The Detroit times., 1915-10-11
THOMPSON
POURS SHOT
INTO NEWS

you offered them nearly Ave years
ago to apply them today As II
notes how far. your pet measure
falls short when tried by your own
yard-stics, IL can devote itself to
the consideration Of the question
whether you were honest then. are
honest now, or possessed the quail
ity OF honesty on neither occasion.
Jan. 2. 1912, you declared. as one
OF your objections TO the Thompson
Hally ordinance that Mayor Thomp-
son negotiated this franchise In Sc
cret Today the Detroit News rs
going sled-length In favor of a
blank-check ordinance which IL the
result OF So acknowledged secret
sessions between the street railway
board and the Detroit United Rail
way. The fact that your own two
public secretaries, the one en-
ployed by the mayor. the other by
the street railway board. participat.
ed in these secret conferences, did
not let the public in on them one
sesa more than N they had net keen
present Does the presence Of De
troit News appointed secretaries at
secret conferences on public mat
tiers relieve them OF their charac'
teristic Of secrecy
"On Dec 30, 1911. you told the
public of this town that the Thomp
son-Hally ordinance. which abso-
lutely provided for an eight-for-a.
quarter fare on all the lines In this
city, was of no value - the citizen
who rode on then existing eight
for-a-quarter fares. Yet since then
you have complacently approved q
seven-for.a-quarter rate accepted by
an administration In which you see
nothing but good save In It's man
agement OF the police department
which seems to have accomplished
the difncult feat OF getting under
the hide Of The Family. And with
equal complacency you are givins
assent to the computations OF In
come based upon still higher fares,
required to carry a burden OF debt
and higher grade Of service.
"Jan. 10. 1912. you quoted from
my campaign book OF 1906, this sen-
tence:
emo fair settlement OF the street
car question can be reached unless
the cost OF the d. o. r.. property Is
known
"You approved that idea than. II
was right in 1906. II was right In
1919 when you approved 1t. Has II
become wrong since you were wed
ded TO the blank-check. pig-in-a
poke plan that viii make the ID. U
r. property within the one-fare zone
cost this city 10000 900. II It costs
q cent. Has II become wrong be
cause Il has been worked up BY q
mayor who has filled the city oflces
With Detroit News nominees. and
by this wonderful trio Of million
juggiers To whose names you refer
so frequently n Endorsements Of
the prudence Of the new shell game
TO which you are coaxing the peo.
pie Of this city.
Continuously you have been
harping upon the extensions the city
will get when the city owns the
property Of the d. l.. r. Did you
not persistently oppose the ordi-
nance OF 1912, which specifically
provided for a north and south line
in the western part OF the city, a
cross-town line IN the neighborhood
OF Bagg-st. and a Kercheval-ave. ex-
tension TO the st. Jean.rd.. all 10 be
built In 1912. besides an addition
each year OF Ave per cent TO the
previously existing mileage OF the
city. Would not the ordinance you
opposed have by this time have pro.
vided upwards OF so miles OF the ex.
tensions you are still clamoring for
and continue 10 automatically pro
vide many new miles each year?
You are clamoring for municipal
ownership, Did not the ordinance
you opposed provide for municipal
ownership, and was not the neutral
arbitrator OF the price 10 be appoint
ed by the circuit judges whose In
PREVENTION you opposed, and Il
whom now, In an excess 81 virtue
you cannot pay too high compli
ments?
The ordinance OF 1912 provided
that the property only should be
come security for any debt created
TO buy H. You opposed that, In the
public interest. Today. you stand
sponsor for a public debt issue OF
81 100000 to help buy this prop
erty. . and are publicly abetting {