The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-07-05
|NTERURBAN LINE
PUT ONE OVER
FEDERAL OFFICIALS DISCLAlM
AUTHORIZING INCREASE
Ridicule Claim That Michigan Railway
is Steam Road Run by
Electricity

Daily Journal:
That the Michigan Railway Company
has taken advantage of a technicality
in order to raise rates of fare to passen-
gers is the belief of officials of the fed
eral railroad administration in Wash
ington. The general belief here is that
they have "put one over" The tech
nicality was in the form of telegram
from Judge Payne of the railroad ad-
ministration, which was seized upon as
pretext for raising the fares. and also
giving. notice of raise of freight rates.
Judge Payne has stated in so many
words to Congressman Carl T.. Mapes
that he never intended or did give any
authority to raise rates in the telegram
which he sent to the Michigan railroad
commission. He told the Grand Rapids
congressman that the director general
of railroads in fact has no authority to
authorize street or interurban electric
railways to increase their fares. Of
course, he never took any such action.
The director general has no authority
of any kind over interurban lines.
The telegram of June 16 to the Mich
igan railroad commission can in no way
be considered as authority for authoriz-
ing an increase of fares on the Holland
branch of the Michigan Railway, or
any other branch. Judge Payne, who
is general council of the railroad admin-
istration, states that the law authoriz-
ing the taking over of the steam rail-
roads by the government clearly exclud-
ed street and interurban railways from
its provisions. Such railways are under
the jurisdiction of the state railroad
commission, just as they were before
/ the passage of the act, and subject to
the same franchise provisions as before.
Federal officials know nothing about
the claim of traffic manager, F.. M.
Brown, of the Michigan Railroad COM
pany, to the effect that the road is a
steam road. and therefore comes under
the railroad control act. They ridicule
the claim that this road is a steam
road, or that it has been recognized by
the federal government as such. The
idea that the Michigan Railway COM
pany is steam road differing only in
the fact that its motive power is cleo
tricity." is not taken seriously here.
AS the federal. admins tration has
nothing to do With the Michigan Ry.
company, it is up to the people of the
suburbs affected to make their fight to
restore the lower rates, to the Mich
igan Railroad Commission.
That the Michigan Ry. is preparing
to hedge on its raise in rates is possible,
as the following dispatch may indicate.
1t was sent out on the 25th Of June
from jackson, Mich, that being the
general headquarters of the company:
Reduced rates to all suburban points
of the Michigan Railway company will
go into effect within a few days, accord
ing to an announcement made today by
officials of the company. The reduced
rates will take the form of commuters
tickets at rate of cent and half a
mile, plus 10 per cent.
The tariff department of the company
has been busy for the last seven days
preparing supplementary tariffs to file
with the Michigan Railroad commission
and Interstate Commerce commission.
In explanation of this plan it may be
said that these commuters tickets
would probably be in force during cer-
tain prescribed hours and would afford
cheap transportation for workingmen
who reside in suburban towns like Clio
and Mt. Morris and work in the larger
cities. So far as the people of this
township are concerned, however, we
believe they will demand for everyone
full rights under. the franchise given
the railroad company.
At its regular monthly meeting. held
Monday evening, the township board of
Vienna Township authorized Supervis-
or S. ]. Pound to take whatever legal
steps might be necessary and advisable
to secure for the people of the township
their rights under the franchise granted
the Michigan Ry. Company. The super
visor has said that he will take action
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