The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-10-20
THE STREET CAR ISSUE

mted the of Detroit than the street railway pur
chase plan which will be voted Nov 2 the principal dis
been heard has been minor points be-
logged with personal attacks of who side
who the other, bitter contention between
newspapers 1t is therefore the purpose of The Times to
take the principal points in the proposed purchase plan
and review clearly possible and entirely without pref
udce the arguments both for and against in the hope that
review may assist in making the what
the issues involved are.
Any man who starts to review the present argument
for and against the acquisition of the properties of the De-
United Railway in the Onefare by the city in
cOrdance with the plans laid out by the street railway
mission if he is Detroit of many years residence
struck first by the curious alignment of forces
gagged in this campaign.
The men directly responsible for the presentation of
the purchase proposition not the who have been
actively campaigning for municipal ownership in Detroit IN
the past Equally, most of the who bitteres in
their campaign against the present proposition
nicpal ownership of long standing and much cam
pagning.
True Mayor Marx who is the tituar head of the pro-
pagand has been accounted mild advocate of the prin
cple of municipal ownership for campaigns past He
in the council representing the cid Fifteenth
ward when Pngree mayor and while carrying
any the burdens of leadership for Pngree account
ed friendly to the "old man."
But the three members of the railway commission,
well the two lawyers who have helped to frame the
proposition who have been heard of in
ncpa ownership battles. The is true of most of
the who campaigning for the purchase proposition
administration measure.
On the other hand, the head and front of the oppos
ton are who have talked and dreamed municipal
ership morning, and night in and out of
son. for many years that their nvOunary
to mind whenever NJ o. is mentioned thought Of This
list includes F. F. Ingram, George William Moore, John
McVcar and several Others not forgetting exMayOr Will
liam B. Thompson, who was municipal ownership man
with the o. X brand his shoulder right back to the old
Pngree days. lot of people took pleasure in reminding
him when he presented street railway settlement that in
cuded further license to live for the ID. u r. and
this proposition kicked all the lot by the voters
These nj. o. Justify their opposition to the first
definite municipal ownership proposition made since the
days when the court told Pngree that municipal
ownership was possible under the old constitutions by
claiming that this proposition is calculated to load the
city down with debt that successful municipal operation
will be impossible and the city will have to let the lines
go back private ownership and probably stay there.
Beyond their objections to the feasibility and legality
of the method under which it proposed to acquire the
lines opponents of the present plan have made little OBJ
lection to the purchase plan, except the labor
proposition. Here they claim that civil service and the
right it is proposed to confer the street railway
mission hire and discharge all employees will necessarily
result in wreckng the street railway mems unor and
that point they are stirring up union labor opposition
TIE plan.
On the other hand the administration pushing the
purchase plan say that the typical who have been
talking about municipal ownership for many years have
produced anything that looked like definite move
ment toward the end they constantly recommending
while the hackers of the pending plan have produced
thing that will enable the city to take the street lines
into its hands If II so desires.
(The Times Thursday, will discuss the price feature
of the purchase plan)