The Detroit times., 1912-01-16

concerned, Is simply a visible tax re-
| ceipt. nothing else. They assume this
other taxes Now. I'm lieu or may
mean, as the - H.. r. says, I'm addi-
ton to-" but In this case it Is imma-
terial IL did assume the burden for
Preferring To pay a portion OF It's
taxes In this manner necessitated ITS
preparing those taxes for number OF
years because IL involved expenditure
| for items OF "A physical nature. but the
| Immediate years succeeding the hrst
| Installation carried no taxes with
them. and until the time came for the
replacing or repairing OF them, IL be-
came an annual charge OF tax the
| same as any other tax. When "A house
Is sold. the paving In front OF II does
not belong To IL. nor can one add 10
the buildings value bunch OF paid
tax receipts The situations are pre-
cisely the same.
The Appraisal committee was COM
posed OF as liberal men as the city
contains They went into all these
matters very conscientiously. Like
wise they had the opinion OF seven
| different attorneys and four out OF
! five OF the legal committee OF nifty
| (the exception being ex-Judge c. j.
Reilly. an interested party as bond
holder in the Rapid Railway operated
| By the ID. u. R.).
There never was any question about
this matter at all. IL was not an as
! set OF the company. III the city In the
discussion OF this new franchise must
| give up every right IL may have be-
cause the ID Y. II. has not agreed to
II, that objection In this case In re-
moved and Jere G Hutchins. president
OF the ID. U. r.. has stated the follow
ing:
with reference TO tracks for in
stance, ] hold all that cost OF laying
pavements should be eliminated from
consideration Paving OF the street IS
tax In Itself"
we do not own or control the pave
merits when they are once built; they
are built for the public and turned
over 10 the public. used by the public
and the requirement that we shall do
this paving is I'm the nature OF tax
itself"
Why. therefore. should the city now
capitalize the ID. u. H. tax receipts
any more than the tax receipts of
man who owns cottage7 II Is pure
gift without logic. Leaving the com
pany without tax and by paying for
the present paving for years back, re-
leasing them In the future entirely
and this is called concession.
Section :. This section enables the
council to make necessary service
reg ulatlons What does this mean?
Council has never been able 10
make the company carry out even the
most trivial OF these requirements In
chises. The company just gets an In
Junction or goes to court, or Ignores
the situation What will the council
do II the company does the same as II
has heretofore regarding agreements
TO regulate? Suppose the company
does not pay the fine II any Ia nader
What Is TO prevent the ID. u. H. from
doing exactly as II does now on It's
qurement OF the franchise except such
requirements as suit them?
Section .. In this section the rear
rangement and changing or existing
nil nH A
company provided the Old routing may
he restored by the common council:
These provisions should be reversed
and the city only should have author,
change back to- the old route IL con-
ditions prove the necessity. This ~
done in other states and In other cit
les where street railways operate uh-
der regulating commissions.
Section 10. BY the terms or section
10 providing for the purchase by the
city OF the street railway "as or the
year 1911" the city IL absolutely ue
barred from purchasing or acquiring
ut any future time all street railway
lines or putting the city In possession
Of the streets occupied by the railway
company beyond the 1911 city limits
unless at the time the company dle-
tates the terms and conditions or ac-
ouirement This would bar the ex-
tension OF the city's system and hinder
tho expansion and growth OF the CITY
itself and would inevitably result: as
II has already. in the payment Oh dou-
bio fares within the EXTENDED dty
limits. -
This section also compels the city
TO buy, (by the companys method)' III
Il so elects. all, or none OF the -, y;
r. property existing at the date Oh
the appraisal Much of which IL use
less and of no economic value. IhlS
was found TO be so by the appraiser
committee OF the committee OF nifty.
hal nf
up with the method OF forming an APP
praisal board.
IL will be noted that OF the i've
members OF the appraisal board 70 De
appointed. two by the mayor, and one
in conjunction with the ID. L. X. ap-
pointees, the ID. L. r. has only 70 Sc
cure the acqulescence OF one or the
three in it's plans TO have absolute
control OF the situation. IL is not TO
be supposed that the city VIII try TO
unduly influence any or hese apprais-
ers; but in the light OF the past. no
one will deny that the ID. L. X VIII
probably attempt by every means TO
acquire control OF this appraisal board
whose decision Will mean millions OF
dollars TO them.
the city to obtain possession OF the
street railway in case IL elects TO pur-
chase and Is able TO purchase, Is set
forth in the following table, which
gives In detail the lawful delays put
does not take into account the many
many others which would undoubtedly
occur.
city must give six months notice of
Intentions after city shall have been
authorized to acquire property. SIX
months: IL no agreement is reached in
following six months board OF ap-
praisers to be appointed, months; II
no appointment made by either party
etc, 80 days IL no appointment made
by four arbitrators, 80 days; within
ave days after completion OF appoint
take testimony and make appraisal,
one year; company mot city, has right
to select mode OF payment, 80 days
referendum vote by citizens, 80 days;
III award approved by citizens, three
weeks after approved by referendum
vote (for company to make tender),
one year city to pay for property, six
months. total, three years, 10 months.
26 days.
Section IL. This section provides for
the purchase price to be paid by the
city, and IL being fact that the pro-
vision OF this section and others OF the
ordinance make IL practically impos-
sible for the city 40 ever purchase, IL
various methods enumerated, the ID.
T.. X. has the right to select the mode
OF payment OF the purchase price
which shall he adopted; and since they
do undoubtedly consider this 13-year
franchise as n valuable asset. the COM
pany will select the method most diff
fcult for the city TO comply with. That
will he the cash ,ayment method. No
student OF municipal affairs has been
able 10 determine how the city OF De-
troit will be able to bond itself for an