The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-06-01
WABASH LIKELY TO AGAIN
J FAIL TO GRAB STREETS AS
SITE FOR NEW WAREHOUSE
Strong Opposition Develops to
Plan to Close Part of
Seventh and Congress,
RAILWAY MAKES CLAIM
Says Scheme Is Only Feasible
One For Relieving Freight
Congestion.
RAILWAY MAKES CLAIM

Strong opposition developed in the
meeting OF the council committee on
street opening, Friday, TO the, closing
OF Seyenth-st., from FOREST to West
Jenerson-aveo and Congress-st from
Sixth TO Seyenth-sts, so that the
Wabash railroad may build new
warehouses. A majority OF the com
mlttee members seemed favorably In
cllned TO the petition OF the Wabash.
but there was so much opposition ex-
pressed that the committee took the
subject under advisement. Efforts by
the Wabash TO have Seventh.st. va
Gated failed twice before, and from
present indications are likely to fail
again.
petition signed by more than 50
firms and business men In the yicin-
ny was presented against the plan.
This petition bore such signatures as
those OF the American Lady Corset
Co. the Diamond Match Co., A. Back
US, Jr., & Sons. the Detroit Show Case
Co., the Pillsbury Flour Mills Co., the
Detroit Granite Co. and +. +. Ingram
(, * Co. They complained that Sixth-st !,
at certain periods OF the year, Is al.
most impossible. and that the clos
ing OF the streets asked would mean
that all the trucking done In that vi
cinlty TO and from the Michigan Cen
trail warehouses would have TO take a
roundabout course
Aid. Thompson and sield, represent
f, ing the Sixth ward, fought the pro-
ject. Thompson submitted figures to
show that Congress and Seventhsts.
have been resurfaced with graEite
block In recent years at a cost OF
$500.
Albert FISHER, a carriage manufac.
turer at Sixth and FORESTS, spoke
against the closing Of the streets. de-
claring that the Wabash could not use
the site for warehouses and that 1t Is
merely asking the city TO close the
streets as blind" TO get, possession
of the property, property which the
city could not buy back for any
amount OF money, once the Wabash
gained possession OF II. F. +. Ingram
declared that there is not sufficient
land for the Wabash 10 build q ware
house.
There will be no real benefit to the
city," said Mr. Ingram. The result
will be directly opposite to what you
wish to- attain. The additional cost OF
tNShiHb lHcHC lWO DlO(h ND
would increase the cost of shipping
and that would eventually come from
the consumers"
Attorney Rufus I,othrop, represent
Ing the Wabash railroad, stated that
the company wanted the land SO that
II could increase its facilities and that
1t would not be so foolish as to build
a warehouse in that location IL there
were not sufficient land
The streets In Detroit are close
together and residents are accustom.
ed 10 taking short cuts, said Mr. 10th
rop. Similar complaints we're made
against closing streets for the new
Michigan Central depot, but the
streets were closed because the bene-
fits to be derived by the city out
weighed the inconveniences. 1t will
not take more than five minutes for
slow trucks to go around Seventh-st.,
IL il is closed"
T. H. b. Gull, division freight agent
of the Wabash railroad. informed the
committee that the company now has
Ia merchandise cars with 1000 ship
ments for Detroiters waiting to be
unloadcd. He said that IL the ware
houses were built those cars could be
sestiCn relieved. He added that the
Michigan Central railroad has 800
merchandise cars just outside its
warehouses, waiting to be unloaded.
We are receiving complaints daily
from those people whose merchandise
is beins held up" said A. T. Water.
fall, transportation commissioner for
the board OF Commerce. Some OF
them have been waiting FIVE and six
weeks for those shipments. | believe
the city should do anything that is
reasonable 10 assist the railroads.
Why doesn't the Wabash buy a
site near Twelfth and Fort-sts.?' in
quired Aid Thompson
There Is no land available there
as far as | can see" replied Mr..
Waterfall.
You couldn't put half the number
Of cars you have tied up IN the yards
between Sixth and E!ghth-sts.," de-
clared Fisher TO Gull. Even If the
city does vacate the streets, you
haven't oot sufficient land to build