The Detroit times., 1915-10-21
ten THOUSAND BRITISH FALH|
FUTILE ASSAULT near LOO,
SHALL We PAY FAT PRICE
OR BUY D. j. R. AS JUNK?

Opponents the street railway purchase plan declare
that one of the principal being against is that
the price yet announced Whether these
ponents for it if price included in the plan
any old price-s seriously questioned by the proponents
of the plan.
However that may be, the absence of definite price
hook which most of the arguments against
the plan hung and at the time of the chief
gumens the purchase plan by its fathers and
uncles and other guardians
Members of the street railway commission not slow
saying that the proposal to have the circuit Judges sit
ting chancery fix the price, Is the great guarantee
price will be that will insure fair deal for both
city the railway company They that
the question of what the property of the d. u is worth
has been subject for verbal warfare and legal turmoil
long enough that what they want the people
declare the purchase Of the lines at fair price
and their conduct by the city after purchased leav-
ing the circuit judges to say be price shall be.
The made to this all the way from the re-
iteration of "blank check and pign-a poke, to the ora
orca heights of the opposition speaker who declared the
other night that he against the plan because the circuit
Judges would not be especial champions of the people as
against the railway in the hearing but would fix the value
on the evidence alone
Very briefly may be stated that the advisablity Of
the present planthat of agreeing to buy at price still to
be fixed rests almost entirely upon point: Whether
the voters want to the property the D u H. as
going want TO the uncertain tenure oil lie
which the street railway because of it's expiring fran
chses and dependence city permission to
hammer to beat the going prices down to the
junk values which would obtain the company Oused
from the streets franchises expire.
On this point there is an honest difference of opinion
and it question for every voter to for himself
Members of the administration claim that while the price
of the system, complete and going ready to
in all its details Immediately upon possession being
Stnfu he than piudiyi
prices different parts of the system acquired when fran
chises expire and the ordered out it will be
worth it.
Commissioner Couzens goes farther and maintains that
the railway system will be worth untold millions to
the city than any valuation placed it, except pos
siby, by of the companys officials and then only
when they talking for the because the
citys rights for mess extensions and continuous
tiOn when combined with the cOmpanys property will make
different proposition than the d. L. X or any other pr
vate corporation has enjoyed.
The street car commissioners further incline to the be-
lief that the important because their deal in
cudes the payment the whole price by the assumption of
bonds of which do not due for long time, and
they have il all figured out that the secretion of little bit
of small change year Is going to make fund that
will of all the bonds assumed and leave lots for
extensions and beermens beside The uncertainty of this
proposition of lies in the with which figures
iugged and the fact that there is often wide gap
promises however honestly made and actual per-
formance.
On the other hand, a policy of waiting by the city,
coupled with few years of vigorous fighting by the munich
paly would undoubtedly for Detroit the greater
portion of the lines of the street company at junk
prices They would two at time, and the city
might perhaps have TO have the moral to suffer
inconvenience while they coming but the price
would be very much lower with mmeasuaby better pros
poets for successful municipal operation advocates of this
plan argue.
so this point II Is up TO the voter e. whether he
the whole system purchased at at good round
price, whether he willing to stand and fight FOR the
purchase of road fast II be gotten al junk
price. <