The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-02-19
11any Men Whose Signatures
Slghatures Appear on Railroad
Pleas, Repudiate Them
now MANY GENUINE?
ASK STATE SOLONS
Alleged Questionable Practices
Y Increase Sentiment Against :
Fare Boost Bill " g.
From a star Correspondent.

signed the names to petitions asking
Tor increases in rates OF passenger
y {ares ca Michigan railroads!
[ That II the question which several
<nembefs OF the Legislature are ASK
& 1ng, not only Of themselves. but also
(. of their constituents A fact which
nay tend greatly to. neutralize the
okeCt OF petitions. signed by thou
e lands OF voters, asking Increased
5 rates, came TO light Thursday when
& Rep. Charles ID. Symonds. OF Powers.
y Menominee county, made public. sew
<ral letters from residents OF Menom-
3 NEE, whose names were signed TO a
(, petftion asking for straight three-cent
3 }ares In Michigan.
The resolution asking three-cent
(are6 purported TO have been adopted
4 BIZ en- unanimous vote of the Menom-
inee Commercial club and was signed
E With. the names Of the 81 members
s present and forwarded TO Rep. Sy-
[monds.
Rep Symonds conducted a little
quiet investigation and. as result.
a exhibiting several letters from the
L alleged signers declaring that they
did not attach their names to the res
olutfon.
One letter. from the secretary OF
the organization, throws great light
x upon the methods employed In secur-
Ing the signatures, In that IL states
\ that there was no means of ascer-
taining who voted for or against the
i Resolution, which was adopted by q
viva yoce vote, In which there was
3 transferable division. The resolution
WAS not put up for signature. but the
\ names OF all OF the SO persons who
E attended the meeting appear on the
s list forward to Rep. Symonds. Tue
6ocretAry Of the organization de-
olared that several OF these had left
THE room before the matter was pre-
{oonted.
Another letter, from a cashier of
- Menominee bank, whose name APP
peared In the list. denies emphatical
3 IA that the writer attached his sigma
fure TO any sort OF petition relative
TO fares. The banker says he II OPP
zDosed to the rate boost.
H Rep. Symonds declares II Is EVIL
dent, from the data he has gathered,
That some interested person collected
The names Of those present at the
<Men0mtnee meeting. attached them
10 the resolution and forwarded them
11o the Legislature ON his own &C
Rep. symonds, investigation set
oeveral others 10 looking up the his
Tory Of petitions purporting to come,
rom their dtstricts.
Rep. John Daprato, Of Iron Noun
)oln. declares that resolution asking
be three-cent fares was presented at
~ meeting OF Iron Mountain business
non and that no one could be found
- second Il. Nevertheleas, petition,
MINED by practically everyone pres
ut was forwarded to the legislature.
Rep. Marlin Wiley, of SAINT Ste.
Marie, says that q resolution, leav-
h ug the matter Of fare Increase en-
<irely within the hands Of the legisla-
<1nre. was adopted by the business
mems organization OF the 500, but
+ that an unqualified petition for three
cent fares was presented to him, pur.
< Dorting to be signed by the members
<of the same organization.
Who CHANGED the resolution is his
question. -, t.@4t-s -.fA
Petitions With approximately N.
* 900 signatures have been presented
g date, How many are genuinef ask
the 6olons
The topic OF railroad legislation is
4 the chief item OF interest now before
X the legislature. and as many methods
*oe deciding the matter have been de-
3 viEed as there are members OF botn
+ houses.
The railroads closed their case
. Thursday ana Rep. Henry. OF Battle
Creek, chairman OF the house railroad
c0mmitlee, announced that the op-f
y Moments OF the measure would be
n given chance to state their CASE
next week. before the Joint commit
lees Of the touse and senate, mem
berS Of the failrosd commission and
The attorney-genoral -.
II The fear Ia expressed In legislative
s circles that no one person VIII af.
{ected by tho measnre suniciently to.
warrant thesanhoyeRee and expense,
hot couipgs 70 lansing to oppose II,
and thar. even ahou)d they come, they
will DO iaule 10 md no ono familiar
<nough with railroad matters to an
the m&ss Of data presented by
The spokcsmen Tor the railroads. y.
Every attempt 20 put the matter
mp to the railroad commission has
mel With utter failure thus far. n
~ Members OF the commission declare
y passenger business other than that
oouired by law TO be furnished by
- railroada themselves. They could
ot conduct an investigation OF sum
~ scope y verify the figures pre-
o1to4 By the railroads and to form
opinion - to- whether or not In.
91eee are hecesaary before Jan. I.
II. they say. ~ 49, y,
~ resolution by Rep. Charles d.
nDndg, Of Powers. providing that
00lnm1soion conduct such an IN
lIgnfion, The expense 10 be borne
Ne state, met with a storm OF OPP
(tIo4 Thursday afternoon. 4
support OF his resolution, Rep.
ondo declared that the legislature
heard but one side OF the case.
Dnloted that no one opposed TO
1cronses was competent TO come
~ The legislature TO answer rail.
6kureo. He declared that his
1Uun had been offered with the
Xoo 81 obtaining the best pos
fascination on both sides OF the
Ne was supported I'm HIS
- Hep. Alex Sly, OF Could City.
~ WIniam +. Jerome. OF Hills
~ @ he house. declared that
vou11 - Riven an emporium
~. ohd that the adoption
c.1(1on would Be q direct