916. the rent
al would be $1,000 per day instead OF
$500, as at present, or s365.000 per
year. and the new franchise would
wipe out the rental. These items
totaled up sl.35O, 600, and the com
pany accepted the equivalent.
But the question of fares was not
settled -itf-et.t-fneeting. or half a
dozen meetings The negotiators
would talk rates until they were al
most blue I'm the face. and would get
nowhere Then they would take up
another phase of the question and.
after wrestling with that awhile,
would get back TO the big question. II
was not until three weeks ago that
the minds met on this point The
going, since then, has been compare
lively easy.
1t was while the equivalent was