The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-01-29

cent fare basis under -day.to=day
agreement, and give the city the OPP
ton To purchase the entire system at
any time.
The ordinance. which was sprung
In Mayor Marks meeting with the ID,
u. r. officials, Tuesday noon. on the
proposition of a new crosstown line
on the west side. came as a DIG sur
prise Nobody, not even Corporation
Counsel Lawsop's associates, had any
Idea that the measure would be
brought up then. Tuesday afternoon
and evening the corporation counsel
was besieged by the aldermen and
other city officials for additional in
formation OF certain features OF the
ordinance.
Only three aldermen would venture
an opinion en- the ordinance after the
council meeting. Tuesday night. Aid
Din. of the Sixteenth ward, who is
| lighting for the crosstown extension
declared the measure looked good
TO him.
III does not give away any rights
as far as | have been able TO learn
and II makes the city master OF the
SAitSi Ndi bliHdNAShs SdAu NlAV oiuSA
man.
Aid. owen said ne would favor the
ordinance as a means OF solving the
troublesome street car question Aid
Eddie" Barnett also declared the or
dinance looked good on the surface.
But you never can tell how many
| Jokers are in the pack" added the al
derman.
Aid. Lodge introduced the Lawson
ordinance in the council meeting. II
was read twice by title and referred
TO the committee on franchises, which
consists OF Aid Reinhardt, Field
Lodge. Vernon. Bell, Barnett and
Skrzycki. There was no comment
The committee will meet next Wed
nesday at IL o'clock The public and
| the ID. L.. R. officials will be invited
TO attend the meeting.
rs IL a franchise or an agreement
with the d. L.. r." was the question
asked by Mayor Marx and many OF
the aldermen.
The mayor in 4 communication to
the council. declared that he was not
familiar with the ordinance, but
asked that II be given earnest and
careful consideration, and advised
against its adoption II IL in any way
strengthened the position OF the
street car COMPANY or delayed mum
cipal ownership.
Not Franchise, Says Lawson.
The ordinance provides for a day
to-day agreement with the street rail
way company" said Corporation
Counsel Lawson. III is in no way q
franchise. Under It's provisions the
company could be ordered or the
streets at the will OF the people. The
people must be given a chance to ap
prove OF the ordinance"
Mr.. lawson SCOTS 1T the idez that
the ordinance will tend to delay and
complicate matters by furnishing the
d. L. r. attorneys with more material
for litigation
The d. U. r. will be forced to &C
cept the ordinance" he declared
The railway company will either &C
cept the ordinance or the people will
be in a position 10 stop the operation
| of cars on 20 miles OF track There
| ia no federal question involved The
| company cannot take this ordinance
into the United States courts and de
lay the matter indefinitely. An ap
peal TO the state supreme court VII
be the companys last resort, and tina
will not delay matters more thai
three months at the most And re
member the ID. U. X, has been steadil!
losing ground in the courts. We ar,
now In a position to force the fgh
and | am in favor OF following gu
our present line of attack 10 the end.
Result Of Three Months Work.
The new ordinance is the result o.
three months work by Judge p. ]. NJ
Hally, former corporation counsel, AT
| torney Alfred Lucking. and the pres
ent corporation counsel Lawson
says he outlined the plan 10 his asso
| ciates on returning from trip 70
Lansing late in October. The three
lawyers Immediately started TO work
on IL.
we carefully weighed every line
In the proposed ordinance" said Law
son
1T Is possible that should the ordi
nance be adopted. some minor
| changes can be made In It, but the i'm
portant principles on which il was
constructed must stand"
The four distinct features of the or