The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-01-31
FIGHT is ON FOR
BETTER CAR SERVICE
Continued from Page One.

ting what IL was entitled TO as a part.
ner In the business. He believed that
$40 per car was somewhere near a
proper return, but this could be in
creased later II an examination OF the
books showed that a higher charge
was justified
The alderman fixed the charge at
$40 per car partly on the knowledge
he had gained as 10 the company's
revenues from his personal expert
ences with II.
They asked me $50 for one car TO
the fair grounds, and | got a car twice
as large from the Grand Trunk for S.
he said. 80 they are getting about
$50 for service the Grand Trunk
charges IS for, taking the difference
In the size of the cars into considera-
ton. | know, too. that they charge
the water board $40 a car for one
mile"
The ordinance will also require the
company TO make monthly instead or
quarterly reports on It's business. II
the ordinance is adopted and sticks. II
Will increase the annual revenue OF
the city from this source from about
$4,000 TO S1S0,000.
The ordinance will not cover any
specifc period, but will be subject TO
repeal or amendment at any time.
There Is no disposition on the part
of the council to tie up with the ID.
U. r. on any proposition for a given
period unless the company shows that
IT is willing to reform
IF the ID. U. X. would do what IL
ought 10 do and give us lower fares
and better service, with universal
transfers. II could probably do bust
ness here unmolested as long as II
cared to- said Aid. Vernon. II would
be In favor OF giving the company
free hand II ii showed any disposition
to be decent. but you've got to fight
the devil with fire."
Corporation Counsel Lawson at
first thought that the company had
a right under the rental ordinances
now on the books TO do a freight
business, but Aid. Vernon was able
to show him that the rent the COM
pany is now paying had nothing to do
with the freight cars.
To draft a service ordinance that
will be drastic enough TO accomplish
desired results and still be enforceable
Is task that is likely to keep the
corporation counsel up nights for a
while. He invited Aid. Vernon to as
sist him In framing 1t and said that
he would be glad to receive sugges-
tions from any alderman or any other
persons. There Is no general service
ordinance now ON the books, Mayor
Thompson put one through, known as
the 20-second ordinance, during his
previous administration, but the COM
pany attacked II In the federal courts
and Judge Swan held II was unreason-
able.
Aid. Vernon suggested that In a gen.
eral way II should provide for the run
ming time Of cars and the number of
people they may carry. A car should
not be allowed to slip by corner
without stopping to take on waiting
passengers unless there was another
car within a block, in his opinion.
Other suggestions made by him for
Incorporation in the ordinance were
as follows:
Cars shall not carry more than %
passengers standing within the two
mile circle; outside the two-mile cir
Gle every passenger must have a seat
When a car is filed to its capacity,
as defined, II shall not take on any
more passengers. Neither shall IT run
by passengers waiting in the street,
but shall come to a full stop and walt
until there is another car within a
block.
The running time of car for a
round-trip shall not exceed an average
OF seven miles an hour.
The alderman contended that these
provisions would force the company