The Detroit times., 1914-03-20
DUR. VALUATION
lis OUTRAGEOUS,
|SAYSJ..M. M'PHEE
Detroit Authority Points To the
city's Interest IN Mileage
Of Corporation
BAYS THE CITY SHOULD
LAY ANY NEW cracks
Warns Against Giving d. u. r.
Any More Privileges to Turn !
Iato Power Over Us


onstrated that he il about ~ n
niliar a. anybody 10 Detroit with thu
inside OF street railway matters. pro
heunces the d. u. RS valuation ol
itself ~ outrageous.
He warns the, city agsinS granting
he railway the right 20 build any
here tracks and placing itself in the
bower Of the corporation. which Il
booking. he maintains. Tn ighten III
hold on the city. .s....sss
Mr.. McPhee writes Is follows:
10 the Editor Of The Timer:
must Say that our latest surprise
erom the Detroit United II stun
ner'' and must be intended for q huge
vont municipal ownership. They have
been trying for years to palm on all
Kinds Of 5okers and deceptive agree
mento on Detroit They have beer
puite succcssful with Mayor Marx %
ter settlement. They have destroyed
he effective power Of q powerful club
that was handed down to the city by
he city, state and national courts
(Which has been used TO enrich both
he bond and stockholders Of the %
~ X. at a proportional loss 70 the
FIFTY, the true facts OF which ! Will
show up later. And II now begins TO
look ~ though they were going TO
DO fully more successful. with the pres
ent administration and street railway
comniission.
The Idea Of valuing their track sys-
tenn at $l1.247.l86, or $60,7Sb.60 per
nlle. whore the average value o. their
sntire city system OF tracks and "a
per mile, costing to construct from
1S.ee3 to $23.1S2.6i per mile. The city's
lneerest In all foundation - from
1oO7.S4 to @l?.S96.26 per mile. The .city's
SSsr:ss interest sss In ALL al four Ss 3
|R.'s Interest in ali tracks IN the city
% from S+.19416 TO 310.30:.2 q per mile,
the ID. Y. RS average interest IN All
tracks In the city Is about $S,72S.1s
fersnt prices is owing to the differ
|ent specifications and plans for con-
.otruction. The city owns all founda-
.tions In the city. Including all tile
drains and everything else used IN
S sae .n 81 ne sss ss.e
maintain that the Bancroft APP
|prsisal u high. and would produce
many ngures to prove that fact In THIS
better IL had the space. but viii
the Bancroft appraisal, however. to
|Got the above estimates. For some
treason, the d. U. r. must be lea to
|oeljove that Detrotters do not post
|themeelvee A % the value or cost OF
utii!asss They seem to think that De- De-
'cor4lne TO late press reports. II be-
|ginS 10 look ~ though they were about
|rtgss especially A 70 some OF our
|lcadjng officers, when they Will con-
|coFb that would dare to try TO
deceive the people Of Detroit with
|Uuch an outrageous appraisal
what II true Of their above-track
|appraisai. and the people Of Detroit
bought to treat such. corporation
with contempt. so
I don't want IL understood that
lam opposed to an honest corporation.
|bocause / am not. While corpora.
tion !. now tryisS to BEAT on me @ oI
that I hold q warranty deed for, free
land clear, and for which ! have work
led hard through life. yet ] believe
THAT honest corporation. are not only
q great benent to the locality where
They are operating. but to the entire
II was personally dealing. with
1.-THE d. Y. r.. Detroit would get mu.
|nicipal ownership. and the city wcuI9
For all OF their property that the city
|aotually needs-the rest Of their junk
they could remove.
I You will now ask, how would I pro :,
|ceedf In the nrst place would nos
inch of track in the city under any
msdiateiy stop ali interviews or diok-
orings with the d. u. r: IT seem.
that this last move .s. q s"s.rs on Mvu'o
waste Of time and money. unless you
want to make them q present OF mil.
llona Of dollars. They are shrewd
Sshemers In every move that they
- e. ths bi~ rrab. II would com&
@Sncs IN build an soon a. possibto.
Ths city can build cheaper than the
s.. U. 4. Will. / would commence TO
~ ar On soms Other street that would
49, cannect with Milwaukee ave
sSsn. on Milweuko e ave, to some
SfrnSt on the east side that would best
connect with Beldwin.aye.: then on
is r from BALDWIN east 10 Connor's-
~. an Connor'a-ave. 20 jefferson
~: then temrorary tracks on bald
IN west 10 XcDougal; ON McDougal
to Larnsd; Larned to Wayne; Wayne
sye': then on John R-st from MI
S~s,s 1890 70 tho Ford lcfory--in
IN sSout S4K miles Of sjugIoI tracks.
TSirfv miles viii cover VI witches,
&c. There need p no ersat sSP; ne
M a YOU viii not, at this stage Of
~ battis. need power housSS. ma
chinsry or equipment for the same or
SxnSrcive offices or land TO build ION.
4Sss can purchase the power for looo
fSsn YOU can produce It. until you can
sSrchsse the b. u. RS entire system.
This line can be constructed quite
n,.SSniv. The city engineer and boasd
a. nubiic works can make all the
SsrSSvs necessary at this time, and
IN - wiilinr. after the surveys and
:Sss "a lions are All made, without
~ SSnt Of charge to the city. except
~ nscsssary stationery and postage,