The Detroit times., 1912-01-19
AUDIENCE is STRONG
AGAINST FRANCHISE



heartily Disguised with the fraud and
deceit and misrepresentation resort
ed to by the franchise boosters gener-
ally. Mayor Thompson seems TO have
lost his head completely and his adj
visors are at their wits end TO devise
new expedients 10 stem the rising
tide OF anti-franchise sentiment.
William T. Dust gave a splendid
municipal ownership talk before about
$50 members OF the Builders a Trad
ers' exchange in the exchange rooms,
Friday noon. and at its conclusion an
swered a score or more OF written
questions. There was no recurrence
OF the stormy scene in the same
rooms a few days ago, when Mayor
Thompson lnsulted Attorney F. j. b.
Sevald, when the latter asked for In
formation. Mr.. Dust was courteously
received, was accorded respectful
hearing. and answered the queries in
way that seemed TO satisfy all.
When he had finished. j. f. Bolles
moved that Mr.. Dust be given a vote
of thanks and the motion was prompt
ly seconded. One OF the members OBJ
jected on the ground that the same
courtesy had not been shown the
mayor and the motion was not put.
w. r. Kales, president OF the ex-
change, expressed himself on behalf
OF the members present. however, and
his remarks were literally applauded.
IL can hardly expect 10 cope with
Mayor Thompson. who has been dis
GUESSING this question for months, but
will do my best" said Mr.. Dust.
I'VE have been trying to get posses
sion OF the street car lines since the
days OF Pingree. We have gained q
little every eyar. and now we are
within four years OF the time when
we will be in a position 10 take them
over without paying fancy price.
There Is an enormous profit in
the operation OF street cars. and We
who believe In municipal ownei ship
believe the city should have the ad-
vantage OF that profit, which now
goes into the pockets of foreign bond
holders and stockholders. And when
you consider that the company Is
using public property TO make this
money, you must admit that IL would
be better II the city could operate the
lines for the benefit OF the people
generally.
When Judge Hally and myself were
members OF the board OF assessors
several years ago, We awoke to the
fact that the street railways had a
franchise value far greater than the
mere tangyge value of the property,
and that this had been sntirely over
looked. We were advised that there
was nothing TO prevent our placing
value on the franchises and we
boosted the company's assessment
from $2,500,000 to more than Sill
100000. The company took the mat.
ter to court, but we finally won.
"At that time. Attorney Michael
Brennan made the statement, and
President Hutchins testified to the
same thing under osth, that the com
pany made a profit Of SO per cent
and that AZ per cent paid all operating
expenses. Most Of that So per cent,
we were told, went to pay interest
| on bonds. Now that was 10 or IL
years ago. The traffic has greatly in
creased since then. with no proper
tionate increase in overhead equip
ment, so the profib must have in
creased enormously. Why can't the
city have that profit Why can't we
operate street cars rs well as water
works and other public utilities? We
should get over the notion that NUM-
cipal ownership OF tie railways would
mean a big political machine. The
commission plan VII take IT out OF
politics, and under private owner
ship there 10 certainly as much poll
tics as in any wari caucus. II you
want to get job foi man Just send
him down to No. u Woodward-ave.
with a letter from. some alderman.
Municipal OWNERSHIP, would cut out
the graft.
"Thirty-one OF ourpresent aldermen