The Detroit times., 1912-01-22
MAYORS FRANCHISE
SEEMS SURELY DOOMEI
Continued from Page One.


can reach no other conclusion than
the mayors measure will carry"
Notwithstanding the cheerful atti-
tude OF the mayor and his advisors,
all indications point 10 the defeat OF
the franchise. with plenty of votes To
spare. and the vote is likely TO be a
heavy one.
From the sentiment expressed In
various quarters. the vote In favor OF
the franchise will fall far short OF
the required three.ffths. In fact, II
is doubtful II II will receive bare
majority. Ii the vote is as heavy as
expected, less than $4,000 negative
ballots will kill the settlement plan.
No other special election In the
history OF the city has created such
stir as this one. and none has been
more important. for a great principle
Is at stake. The question really is;
Shall the people or the d. L. X. rule?
IL the people vote the d. u. k. an.
other franchise, giving the company
new lease of life for IL years, and no
one knows how much longer, they
virtually acknowledge that they are
powerless To control their own streets.
powerless to dictate the terms under
which a corporation that Is now
trespasser In those streets. may con.
tinue TO operate its cars in them And
the sad part OF IL is that Mayor
Thompson. who up TO this time, has
in all his campaigns opposed the
granting of additional franchise rights.
is now the foremost advocate OF the
proposed grab.
Great activity will be. manifested at
the polls on both sides The franchise
boosters and the franchise opponents
headed by the municipal ownership
forces, each have their organization
and the vote will certainly be watched
closely. The counting of the votes
Will be a very simple process, mas
much as there is only the one propo.
sition before the people. and the
o'clock count should indicate quite
plainly what the final result will be.
The registration, Saturday was un-
usually heavy. II totaled nearly 20.
600. including about 1000 women vot-
ers. Never before have the women
taken such an interest in any civic
proposition, and the best information
obtainable tends TO indicate that
large majority Of them are opposed TO
the franchise.
The Young Mems club of the First
Presbyterian church went on record
against the franchise by a vote OF
l4to 4, Saturday night Two OF those
present refused TO commit themselves
The vote followed lively debate oil
the question.
Upwards of 800 men were forced TO
work overtime In the ID. u. II. car
Shops SATURDAY. night affte# Pattiag IN
a fun day, and many OF them will lose
their right 10 vote on the franchise,
Tuesday, because they were unable To
get away in time TO register. The men
are almost a unit against the franchise
Less than dozen persons, half OF
whom We're women, were on hand
when Mayor Thompson appeared in
the Central High school, Saturday
night, to participate in Joint debate
ON the street car question. The meet.
ing had not been we'll advertised The
mayor did not linger but hurried away
TO another meeting in Thiel's hall, out
West FOREST
The Citizens Municipal Ownership
committee, in a meeting Sunday after
noon, adopted resolutions denying tho
reports printed in the pro-franchlse or
gans to the effect that the committee
has received money in large amounts
for the purpose OF carrying on the
fight against the franchise. A vote OF
thanks was rendered the voluntary
municipal ownership speakers, The
Detroit Times and The News, for
their most efficient and effective work
against the Thompson-Hutchins fran
chise grab" The committee also
thanked John j. Tuomey for securing
the use OF the public schools for de.
bates on the franchise.
Another of the little straws that
show which way the wind blows was
vote taken at the celebration of crys.
tai wedding in the home OF A Eich-
man, No $50 Theodore-st., Sunday
evening. OF the 40 guests who partici.
rated, SO were against the franchise.
and two of the four who voted yes
! admitted afterwards that they had
done so merely to be on the opposite
side.
/ Predictions were being made around
the city hall, Monday. that the fran
chise would not receive more than
20 900 votes IL $4,000 are cast.
President Barnett of the board OF
| estimates. has two bets OF $500 each
against the franchise one that ii will
not carry and the other that ii will
not receive a majority.
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