The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-10-30
Union Men Ask Many
Pointed Questions
About Plan
FAT TEAMSTER.
STARTED IT ALL
Speaker Strikes Snag
In Practical Railroad
Man

hlcnarO !. Lawson, one or the
principa! defenders of the street car
purchase plan. found himself IN hos
tile territory. Friday night. when he
attempted to deliver his speech in
Polonia hall. Hastings-st. and Willis
ave-. which had been engaged by
the Detroit Federation of Labor
Before the former corporation coun.
sci got halfway through his talk.
he was In the midst of q many-cor
nered debate.
Among those who injected them
selves In the argument were the
Fat Teamster. who rolled his own
cigarettes; the Irish Railroad Man
and Economist, who admitted that
he had built couple of railway sys-
TENS. but added that II was nobody 9
business Just where these monu-
mcnts to his ability were situated |;
the curly headed Union Man. who
wa, much interested in the arbitra
ton plan. and several plain citizens
The Fat Teamster started II all.
He was fumbling with his ''makin's.'
when Lawson told how the city
would take over the lines automati
cally, before the price was fixed, II
the plan received q three-fifths vote.
Hey. Mr.. Chairman" reared the
teamster. this Is a public meeting
and I guess I got q right to ask a
question or two"
ut would be better II you waited
until the speaker has finished" said
Aid. Schemansky, chairman Of the
meeting.
"wait nothing! Hey. Mr.. Law
son. Why can't we tear up them
tracks on FOREST, drive out the ID
u. R.. and run our own lines with
out going through all this court
business? Don't them streets be-
long to u.s."
"You would have to give the d. U.
r. a 90-day notice." said Lawson.
"You could tear them up, but what
would you have to ride on In the
meantime! There would be delay.
and you would have only one line.
Would you want to pay another fare
after you got through using the Fort
cars? I'll tell you what system you
favor. You favor mob r.le."
Mob rule, Ell? I guess I git mob
ruled enough ever time they pack
me In one Of them Fourteenth
traps"
The Fat Teamster and Lawson
then battled over the question OF
whether or not the D. u. r. had
paid It's back taxes. Lawson finally
called Upon his companion, Con-
troller Engel. TO verify his state
ment that the tax had been paid.
Aid. schemansky became alarmed
when he viewed numerous heads
bobbing up. all ready to IRE ques-
tons at the speaker.
Zone at . time" he cried. You
don't want to get up here like lot
of sheep"
Once more the teamster felt call
ed upon to give voice to his indig-
nant feeling.
I'VE amt no sheep, Mr.. Chair.
man. We're human beings. Just like
you are"
He sat down ponderously. and his
suffering chair creaked and ool-
lapsed with q compound fracture Of
the right leg. The teamster caught
himself IN time. and then. seeming.
~ diSgusted with the way things
were going. he numbered once more
into the adjoining room. where a
whits-aproned man was drawing
'em" - fast a. he could and playing
Q serenade On the cash register.
lawson began 10 tell about the
absolute certainty. under the pro-
posed plan, Of getting the system at
q fair price.
whats the d. U. r. WORTH" In.
terrupted the Irish Railroad Man.
II don't believe there's q man In
Detroit who knows" said lawson.
ri tell you the only way We can fnd
out IL by . judicial Investigation.
such 20 II proposed In this plan"
well. your car board offered
something like S3s. Soo. 900, didn't itf
why did you want to pay that much.
when you know II isn't worth itY"
do you know what It's worth r"
"Yes. ! DO" responded the rail.
road man. II guess know some.
thing about what railway systems
are worth" -.
"Then you're . better Agursr than
I am. What do you know about
railroads. Ever build one your
seifr"
Yes. built . couple OF them.
Where? Well. you don't think ri
get up here and tell you my busi-
ness. do pour Eight million dol
lars ID al that this d. U. r. junk II
worth. The car board has already
offered almost three times that
much. and we haven't any reason TO
believe that their proposed price
wili not have . heavy weight IN
court" ~
An tAis tn. sAs plala estlssas