The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1938-09-03
Bulletin Board

While many OF the young crow
are looking forward 10 the opening
OF school and college the older
folks are talking politics. The
mention OF voting brings 10 my
mind an editorial that appeared In
the Detroit Free Press OF August
80. 1t read. When the regis
tration OF voters for the Sept. -
primary closed last Wednesday the
total registered vote in Detroit was
662.0e1.
Several thousand new registrar
tions were filed. and the total has
been exceeded only by registra-
tons for the 1885 elections.
Detroit has population OF
more than a million-and-a-half
people.
And the books show that only
about one-third OF them are suf-
fciently interested in the manage
ment OF their public affairs to re-
gister for the primaries.
Compare that with Pittsburgh,
where 45.3 per cent OF the popu-
lation are registered. or even
Cleveland. where 4S.7 per cent have
qualified 10 vote.
Citizens who have right to vote
and do not vote and do not use 1t
have no right to complain about
the officials nominated in Septem-
Der and elected in November.
Those who failed to register for
the primary may qualify to vote
in the November elections by regis
tering between Sept. Is and Oct. 10.
They should do 80. without fail.
lust A SECOND
On September IL the voters will
pass an amendment TO the Charter
TO require a FIVE cent fare on all
Detroit street cars.
The proposed amendment contains
an entirely related provision that
Requires that bus drivers should
?have a seniority system independ-
ent OF that OF street car platform
men /. When buses we're FIRST put
on by the d. s. r. the drivers were
put on. laid off; and given
preferential runs on the basis OF
seniority that ignored the seniority
OF platform men. Obviously. with
an expanding bus system. many
new bus drivers had better jobs
than platform men older In the SER
vice.
Whether this system was just or
| not depends on whether you were
a bus driver or street car opera
tor. Certainly the considerations
involved are too technical to be de-
termined in the voting booths. The
series OF amendments started with
one submitted ~ the bus
drivers at the November. 1886 e.
lection granting them separate
seniority. IL wac carried. The third
attempt was In the November, 1897
election. when the bus men sought
to reverse the street car mems
amendment. This was defeated.
Then followed lengthy litigation,
eliminating In a strike by the
street car men for immediate en-
forcement OF the last amendment,
although the matter was before
the Supreme Court at the time
Most OF the bus drivers refused 10
strike. Now a fourth attempt ia
to be made TO regulate seniority by
charte amendment. this time with
q 2 ent fare tied to II.
That neither fares nor conditions
OF employment tbould be settled BY
charter amendment seems only a
matter OF common sense 1T was
intended that d. 3. r. should be
run by the Commission as a pri-
vate business for a public service. /.
The ID. 8. n. Commission men,
bers are In favor OF reduced fares
on both street cars and motor
coaches. They believe that reduc-
ed fares furnish an additional In
centive 10 riding. and have been
aiming at such reduction for the
past four or Ave years. Many re-
auctions In motor coach fares have
been effective, but with length Of
rcuts constantly increasing. and