The Detroit times., 1912-06-11
D, U. b. FIGHTING TO DELAY
BOOSTING OF FREIGHT CAR
! TAX, BACKED BY ALDERMEN
Majority of Committee Is With
Railway, But Showdown"
Comes Tuesday Night
TOSSY, DEIMEL, HINDLE
This Trio Is Greatly Impressed
By Company's Plea For
More Time
rosSY, DEIMEL, HINDLE

The council committee on judiciary,
considering the tax to be imposed on
the ID. U. r. for the privilege OF oper-
ating its freight cars in the city. again
broke up In confusion, Monday morn
ing, with Aid Thompson and Tossy
roundly denouncing each others at
titude on the question.
| Aid. Thompson sought to have the
committee agree on a SO tax for q
round trip OF a freight car In the city.
In a previous meeting, when the d.
u. r. pleaded for delay, he suggested
that the tax OF $40, originally pro-
posed, be reduced to So.
| Today's meeting broke up as Chair
man Littlefeld was putting Thomp-
sons motion, and a vote was not
taken on the question. Littlefield and
Thompson agreed, however, to send a
report to the council, Tuesday night,
in favor of SO tax, while Tossy, Aid.
Deimel and Hindle decided on re-
port in favor of delaying action until
the ID. u. r. has completed an audit
of its freight business.
IF you pass an ordinance COMPEL
ing a So tax you announce another
lawsuit" said Bernard K. Weadock,
attorney for the ID. u r., to the COM
mittee. I'VE don't know what would
be a fair tax, neither do you; all we
ask is that you wait until you can get
our figures"
Did you ever know when We got
anything from the ID. u. r.. without
la lawsuit?" queried Aid Thompson.
hot h. a.
were imposed the shipper would
have to pay 1t, thereby increasing the
cost of living. He expressed great
solicitude for the consumers.
The committee was in doubt about
the time the d. u r. would require
to complete the audit Aid. Thomp-
son stated that on May he was in
formed the audit would be completed
In 60 days. The committee called
William Bonthron, an expert account
ant working on the ID. y. r. books, to
the city hall and put the question to
him. He stated that six men had
been employed for ten days to date,
and that the audit would require an
other so days to complete. He was
asked how long IL would require for
a representative of the city to check
over his audit and he replied that two
men might check the report to satisfy
themselves as to its correctness In 80
days. City Accountant Bullock may
be put to work at once checking up
the audit accountants figures as the
work progresses.
When General Manager Brooks
asked US TO audit the books he gave
us five reasons for wanting the work
done" said Mr. Bonthron. The first
was to satisfy the state railroad COM
mission as TO the reasonableness of
the company's rates, In the event an
attack was made on them; the second
was TO satisfy the intrstate commerce
commission as TO the reasonableness
OF the rates; the third was to show
the earnings per car mile, pc. ton
mile, that proportion earned IN the
city, on the entire route, and or each
trip; the fourth was to satisfy any
shipper who might protest against the
rates, and, fifth, the company wanted
to know for its own satisfaction just
how much 1t is losing or making in
the freight business"
Tossy, Hindle and Deimel were de-
termined that the council should not
pany. They would not even entertain
the thought OF putting tax of 50 on
car. although the present rate is 81.
Our accountant has given us what
he says are the earnings OF the freight
business" said Thompson. why do
we have to wait until the ID. u. r.
gives them to us? II will be months
before we fix rate II we wait for
the ID. U. r. We will probably have
to fight them In the courts, anyway"
II know, but | don't agree with
you; you can't make me vote for some
thing when we haven't the proof,
said Aid. Tossy. Il make as much
noise against the d. U. r. when I'm
running for office as any one else. l
like to fight EN-, too, but | don't be-
lieve this Is right.
Then Tossy and Thompson becamel
involved in a real Chewing match"
their remarks being unintelligible for