House Moving Fever

     General Manager F. E. Merrill, of the Detroit, Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor electric rail road is in the city today looking after the interests of his road and making acquaintances. He says the company expected to have eight new cars on before the Fourth of July but have been disappointed in the time of the delivery and will not get on more than two new ones. They are getting ready some trailers, however, so as to be in condition to handle the summer traffic. He is also trying to make arrangements with the board of public works concerning the moving of buildings across the Packard street line. His plan which he has laid before the board of public works is to have one or two places on the line where buildings may be taken across. If such an arrangement can be made, he says the road will put in a device at these crossing places of such a nature as to enable the wires to be dropped down without any cutting, and easily replaced after the building is moved across. He says that as the matter stands now, the wires are liable to be cut at any crossing and that more or less trouble always follows where the wire is spliced. The connection, because of the powerful current which passes, it is quite liable to be burned out and the wire damaged so that another splice becomes necessary. These partings of the wires not only cause a considerable expense but let the wires down and delay traffic. He thinks his scheme would be practicable and not cause movers much extra expense and they should be willing to bear their share of expense. He says the road does not want to stop people from crossing the line with buildings, but thinks some mutually protective plan can be devised which obviate the difficulties and be satisfactorily to all concerned. Mr. Merrill is evidently the right man in the right place.