The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-01-04
CITY CAN ABSOLUTELY
FIX FARES ON CARS
CONTINUED from Page Ono.

done, on all lines where the franchise
rights have expired This was former
| Corporation Counsel Hally's idea IN
the old days when the franchises be
J gan 10 expire and when the city was
In a much less advantageous position
20 dictate terms than IL is today The
Hally ordinance was drafted. proyid
ing for five tickets for 10 cents, a rea
three-cent fare. and was passed by the
council but was held up by a fedora
injunction obtained by the bondhold
ers. Little effort has been made in
recent years to push the case TO q
conclusion, however and Mayor
Thompson, who once looked upon the
/ Hally plan as the club that would
force the ID. l.. X. to the citys feet
now asks the people to lie down and
accept a franchise framed up in secret
conferences. Instead OF urging the
council and the people to stand by
/ their guns, as in the old days, he Is
urging them TO accept bargain which
he says, alphabetically. was the best
he could get, and which imposes seri
Gus burdens on the people in the way
OF additional taxes. And even the
mayors own franchise organs have Ia
admit that IL does not provide three
cent fares. BY their own figures. the
fare will average 3.43 cents.
III, then, after the mayors franchise
| has been beaten, as now seems more
than probable, the people continue to
| pay tribute TO the ID. u. R.. II will be
| because their aldermen are not doing
their duty. 1t will then be up TO the
| people to elect a set OF aldermen who
will stand up for the city's rights and
will not be afraid OF the cars
| The Thompson franchise was brand
ed as a franchise grab and as such
| bitterly denounced by the Detroit
Federation of Labor in Its regular
meeting, Wednesday night Resolu
tions were adopted feaffirming the
federation's position In favor OF rea
municipal ownership, and urging
every member of the body ito act as
committee OF one 10 aid In uncov
ering the false and deceitful claims
being made in favor OF the l2-yeaI
| franchise" Every local union will be
asked to take similar action. every
union man will be asked TO take per
sonal part in the campaign against
the franchise and to induce as many
of his friends as possible, to do the
|
same.
A committee of 20 will be appointed
to canvass the unions and well-de-
fined campaign is being mapped w.
to counterfeit the effect OF the cam
paign being launched by the Board OF
Commerce. The Federation urges
every workingman, union or non
union, to vote against the franchise
grab and In favor Of the Gilman
municipal ownership amendment. The
municipal ownership provisions OF the
Thompson ordinance are regarded as
joke.
The Board OF Commerce has its
plans for flooding the city with pro-
franchise oratory almost perfected. A
number of spellbinders have been en-
gagged, including, IL Is said, Ward
Choate, Thomas A. Conlon, State Sen
ator Lee and others. experimenting
their efforts will be a number OF men
who have been engaged to ride on
street cars and drum up sentiment
for the ordinance among the passen-
gers, especially the working men.
Mayor Thompson is taking an active
part In the campaign. in spite Of his
early announcement that he would not
advocate the franchise.
Mayor Thompson interrupted an In
teresting talk by C.. J. Warren, OF
New York, on Business In general
in South America" before the export
committee OF the Board OF Commerce,
Wednesday afternoon, to discuss the
franchise. What he had TO say was
intended only for Board OF Commerce
members, apparently, for the report
ers present were given the option OF
retiring from the meeting or promis-
ing not to use any OF the mayors
talk.
Addressing the Central Grand Riy-
er Improvement association, Wednes-
day night. the mayor replied TO some
of the criticism that has been hurled
at him He declared, In "explana-
ton" Of the secret conferences with
the ID. u. r., that he had taken all
the newspapers into his confidence
after arriving at settlement and
asked for suggestions. He complained
that some reporters had buttonholed
aldermen in the council meeting.
| Tuesday night, In an effort TO secure
reconsideration of the vote submit
I ting the franchise to the people, but
| he neglected TO mention that he him
self had lobbied among the aldermen
the same day to defeat reconsidera-
ton.
Water Commissioner John Gillespie
is strongly opposed to the franchise,
| declaring that the people are really
paying the d. u. K. 10 accept an ordt.
nance worth millions to the company
If they vote for the grant
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