The Detroit times., 1911-10-23
CITY OWNERSHIP IS
THE GOAL AIMED At,
DECLARES MAYOR
Proposed Settlement Plan Most
Feasible For Bringing This
About, He Says.
NEITHER HE NOR d. u. R.
WILL URGE ORDINANCE
Wants People Left Free To
Judge Merits of the
Agreement.

Mayor Thompson has given out the
following statement relative TO the
proposed settlement of the street car
question:
The primary purpose OF this tenta'
tive settlement Is 10 enable the city
TO own and operate Its own street
railway system. This purpose is &C
compitshed under the right guaran'
teed TO the city to purchase the en-
tire street railway system within the
city limits at any time upon six
months notice.
While much has been said about the
desirability OF municipal ownership,
little or nothin. has been said by way
OF practical suggestion As 10 its
achievement Ia this city. Municipal
ownership OF the street railway sys-
TEN can be accomplished in Detroit in
three ways: BY litigation, by paral.
lei construction, by purchase
I'm other words, in order TO get pos
session OF the street railway system,
We must either litigate build or buy.
Let us consider the comparative feas-
itifity OF these three plans.
by litigation | mean that the city
shall attempt 10 enforce a right OF
eminent domain over the property OF
the Detroit United Railway in con.
lemnation proceedings. Ii is appar.
ent that such a law suit would be
fought through To the United States
supreme court. IL is also apparent
that the question OF the public neces-
sity for condemning the property OF
the railway would be a close one As
haa rfo oh Of ain 70
be exercised by the state upon a show
ing OF public necessity for the taking
or private property, the ultimate nut
come OF the condemnation proceed
ings would be doubtful. The state
cannot take private property merely
because IL is profitable or advant-
(. ageous To do so; and, undoubtedly. 1t
would be claimed on behalf OF the
street railway company that, as ii was
rendering the transportation service
required by the public, the state, in
condemning Its property, would be in
spired, not by any public necessity,
but bs considerations Of profit and ad-
vantage. At its best. therefore, the
litigation route to municipal owner
ship Is long-drawn-out and tedious,
and. to say the very least, uncertain,
"Another way in which The munici-
pality could embark in the street rail-
way business would be to build lines
parallel to those already in existence
II goes without saying that We need
street car service. When the men
went out on a strike last month. and
street car service was suspended, cur
Industries were temporarily paralyzed
because their thousands OF employees
could not get from their homes TO
their work. Assuming, therefore, that
street car service is a commercial Le-
cessity, II Is apparent that IL would
not be prudent to drive the street cars
from the streets and tear up the
tracks Of the company, because this
would involve suspension OF service
with the consequent paralysis OF COM
merce and industry that would neces.
sarily follow
ITO embark in the municipal owner
ship OF street railway system by
construction, therefore We would
have to build alongside Of the D. U. r.
lines. or else on contiguous parallel
streets. II would hardly be practic-
able TO butfd alongside OF the d. q. I.
tracks on such main arteries of track
as JeEerson-ave Woodward-ave.,
Michigan-ave. and Gratiot-ave.. as all
OF the space outside OF the car tracks
Is now needed for the congested travel
and vehicles incident TO the tremend-
Gus growth Of our city When u
comes TO building parallel lines on
streets contiguous 10 the ID. IT, r.
lines, two objections Immediately pre-.
sent themselves first. that residents
upon the contiguous streets would OBJ
tect strenuously TO having their streets
torn up for duplicate street car
system; secondly, tn number OF avail
able duplicate streets with proper adj
yantages Is comparatively limited. We
might, for example. run the Jefferson
ave. line out Larned-st. for a certain
distance. We might run the Wood
ward-ave. line up John X. or Casssts. |
] don't know just where we could run
the Michigan-ave. line in way TO be
convenient TO the travelling public, and
the same Is true Of the Gratiot and
Grand River-ave lines. am afraid
that n We attempted such a program.
A would result In a maEe-shift system.
no. conducive to the best interests
and needs OF the travelling public.
The Purchase Plan.
The third method is by purchase.
This method Is the most direct route
20 municipal ownership, provided
the Detroit United railway is willing
to sell its property at a fair price.
Up TO this time we have been unable
20 make bargain with the railway
for its property. because II takes two
people TO make bargain, and the
ID. Y. r.. would not deal. But, under
the tentative plan OF settlement. the
company agrees to deliver to US. free
and clear. its entire property within
the city limits at any time when we
give them six months notice that II
II our intention TO acquire II.
THE only other question involved