The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-12-28
SAYS ALDERMEN
PLAY DOUBLE ON
CITY OWNERSHIP
Secretly Favor Giving ID. u. II.
Permit For Extensions, As
serts Corporation Counsel
TRIED TO ANNUL EFFECT
OF FOREST. DECISION
Would Re-confer Rights On
Company Which Court aSys
DO Not Exist

With all this talk OF the reople
demanding municipal ownership. many
aldermen have come 10 me IN the
past few months and said their con.
Sutuents want extensions OF the
street car lines and that they would
prefer to pay Ave cents under some
KIND OF an agreement whereby they
would get the extensions rather then
wait until the city has control OF the
hnes, said Corporation Counsel Law.
son, saturday. These aldermen would
caution me not 10 mention their
names az advocating such a plan but
they have Gone Il Just the same. II
tney would have some backbone In
this matter there would be no cues
ton about the outcome and the peorle
eventually getting the right kind OF
service. They should be either for or
against municipal ownership openly.
me time has come for a showdown"
Lawsons remarks were called forth
by a discussion OF the probable ottt-
come In the matter pertaining to a
decree In the Fort.st. rental case A.
decree is expected soon and this max
provide for the council ordering the
ID. Z. X. out Of the street. 1t Is fear
ed that II the council is given fir.al
Jurisdiction In the matter the final
settlement Will be strung along and
the city will lose the benefit OF the
courts decision to the effect that the
ID. q. r. has no right in Forts, ex
cept what the council choose to give
II LAWSON has asked the court TO
set the date by which the company
must vacate.
After We won this suit some of tie
aldermen were about to undo IL BY
granting the ID. U. r. permission to
build an extension which would pro-
vide for routing Trumbull-ave cars
down Fort-st., continued Lawson.
That wousi have given the ID. U. r.
the very rights which we contended
the company does not possess. Some
OF the aldermen proposed TO me that
the ID. U. X be granted other cxten-
sions which would mitigate the ef-
feet OF that decision"
Lawson Is now working on the bill
to provide the machinery for carrying
into effect the constitutional amend
ments giving the city the right to
amend Its charter piecemeal. This.
he said. wifi be introduced In the legis.
lature at the earliest possible mo-
ment and the legislature will be ask.
ed 10 give il immediate effect. Lawson
pointed out some intricacies with ref.
erence to charter amendment and re-
vision which have not been consider
ed to date by the aldermen.
The constitution provides that tle
city cannot buy the street car system
unless three-fourths of the people
vote In favor OF IT," he said. The
home rule act provides that we can
not increase the bond limit unless two
thirds OF the people vote in favor OF
II. We cannot have municipal owner.
ship without an increase in the bond
limit 1t would, OF course, be easier
to get three-ffths vote THAN II would
to get a twothirds vote and in
amendement to the home rule act may
DE proposed fr this purpose.
1T requires only a majority vote
TO adpt revised charter. unless In
the new charter provision is made Tor
the bond limit. IL such
provision were In the new charter It
would require a two-thirds vote to
adopt the charter. That Is another
argument for amending our present
charter piecemeal. Only majority
vote Is necessary to carry an amend
lneIt providing for municipal owner
ship. The difficulties OF adopting an
entirely new charter are so great that
4 revised charter would probably be
voted down, while II we voted on sep
arate amendment from time to time
they would prbabiy carry"