Fair Treatment All He Asks

General Mgr. Austin Addresses the Council

Regarding His Line

Will Bring Business From the South - Transfer Arrangements Made With Saline Line

Gen. Manager L. L. Austin, of the projected Toledo-Ann Arbor electric railway, was present at the council meeting Monday and was given an opportunity to be heard relative to his railway project. He said that when they were thinking of going to Ypsilanti with their road they were urged to come to Ann Arbor before finally determining upon the route to be taken, that they were assured Ann Arbor would be as liberal with them as she had been with the two roads that bad already been given franchises. He told of sending their engineer here, if his study of the question of entrance into the city with their road, the engineering difficulties in the way on certain streets and their final decision after weeks weeks of careful expert study of all the points involved.

Having carefully worked out all these matters the projectors of the road had submitted a franchise for the consideration of the council. They hoped the council would give their requests the same thoughtful consideration they had given similar requests in the past and grant them a franchise on as generous terms as given the other roads which had received franchises at their hands.

He believed this north and south road would be more of an advantage to the city than the east and west road. It will bring more business and take less away than the east and west road.

He said they had already made arrangements with the Hawks & Angus line to run from State street to Fourth avenue on their tracks, but did not want to be placed in the position of becoming tributary in all they did to the Hawks-Angus Line. Nor did he believe it would be to the interests of the city to have this done. The city was destined to grow. The business of the city was not destined to remain principally upon one street - it is sure to expand and a single track through Main street will not and cannot take care of the largely increased traffic of the future. He made a strong point of the necessity of some kind of a belt line arrangement to conveniently care for this business.

Mr. Austin said they already had secured a right of way to Whitmore Lake. He said they proposed to build as good a road as could be built, they would tap the Saline line and bring business from both directions of that line to the county seat as well as from the direct south. He hoped the council would find the city's interest conserved by extending to their project as kindly consideration and treatment as that hitherto extended to other similar projects.