The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-10-21
Nj. o. Friend Answers
Question of Purchase
Plan Pushers
BUY OR BUILD is
PEOPLES ORDER
Don't Want to Pay For
Water In ID. u. RS
System
BY FREDERICK r. INGRAM.

6y fhEOGNlSN Y. iNSnHW'
What would you give the people
what's your plan? the defenders
and explainers OF the ID. U. h. pur
chase plan are asking.
Unconscious of its impudence the
question is asked by these chauvin-
lists in their endeavor to save the
watered ID. U. r. bonds and their
foreign owners from the conse-
quence OF the municipal ownership
amendment the people adopted by a
four to one vote two years ago.
1t is the old idea Of masters boot
ed and spured in the saddle on the
peoples back soothing them with
this, that and the other, any old
thing except to get of thir back.
The people have waited since they
amended their charter in patient
expectation for their officials to
proceed municipalize the street
railway service as the amended
charter directs them to. There
was no uncertainty, the charter
gives specific details. which, II fol-
lowed. would give real municipal
ownership service at cost. and at
once, regardless OF the d. U. r.
watered securities.
Financiers bought these securities
with their eyes open. II the specu-
lation turns out bad its the y. t..
RS affair. The street car riders
should not be saddled with cXorbi-
tant fares to make up the loss. But
this is just exactly what may hap
pen If the d. L. r. purchase plan
is carried Nov .. II is not munic-
ipal ownership. Plainly, il Is a
scheme 10 validate the bonds at the
peoples expense.
These opposed to the -. T. r
purchase plan do not propose to
give" the people anything. The
people voted for municipal owner
shin. by four to one vote they
instructed their Off Gals to imnedi-
ately buy or build First offer the
n. L. II whatever the system may
be actually worth to the city Then
build il either the y. l.. r. or the
pcODle by vote reject tl,c price
offered. In spite Of what the cor.
Doration lawyers say. 1t can be
quickly done end with less lawsuits
than viii result from the adoption
Of the n. L. II. plan. Just as soon
as We get officials who will obey
tho amended charter we will get
municipal ownership. providing the
= T. Il. purchase plan is voted
down Nov. ..
This IS proven by the recent eX-
perience OF Toronto and Toledo In
both cities the officials obeyed the
instructions of The voters and ig-
nored the corporation lawyers. In
both cases thc pcoplc got what they
asked for and the corporations got
what thew deserved
For instance. in Toledo. Mayor
Whitlock took the instructions and
demanded Of tho street railway com.
pany that IL give the people what
they voted for. The company re-
fused 10 yield He called it's Off
Gals into his office. He showed
them an order that would drive
them off the streets on which their
franchises had expired. He told
them II thoy did not yield by 10
o'cloct. II would be enforced. He
showed he could do IT by quoting
20 them our own Fort-st. decision.
They still hesitated. The telephone
rang. The voice said It was
Charles Miller talking. that he rep
resented the bondholders, that tbs
first train he could get was due In
Toledo AT 1870. that it might bt
DELAYED. and he asked the mayor
not TO sign until he could see hin
for he wanted to save the bond
holders investments. The mavoI
won. the people won.
H. the y. U. r. officials nave over
capitalized tho lines, let them take
their medicine rs they had 10 in
Toronto and Toledo IF the people
vote down the u T. r. purchase
plan. they will have 10. for the peo-
pies plan contained In rho munic-
ipal ownership amendment adoni-
ed two years ago. compels them TO-.
| and all we need Is officials who
will enforce the laws instead of Off
ciale seeking 70 change them for
tbc hcreft Of tho y. u. r.
After the n. T.. r purchase plan
Is defeated II our officials will not
then enforce The laws. another cleo
tion j. near az hand when that