The Detroit times., 1913-02-11
SEES ANOTHER
FRANCHISE GRAB
INLAWSON PLAN
Fresh Attempt of Company to
Get Terminals for Suburban
Lines, Says Ingram
WOULD BLIND PEOPLE
WITH JUST FEW SOPS
Measure Termed Worst Yet,
with Prediction that 1t Will
Be Voted Down

Driven closer 10 the wall ear year
the ID. U. Il. makes an annual attempt
TO redeem its failing fortunes by a
franchise grab. And each year there
are volunteers who would win dis
tinction by settling the street car
question" The ID. IT, X. wants one
thing above all other things. and that
is terminals and rights OF way for the
great suburban lines into which II has
put the surplus earnings of the short
lived city lines. II has wanted these
terminals secured so badly that the
several franchises whic have been
brought forth-the Codd. the Commit
tee OF Fifty, the Thompson, and now
the Lawson-have been TO the ID. u. X.
nothing more than general schemes
for the salvation OF the suburban
terminal prlvilege-plus redemption
for It's city bonds.
Next To this vital privilege for its
$l5,000.000 suburban lines the ID. u,
4. has wanted a high appraisal for IT'S
city property, watch II will gladly get
rid OF so long as II gets those coveted
suburban terminals.
II sought this high appraisal these
last four years. Failing to get n high
appraisal for the disposal Of its city
lines by popular means II would like
10 get a high appraisal through the
courts The courts sometimes are
credited with being the last refuge OF
the trafficking corporations. With the
rise OF popular government. and refer
endum on franchises, came the end OF
public service ability TO bamboozle the
people through manipulating legisla-
lures.
How happily the proposed Lawson
ordinance meets these two great vital
needs of the ID. u. r. Ii provides per-
petual rights In our streets for the
suburban lines at five-cent fare. II
leaves the profitable freight business
unregulated IL is worth Sl0,000.O0O
10 the ID. T. X. on that count alone.
But also II nicely provides that the
courts shall fix the price the city will
pay for the city property. There you
have it--perpetual terminal rights
for its live suburban lines, five-cent
fares on the cars and high appraisal
for It's city junk.
or course there will be pretended
amendments and notifications or this
and that clause But this continued
program for handing the ID. u. X.
magnificent thing, with a few sops TO
the people. Will be framed up for pas
sage just like the previous franchise
grabs. But the people will vote II
down, II they have retained their
senses. The Hally-Thompson fran
chise contained no such dangerous
principles. This last Is surely the
worst that has yet been conceived.
So | say, the right TO run from day
TO day, and not day longer until the
city is enabled and prepared TO NUM-
cipalize are the only conditions upon
which the situation can be debated. In
fact, there can be, and Is no debate.
Those are the conditions.
No free right OF way and terminals
for interstate freight and passenger
lines through our crowded streets.
our city should control our streets,
No ordinance contract preventing
municipal ownership excepting by pur-
chase and purchase in the most unde-
sirable method possible.
No dangerous restrictions that tie
the hands of the city as TO price or
appraisal
No indefinite clauses that may mean
1ve-cent fare wait or walk.
FREDERICK h. INGRAM.