The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-07-01
Municipal Ownership Advocates
Argue Against Ordinance and
Say They'll Fight 1t To
- Finish
d. y. r. OFFICIALS STAY
AWAY FROM HEARING
Will Be Given Special Invitation
To Attend When Discussion
Is Resumed Next Week

d. u. r. officials were conspicuous
by their absence In the first public
hearing before the council committee
on franchises on the Marx street rail
way ordinance In the executive office,
Monday morning. A. d. B. Van Zandt.
publicity agent for the d. U. R., was
there, but he announced that he was
merely collecting data for publication
In the weekly bulletin published by
the d. u. R., and devoted to a discus.
sion on the street railway question
from the viewpoint OF the company.
Mayor Marx, fianked by Allan IL.
Frazer. and Alfred Lucking, his legal
advisers, sat through the meeting, but
had nothing to say.
Edward 8. Greco and Horace G.. Will
liams. municipal ownership advocates,
started a vigorous attack on the Or
dinance as q whole, terming 1t a
franchise pure and simple. After
severely criticising the first few
clauses in the ordinance and drawing
some fire from Frazer and Lucking.
the trainers, the municipal ownership
advocates desisted, and Council Com
mittee Clerk Joseph Lougheed read
the ordinance through, section by sec
ton, as instructed by Aid. Otto Rein
hardt. chairman of the meeting. Tho
municipal ownership advocates declar-
ed they were unalterably opposed to
the ordinance as a measure for the
settlement of the street railway ques.
ton. and that they wished to be heard
al length in subsequent public meet
ings.
After hearing the ordinance read
and partial explanations by the attor-
neys who framed It, in answer to
direct questions, most of which were
asked by Greco and Williams. the COM
Inittee adjourned until Monday night
of next week at 7 o'clock, when the
second public hearing will be held in
the council chamber.
On motion OF Aid John c. Lodge,
the d. T. r. officials will be officially
notified of the next meeting and re-
qlested to be present. They were
not notified, Officially, OF the meeting
held in the mayors office, Monday
morning.
Only 40 or so persons, including sew
/ eral aldermen and city officials at
Gracted by curiosity, were present In
the meeting.
Suggests Night Meetings.
John McVicar, chairman of the
Municipal Ownership committee. was
present during the first part Of the
meeting. Mr. McVicar made the sug-
gestion that the meetings be held at
night so that everybody interested
could attend
In calling the meeting to order,
Chairman Reinhardt announced the
purpose OF the hearings on the ordi-
nance and requested that lone person
speak at time"
Aid. Lodge asked that the ordinance
be read, and Aid. Barnett amended
the motion 50 that the ordinance could
be read section by section. Clerk
Lougheed in his best voice proceeded
To read the mayors lengthy commune
cation to the council Mayor Marx
listened to the reading with wrinkled
forehead and puckered lips. Tho
mayor seemed to be In deep thought,
but he had nothing to say during the
meeting. Aid. Heating asked why the
d. u. r. officials were not present, but
nobody answered. Aid. Barnett OBJ
jected TO a suggestion that they be
specially notified.
They are no better than we are
and we didn't need a special invita-
tion." said Barnett.
Heating called attention to the fact
that the mayor in his communication
to the council. asked that the ID. ".
r. be invited to attend the hearings.
Later the committee decided to notify
the company before .the next public
hearing.
Clerk Lougheed then read the first
section of the ordinance which gives
the ID. U. r. the right" to operate on
streets where it's franchises have ex-
pired, under a day.to-day agreement.
"Any objection to this section"
asked Chairman Reinhardt.
II have a serious objection" said
Horace G.. Williams, municipal owner
ship advocate, who went on to state
that II the ordinance were intended
10 be aSfranchise giving the company
the right to continue operation in the
city, II was better than any similar
ordinances framed heretofore.
But If 1t Is intended as a step to-
wards municipal ownership, then 1t is
no good and We have right to be
Suopf'iOus Vi IL, ut Sdlu
The ordinance, or rather franchise,
Gays that the d. U. r. shall have the
right to operate. We have fought
hard to get decree from the supreme
court which says that the D. u. r. has
no rights In Forrest, where its fran
'chise has expired. Are we going to
give away this victory and give the
company new rights I'm the streets and
new basis for lawsuits? Under that
ordinance the ID. u. r. ceases to be
trespasser In the streets; the force of
TIT Fort-st. rental decree is wiped out.
Don't make any deal with the ID.
u. r. at this time. We don't need to.
The Fort-st. decree Is an evident indi-
cation of what the court will say as
to the companys rights in other
streets where franchises have and
Will expire. Don't give away our
great victory for mess of pottage.
This ordinance means another long
series of lawsuits. Every section rs a
basis for endless suits. A resolution
by the common council ordering the
ID. u. r. TO accept our terms or get
on the streets would have the same
effect as this ordinance and II would
not place the city in a dangerous posi-
fjOn."