The Detroit times., 1917-12-06
The ThompsOn-Hally
Franchise Crowd Isn't
Emphasizing This Point


The old Thompson-HaIly franchise
crowd did just what we expected II 70 do
when the Detroit United Railway abro-
gated It's day-to-day agreement and be-
gan charging a straight five-cent fare.
II tried to stage a comeback and, mo-
mentarily. it looked as if it would a-tempt
il with the increase in the rate of fare as
IT'S excuse.
The Free Press was part OF the
Thompson-Hally crowd in that bitterly
fought and well-remembered campaign
that made such strange political bedtel-
lows, and when the rates of fare were
raised by tae.cpmpany on Sunday. follow
ing It's snap notice hurled with defiance
at the mayor that newspaper had this TO
say
si1 years ago. 80 the close ot 1917 bc people
uf Detroit bad before them What was known as
the Th0mpeonitally agreement, unQtr which 'h-
.treet car rate of fare was Fixed ou bss.g ot
eight tickets t0r d quarter until l9e3 when the
franchises on the Pingiea lines are % expire and
The city was 20 have the right 10 acquire TIE
entire system az the termination OF Zoo agree
meut Tie Free Press supported that agree
nent and used It's best eudeayors 30 hive 81
accepted by the voters. bur certain interest,".
political and otherwise brought about its re
isetion.
There will be no need Of thrashing over old
straw Of si1 years ago, bat II tho Thompson
Sally agreement Lad been accepted IN rAe cleo
fiou January %. 1912 instead OF being rejected
The people ~ Detroit would not only have been
riding for cents tter since but they would be
riding af that rate bow and for six years 20
come The present deficit in receipts would
- N.V-m H.a... ....H. T. ~H.
ip meet and 80 would meet u. pr lmabB 81
raising money 20 tidc itselt over the emergency
which Barclay Parsons 81 klapp believe ~ he
temporary althO the method the company
would adopt would be it's concern and not the
Dublie's The eightfor-a-auarter fare could not
have been raised
When any one tells you that you were led
astray in rejecting the vague proposition which
the city refused 10 accept two years ago and
Hhich had no promise of any limitation Of fares
refer HIM back four years farther and ask him
whether he advocated the approval ef- the
Thompson.Hslly agreement that would have pre-
vented all fare increases prior 10 1894
The Free Press doesn't say anything
about the expense TO the taxpayers that
would have fallen TO them with the
Thompson-Hally franchise, for paving.
the work to be done by the D. L. r. at the
city's expense, which would have included
n nice profit to the D. L. r. above actual
cost.
Ist doesn't say anything about the law
suits against the d. u. r. which the city
would have dropped.
1t doesn't say anything about the secret
conferences or the lying ballot.
The Thompson-Hally franchise was de-
fested because the people of Detroit were
determined then that the D. U. r. will
never get another franchise, as they are
determined now, despite the fact that the
News has taken down the slogan against
any more 'on any terms"
The Free Press does not tell US that
what the people wanted from the D. L. r.
at the time Of the Thompson-Hall pro-
position was SERVICE before a cheaper
rate Of fare and that the Thompson-Hally
proposition did not provide the service
they wanted, nor even attempt it,
What the people want now is SERVICE
before rate OF fare that will not enable
the ID. Z. K. to give them service and the
object in retaining experts at an outlay
of $4,000 OF city money Is to find out at
what fare the ID. u. r. can give SERVICE
and operate at a reasonable profit.
The common council has been quick to
seize the strongest weapon we have at
hand to hold over the d. u. +. and that
is our full say in the matter of whether
the company can defy US and still have
the use Of our streets for its enormous
interurban business and its freight busi-
ness.
That club can be used with good effect,
but if the Thompson-H Hally franchise had
been granted the d. L. R., WE WOULD
NOT HAVE IT.
The Thompson-Hally crowd is not en-
phasizing that point.
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II Carries A lonO