The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-09-30

Proponents OF the municipal own
ership plan, far from being dis
turbed at the injunction proceed
ings brought by &. NJ. Burton and
others TO restrain the city from
holding an election on the stree,
car settlement, Nov. 2. claim that
the suit is likely to turn into an
asset in their campaign.
IF we lose, no harm will have
been done 10 municipal ownership
because the plan will have been de
clared imperative before the PEG
pie have expressed themselves or
it," was the expression OF one OF
the leaders in the fight for the
plan, Wednesday III we win, the
legal difficulties which have been
raised will be cleared away. and
the opponents OF the settlement will
lose one of thsF strongest talking
points" W
Neither Alfred I.ucklng nor Rich
ard |. Lawson, attorneys for the
street car board. would discuss the
details Of the suit. Mr. Lucking is
sued the following statement:
MIR. Lawson andi | have con
ferred regarding the suit While We
do not deem il wise TO make dis
closure of plans, or 10 talk abou,
the details OF the suit, still IL Is
only fair to the public to state that
we have looked over the grounds
given in the bill for injunction. and
we do not find anything new in
them, nor do we see any reason Ia
change our opinion that the pur
chase plan is valid and legal: nor
do we think that tho court will u.s.
sue any injunction restraining the
election. We shall confer with Cor
poration Counsel Dingeman as soon
as he returns To the city"
Controller Engel was consider.
ably amused by the statement in the
Injunction petition that the city
has already exceeded its four per
cent bonding limit. Auditor William
IL. Hall and Bookkeeper Lewis II
Echlin said that they gave the fig.
ures which Attorney James o. Muir.
fin asked OF them, without com
ment
Controller Engel says that in the
four per cent bonding limit. Mr.
Muffin has included school and IL
brary bonds. which the supreme
court has held TO be outside of the
general bond limit. The library
bonds amount to s760,000 and the
school bonds to s7,767 900. Accord
ing To the controller, the bonding
limit on June 30 was S22,l75.31S.
From this must be deducted s., 11o,.
900 Of authorized water bonds: the
city's net debt on June 30 II S..
S44,757.9s. and s2.667.o00 Of author.
ICED and unissucd city bonds. lcav.
ing margin on sl0,663. J60Ci un.
der the four per cent limit.
"Of the bonds listed by Mr.. Muir.
fin as authorized and unissucd, 81.
10000 have either been declared
invalid by court decisions. or will
not be issued for some other rea.
son" said Mr.. Engcl These au.
thorizations will be cancelled by the
next Board OF Estimates"
The constitutional arguments
raised by Mr.. Muffin and his asso-
ciate counsel. Campbell. Buckley &
Ledyard. are said to be invalid. The
amendment to the home rule act.
under the provisions OF which the
contract with the ID. u. n. was
framed. Is said to give the commits.
sion full power TO make such n con.
tract. az the amendment was framed
with lust such an agreement In mind
as the one which was finally drawn
between the car board and the ID.
Y. n.
Mayor Marx has invited the ofi.
GERS If the various civic organiza.
tions to meet in his Office. Friday
evening at o'clock, The mayor
and Attorneys Lucking and Lawson
will explain to them the meaning OF
the purchase plan. and will ask
them TO schedule meetings OF their
organizations in which the commits
sioners and their attorneys may ex-
.o~A a. A<s~N