The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-01-07
Detroit Committee and State
Railway Board Will Go Hunt
ing, Then Compare Notes
MEASURED SERVICE BIG
QUESTION, SAYS HEMANS
Believes Ii May Take Months to
Reach DecisiOn-First Meet
ing January rs


Corporation Counsel Lawson, Wednes-
day noon. in the mayors Office il was
decided that the citys telephone com
mittee proceed in its hunt Tor tee.
phone expert. and that the commits.
sion also endeavor find an expert.
Another meeting will be held next
week, In which the railroad commits.
sion and the Detroit committee will
tell each other the result Of their
search, an dwill try 10 agree on an en-.
gineer
Mr.. Hemans suggested that the ex-
pense or valuation OF the Michigan
State Telephone Co.'S property in De
troit could be cut down by making the
fcompany furnish an inventory OF all
It's Detroit property The city's expert
could then place a value on all the
items given in the inventory.
II was the first sessio nthat newspa
per men have been allowed 10 attend.
They walked in without invitation and
sat down. and nobody asked them TO
| leave, though their presence seemed
10 make Mr. Henans uncomforta Bile
Aid. Lodge opened the conference
by saying
When the company asked permits
sion TO install measured service, this
committee did not take a position on
the matter but our investigation ha
made us strongly in favor OF fiat rate
not measured service We believe
that the people are not in the humor
TO be experimental with We want TO
present you with facts and figures TO
back up our position. We have Ques-
IL a a..
one reason or another all have declin-
ed 10 act"
Mr. Hemans looked over his shout.
der at the newspaper men before re-
plying:
Il feel In the same frame OF mind
as you gentlemen we're In when you
approaches the subject" he began.
"But there is this difference-that we
have 20 take the responsibility. The
oretically and actually, we are advo-
Gates for the people. but we have to
be judges, too. We have our owr
tions OF the size OF this matter II is
very large. and is not TO be disposed
of IN a week or a month.
They are In force" the commits
sioner replied
And the subsidiary companies are
forced TO buy them ?" asked the mayor.
Unfortunately, the manufactures,
the Western Electric Co. is the MANU-
featuring end OF the A. T. n t." Mr..
Hemans answered
Il don't think we should enter into
consideration OF that point" Mayer
Marx said That ought not to/con-
Germ the city"
I'm simply telling you what condi-
ton are" Mr.. Hem2ns answered. BE
mis-. in Chicago. said that the subsi-
diaries are not getting sufficient re-
turns for ,hese payments. There have
been several inquiries In different
parts OF the country which have ques-
,)tioned this IL per cent. One in Cali
fornia has just been concluded"
Various engineers were then consid-
cred Mr.. Hemans thought Dean Nor
timer T.. Cooley. OF the University or
Michigan, ought TO be able TO suggest
some one Secretary Fitzgerald said
that Dean Cooley had declined to
serve
Mr. Hemans said that c. b. Hall.
who conducted tho investigation for
the railroad commlssio which led TO
the notorious report that the people
are using the telephones too nucn.
had furnished him with list OF cap
able men. II included Dean Coolet,
Prof. Shepherd, OF Ann Arbor. a Mr..
Miller, of Chicago, ID. g. Jackson, or
Boston against whom the citizens OF
Baltimore have protested strongly, be-
cause OF his Investigation there on
which the company was allowed TO ad-
vance It's rates), l.. G. Griffith, OF Au-
rora, Ill. p. n. Brooks OF Columbus,
and Edwin Sands. OF Detroit.
who Is that?" asked the commit
tee. Mr.. Hemans repeated the name.
No one had ever heard OF him. The
name IS probably that OF Edmund
Land. formerly connected with the
Michigan state Telephone 90. now
president OF the Electric Automobile
Co. Mr. Land Is building telephone
line in Jacksonville. Fla.
| Mayor Marx suggested and Aid.
7 odge reiterater the suggestion that
the committee r-ocooS I'm its search
for an expert, and that the RI
commission do the same.
THAT is very satisfactory to m"
said Mr. Hemans. 81 cna run down
III -FOUR vi i've anu Sp' fOh ~
The conference then adjourned y
Hemans told the newspaper men {"
no sure TO quote him as absolutely ~
biased
The state railroad commission
set Jan. % as the date OF the frst
hearing on the proposal OF the com.
pany TO institute measured service.
The hearing will be held in the coun.
ell chamber Y is\honed \that a work.
ing Arrangement for further pro'
lean then be made between the city,
the company and the commission.
There is question OF the whole
value OF the telephone property In
Detroit Our experience has been
that we have paid an expert 81 900
for every 81 100000 OF valuation dis
covered. You can readily see that
the taking Of a valuation is a matter
OF great importance. | don't see how
the commission can act without a
valuation. Then there is the oues-
ton OF the proper return on the vain.
alton: then the question OF how the
revenue IS 10 be given the company,
In rates and charges. In other words,
is there to be n metered system. or a
fat rate? Then there IL the final
question. what do the people want?
The people ought not to have meas