The Detroit times., 1912-09-21
u RS APPRAISAL, OF
PLANT BATTERED AGAIN
E cITYS ATTORNEYS
bmpany's Engineer Admits
Adding 55iIs Per Cent to Ac-
tual Cost of Iron Poles
AND PRICES BOOSTED, TOO
|aimed Length of Haul Was
Tripled in Inventory to
Add More Padding


The value OF poles and sand con-
ituted the basis OF investigation and
gument in the Hally three-cent fare
dinance case when It was resumed
fore Leland b. Case, master-in-
ancery, In the United States dis
bet court, Friday morning. Attor-
ey Alfred Lucking and Corporation
bunsel Richard lawson, for the city,
bntinued their efforts to show that
Ie ID. u. RS inventory OF Its plant
inflated, and they brought out some
|teresting comparisons.
Chief among the revelations was
De difference In prices on the value
iron poles. the city attorneys ngur-
" that 1916 poles, valued by the
u. r.. at $23s s,32s.62, could have
Zen purchased new In 1903 for $l26.-
t5.24 less.
Robert B. Rifenberick. consulting
hgineer for the ID. u. r., on being
hestioned by Mr.. Lucking, admitted
hat the actual value OF the poles was
kted at S153,221.51 by the ID. u. r..
ht that So IL per cent had been add
4 as contractors profits, carrying ex-
enses, engineering. financing and ad-
cost.
Rifenberick said that the d. U. r.
|aid $S.48 per 100 pounds for iron
'oles, and that he had added 55h per
'ent to the cost.
Mr.. Lucking pointed out that the
eguiar price of iron poles In 1903.
o. %. Detroit, was $2.b6 per 100
|ounds.
Il do not believe the price could
lave been as low as that" Mr.. Rifen-
|erick retorted.
"Will you produce the vouchers,
Eith checks attached, for all the iron
|oles the ID. u. r. bought In 1907"
Hr. Lucking asked.
II have no objection to doing that.
! the information Is available" Mr..
Rifenberick replied.
Mr.. Lucking next asked the witness
i the factory price on the poles pur-
|hased by the d. U. r. was not $40,
Ind the freight rate 10 cents per 100
bounds.
Rfenberick said he didn't know
what the factory price was, or what
he freight rate was. The freight
|ate would depend on the location OF
he factory he said.
Mr.. Lucking asked the witness o
question about the added percentages
o the regular price OF the poles. wish
ngs to know just what they consti-
.utsd, whereupon the witness asked:
DO you question those percent
lges. Mrs Lucking?"
II didn't suppose anybody was de.
end ling them,' Mr.. Lucking shot back
III sharp sarcasm.
Il think you would do just the same
AZ we have DONE" the witness replied.
II am sure I would not" Mr.. Luck
ng replied. II certainly would never
put down $500 adding machine at
$4,000"
In regard to the purchase OF sand,
he inventory showed that charge
was allowed for hauling the material
hree miles from the cars In Detroit
os the d. u. r. yards. Mr.. Luck
ng contended that the company
iidn't have to haul II more than one
nile. Mr.. Rifenberick admitted that
me difference Of two miles In the
laul would make a reduction OF sew
sral thousand dollars in the amount
charged up for the transportation OF
he same sand.
Attorney Spaulding, for the d. u.
R., volunteered the information tina.
ack OF switching facilities precluded
hauls than three miles.
'T'd like to know how many wit
nesses we've got in this case" was
Mr.. Lucking's response to Mr.. Spauld.
ngs remark. -
This ended the sand question.
Mr.. Lucking also took up the mat
Ter OF rail plaster, used in the con.
,truction OF railway tracks. The in
ventory of the D., u. R. valued the
material owned by the company a.
/ IL cents per lineal foot. Mr.. Luck
ing produced a contract between the
.ity and Contractor Porath to the, ef-
Iect that the city paid only two ceats
per Iineal foot for rail plaster When
Ihe Warren and Oakland lines we're
being built.
Mr.. Rifenberick questioned the
truth OF the report.
Mayor Thompson was an .interestcf
spectator In the morning session, sit
ting close to Mr.. Lawson and fre