The Detroit times., 1914-05-07
Has Frequently Declared His
Opposition To Scheme and
Recently Was Witness for
Springfield Company
ANN ARBOR MAN AGAINST
THREE-CENT FARES, TOO
Testified In Detroit He Could
Prove ID. u. X. Couldn't OPP
crate on That Basis

AOlt RlOIAllucE r. COOlegs Otdu "a
the department OF engineering in the
University OF Michigan, whom John
T. Dodge, acting as the street railway
commission, has asked 70 come 10
Detroit to advise the commission as
TO what engineers 10 appoint, in try
ing TO fix value for the ID. IT, K.
doesn believe in municipal owner
ship for Detroit He said so, public
ly, April IS 1913. in the Hotel cadil.
A., the anht.sA 5ila~s~
z :. 9zAs aeering .t
.--Ih he Times, DIIs Al,a4i -, $50, ssa5al-
tanned the following account;
Prof. NJ +. Cooley, or the en-
gineering department. OF the Uni
versity OF Michigan, told the 250
members OF the Detroit Engineer.
ing society. al their annual din
ner In the Hotel Cadillac. Friday
night that they were neglecting
their civic duty when they per-
mitted the street railway question
in Detroit TO be settled by clamor
and newspaper misrepresenta-
ton
sample OF this misrepresen-
tation, he said, was the attempt
TO beguile Detroit into the belief
that the experience OF Glasgow
with public-owned street rail ss
ways could be repeated here,
when il was a matter OF recent
history that Glasgows traction
expert had declared, after an in
vestigation, that II was not fea-
sible for any American city 10
adopt the Glasgow plan.
Prof. Cooley said that he had
given lifetime of study To this
matter OF public utilities, and he
considered it his duty TO call at
tention on every occasion TO the
dangeR} that threatens society
! from misguided and unscientific
| treatment OF these questions. He
declared ii the duty OF the De-
troit engineers TO clear up such
situation as was revealed in the
recent overwhelming vote for pub
lie ownership. It was a simple
! matter of arithmetic TO prove
that the people are woefully mis-
guided on this subject
The appointment OF Prof Cooley an
adviser TO the street railway CON-
mission would mean the employment
OF engineers educated to look at
street railway affairs from the cor.
portation standpoint
Prof. Cooley testified recently for
the Springfield Traction Co, or
Springfield Mo-, according TO the
Electric Railway Journal He testl-
hed that the total overhead charges
would run as high as 60 per cent
Public ownership OF that company S
property would, therefore, mean that
the physical property would amount
TO only 40 per cent OF the total valu-
alton. while the overhead. the in
tangible part would be so per cent
AS TO the accuracy OF Prof Cooley's
statement regarding Glasgow John
McVicar. In a letter 10 The Times.
published April -, 1918, said:
Il wish TO aver solemnly that in au
interview with Mr.. James Dalrympls
traction manager Of Glasgow, in Sep
tember, 1910, In his Office on Bath-st.
Glasgow, he told me personally that
he had never made such a statement
as has been reported and is now rt-
ported by Prof. Cooley
Moreover. on Nov. %. 1909. Prof.
/ Cooley, testiiying as ID. u. r. ex-
pert in smoke nuisance case In
Judge Connolly's court (Where Theo-
dore II. Hinchman, mentioned as a
! possible engineering expert for the
street railway commission, had pre-
ceded him as a b. &. k. expert Wit
ness) said that ne could prove that
the ID. T.. r. could not stop its smok'
ing
And | suppose you could prove that
( the ID. e. r. can't give the people OF
| Detroit three-cent fares?' asked As
sistant Corporation Counsel PENN.
man.
I Il have that proof right here in
my pocket" replied Prof Cooley. With
smile.
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