The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-06-07

ST., where the company's franchises
have expired. This ratification was
required by the circuit court judges
now sitting on the case, before they
would proceed to determine the queS
ton OF the right OF the city 10 order
the company on the street In case OF
refusal TO pay the rental.
Corportion Counsel Hally did not
decide whether he wished the reso'
luton introduced. until late In the
council meeting. as such resolution
would, lin a way. involve the right
OF the corporation counsel 10 bring
any legal action without consent OF
the council. He finally handed IL to
Aid. Ellis, who asked that II be adopt
ed Immediately. The council, however
voted to refer IL. The resolution was
so framed az to avoid the dilemma
feared by the corporation counsel
stating that the common council did
not contend that 1t was within It's
province and outside that OF the cor
poration counsel to determine wha;
suits shall be launched on behalf OF
the city, or the form In which such
suits shall be Instituted.
The other odd act OF the council
was to vote to reconsider the resolu.
ton denying a franchise to Joseph
w. Martin to bring West Virginia
gas into Detroit After the PROPOSE.
ton had been before the committed
on franchises for weeks, and Martin
had persistently refused to reveal the
names Of the parties behind the pro
ject, the committee recommended the
denial Of his petition. The resolution
received only one dissenting vote, that
of Aid <Tossy. who said that some.
thing ought to be done to break the
monopoly now enjoyed by the Detroit
City Gas Co. Aid. Tossy did not put
In minority report, however. and the
recommendation of the committee was
adopted.
When Aid. Tossy moved to reconsid
er. Tuesday night, Chairman HARPER
of the franchise committee, branded
Martins proposition as ridiculous, but
Tossy's motion carried. Is to 16, with
the following lineup:
Yeas-Ald. Burton, Deimel, Hindle
Heating, Keusch. Koenig, Littlefeld
Merritt. O'Brien. Ostrowski, owen
Rosenthal. Schultz. Skrzycki. Thomp
son. Tossy, Walsh and Zoeller.-1S.
Nays-Ald. Allan. Brozo. Ellis
Field. Garvey, Gilman. Grindley
HARPER, Lodge. Lynch. McCarty, Ma
son, Theisen. Vernon. Watson. and
the President.-16.
The report was then referred back
to the committee.
The switch caused much comment
and further developments will be
watched with interest. The fran
chise will go to the people even II the
council votes favorably.
There was great Gaston-Alphonse
scramble between the streets commit
tee and the claims and accounts com.
mittee as to which should assume the
responsibility OF considering the brick
bills vetoed by Mayor Thompson on
the ground that the brick being fur
nished the city Is not up to standard.
To act on the veto would mean to de-
eide between the mayor and the com
missioner, and no one sought the job.
Aid. Allan finally solved the difficulty
by moving that he matte- be referred
to both committees jointly
Aid. Lynch introduced 4 resolution,
which was adopted, that the ways and
means committee be directed to con.
slider appropriating 5000 for the u;
of the city Gas Iommiss CT In invests
eating the methods of the Detroit City
Gas Co.. and that the mayof be re
quested to appoint members to I'LL va
cancies on the commission
An ordinance changing the name OF
Orchard-st to Elizabeth-st west, was
adopted. The council adopted rec
ommendation by the committee on
parks and boulevards that no more
money be spent In repairing Belle Isle
dock, but that Commissioner Hurlbut
insert in his budget next yea an item
for a new dock. A request ty the
department OF buildings for 1900 for
the salary of an inspector OF signs
was referred to the committee on
ways and means.