The Detroit times., 1914-08-21
BOTH M'VICAR
And INGRAM ARE
GIVEN OK. MARK
Municipal Ownership Committee
Says Neither Would Betray
City II Chosen Mayor
MARX ADMINISTRATION
is ROUGHLY HANDLED
Declared to Have Conducted
Wide-Open Town and Built
Vicious Machine

The Municipal Ownership commit
tee. an organisation of citizens inter
ested In the public ownership and con-
troll OF public utilities which was form
ed at the time when the Breitmeyer
Committee OF Fifty" was dealing
with street railway affairs In Detroit.
has issued IAN address to the people"
indorsing both John Mcvicar and F..
r, ingram as mayoraity candidates
Mr.. Mcvicar. who is opposing Mayor
Marx for the Republican nomination.
Ii the permanent chairman of the
Municipal Ownership committee and
Mr.. Ingram, the sole Democratic can
didate, il chairman OF its ways and
means committee.
The address attacks Mayor Marx as
having busted himself with forging
additional franchise letters for the peo-
pie rather than endeavoring to bring
about municipal ownership. It also
charges that the mayor has organized
the most vicious political machine De-
troit ever has seen and has conduct
ed wide open town TO the shame OF
our people and the disgrace Of our
city"
BY implication, the address calls at
tention to the opportunity afforded
Democrats to aid IN the candidacy OF
Mr.. McVicar against Mayor Marx by
the fact that the Democratic candidate
Is not opposed In the primaries. The
address follows:
ITO the people--John Mcvicar
chairman Of the Municipal Ownership
committee, and Frederic f. ingram,
chairman of its ways and means COM
mittee are candidates for mayor In the
primaries Aug. 25. Both advocate
municipal ownership, non-partisan
preferential ballot and the enforce
ment Of the laws OF our city and state.
Mayor Marx Is also a candidate.
Before he was elected two years ago
he promised In writing to do all In his
power to secure municipal ownership
and to oppose any more franchises to
the d. u. r. on any terms--but he has
betrayed the city.
"The mayor has been especially &C
tive in forging additional franchise
letters for our people, and he has
been SO active that he has secured
for the d. u. r. several new fran
chises, one OF which covers the entire
city OF Detroit and will undoubtedly
seriously embarrass the people when
they get mayor who will proceed
with the work OF securing municipal
ownership.
The city has an appraisal prepared
by Mr.. Bancroft showing the value OF
the d. u r. properly TO be about $11.-
100000, no item in which has been
disputed except that members Of the
committee of fifty who had II pre-
pared. thought II was In general about
! % per cent too high, and that the
property was not worth more than
$3.50, 900.
Recently the d. u. r. made an ap-
praisal fixing the value OF Its physi-
cal property at $31.00O.O00 and Its
franchises at $5,000,000 more, or a
total Of x3TUUU, UUU and VIII, Of course,
stand on that appraisal.
But the mayor instead of standing
on the Bancroft appraisal Is now pre-
pairing a new one In which the ID. u.
r. experts are either fixing or approx
ing the prices. which. Of course, makes
It practically ID. u. r. appraisal.
IF the d. u. r. appraisal was made
in good faith. then the mayors will be
the same.
"But the d. u. r. would not dare to
have Mayor Marx insult the people
with . $36.000.OOO appraisal and.
therefore 1t, Is probable the mayors
appraisal will be reduced to about
100000, 000--tw1ce the actual value.
And when the people reject this at
tempted robbery at the polls the
mayor will say they do not want
municipal ownership. while the d. u.
ID x.xlIt L.
streets. And this appraisal made
by the d. u. r. will be used hereafter
to force up the price OF the city.
1.-The mayor is also opposed to the
non-partisan preferential ballot be-
cause II will destroy his Vote Swap
pers' league.
THE mayor has organized politi-
cal machine the. most vicious Detroit
ever knew. He has conducted q vide
open town to the shame Of our people
and the disgrace Of our city, and in
his campaign speeches he says he IN
going TO continue his present policy
All good citizens should resent this
brazen effrontery.
I'VE wish to say emphaticaly that
IL the people elect either John Mo
Vicar or Frederick f. Ingram they will
not be betrayed
Frederick F. Ingram Is candidate
pn the Democratic ticket and has no
opposition. He will. therefore, be
nominated.
John Mcvicar Is candidate on the
Republican ticket and is opposed by
Mayor Marx. II therefore behooves
every friend of municipal ownership
every friend Of the non bipartisan pref.
erential ballot and every friend of de
cent government who can do so to aid
In defeating Mayor Marx now by yot.
Ing In the primaries for John Nc.
Vicar"