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

BY FREDERICK p. INGRAM.
What would you give the people
what's your plan? The defenders
and explainers of the d. u. n. pur-
chase plan are asking.
Unconscious of It's impudence the
question is asked by these chauvin-
lists in their endeavor to save the
watered ID. q. 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 it's the d. ".
RS affair. The street car riders
should not be saddled with exorbi.
tant fares to make up the loss. But
this is just exactly what may hap
pen If the D. U. r. purchase plan
/ is carried Nov. 2. II is not munic
ipal ownership Plainly. il is a
/ scheme 10 validate the bonds ut the
| peoples expense.
These opposed TO the ID. u. r
purchase plan do not propose tc
give" the people anything. The
people voted for municipal owner
ship BY four TO one vote they
instructed their officials to imnedi
ately buy or build. First, offer the
y. u. r whatever the system may
be actually worth to the city. Then
build II either the ID, u. r. or the
people by vote reject the price
offered In spite Of what the cor
roration lawyers say. II can be
quickly done and with less lawsuits
than will result from the adoption
Of the ID. L. r. plan. Just as soon
as we get officials who will obey
| ~ InI ka rita w or
municipal ownership, providing the
" Y. r. purchase plan is voted
down Nov. 2.
This is proven by the recent ex.
nerience of Toronto and Toledo. In
both cities the orFcinls obeyed the
instructions OF the voters and ig
norod the corporation lawyers. In
both cases tho people got what they
asked for and the corporations got
what thew deserved
For instance, in Toledo. Mayor
Whitlock took the instructions and
demanded OF the street railway com
pany that it give the people what
they voted for. The company re
fused TO yield He called It's offi.
Gals into his ONCE. He showed
them an order that would drive
them or the streets on which their
franchises had expired. He told
them IL they did not yield by IL
o'clock. II would be enforced He
showed he could do It by quoting
TO them our own Fort-st. decision
They still hesitated. The telephone
rang. The voice said II was
Charles Miller talking. that he rep
resented the bondholders. that the
first train he could get was due n
Toledo at 1890. that II might b,
delayed. and he asked the mayor
not TO sign until he could see hin
for he wanted TO save the bond
holders investments. The mayor
won. the people won.
II the u. Y. r. offlcials have over
capitalized the lines. let them take
their medicine as they had to ir
Toronto and Toledo. ~ the people
vote down the u. Y. r. purchase
plan. they will have 10, for the peo
pies plan contained in the munlc
ipal ownership amendment adopt
ed two years ago. compels them TO
and all we need Is officials who
will enforce the laws instead OF on
Gals seeking 10 change them for
the benefit OF the y. II. r.
After the H. Z. r. purchase plan
is defeated n our officials will not
then enforce the laws, another cleo
tion Is near al hand when that