RAILWAY 1. <;ias<*ow Corporation Tramways, 46 Bath .Street, Glasgow, 29th .luri.-. 1905. The Hnnounitili- EDWARD F. DUXNK. Mr,..! .if Chicago. M^ hi M: \l \yoir. A desired, I beg to send you the following note* regarding your proposal that the municipality of Chicago should now take such step* as may be necessary to own and operate it* street railway ityitemi. In the first place, I must again convey to you the thanks of the Lord Provost and the City Council of Glasgow for the honour you have conferred on them in looking to their city fr information at this juncture. As for myself, I have had a most delightful and instructive trip, and have enjoyed myself among your people immensely. Everyone I n.. >ly in Chicago, but in all the cities I found time to visit, was exceedingly kind, and all seemed anxious to give me whatever information I required. My visit to your country will, I feel - be of great value to me as a public official in the service of the ' ilasgow. As I understand the position, you were elected Mayor by the citizen* of Chicago on a distinct issue, vi/.. the immediate municipalisation of the street railways of your city. Vi.iir ..l.j.-. T. I take it, in asking the City Council of Glasgow to allow me to visit your city was that you might learn from me how and why the municipality of Glasgow took over the operation of th<- street railways; also thnt you might have full details regarding the organisation and management of a municipal street railway* department, and whether our experience in Glasgow could be applied to Chicago. From the day I landed at rk I endeavoured, through the press and in private interviews with yourself and your associates in the city government, to tell what the municipality of Glasgow have done and are doing in this connection, and how they have made such a conspicuous success in the management of all the public utilities under the control of the City Council including, of course, the street railways, which have been operated by the city since 1894. It is now, as you know, an accepted principle in Britain that all public utilities such as water, gas, electric liglr railways, ice. should be under the control of the municipality. I do not know that it is necessary for me to repeat here the details regarding the management of the Glasgow street railways, as this information has been very fully given to you already. I had not been many hours in your city before I fully realised why the citizens of Chicago should be so anxious that a change be made at once in the management of your street railways, and it did not astonish me that you should have been elected Mayor by such a large majority when you had intimated to your people that, if elected, you would take immediate steps to have the street railways owned and operated l>y the municipality. During my stay in Chicago I devoted a considerable time to the study of your street railway system. I was extremely anxious, in the first place, to know the history and the present financial position of the various operating and underlying street railway companies in your city, and I must confess that it took me some time to completely master the facts in connection with the various changes that have taken place in the position of these companies from time to time. It was also necessary for me to devote some time to the study of your system of municipal government, which I found extremely interesting. Regarding the present condition of the street railway systems of Chicago, I consider that your citizens are fully warranted in demanding an immediate change, so that tlu-y may have the travelling facilities that are now enjoyed by the citizens of every other city of the United States. Under the existing circumstances, the most natural, and, indeed, the only way out of the difficulty which would present itself to the ordinary citizen, who does not generally fjo into details, would be complete and immediate nmuicipalisation. I have endeavoured, in considering this important question, to look at it from every point of view my sole object, like your own, being to recommend a course of action which would be for the common good of the citizens of Chicago. From my training and experience you can readily understand that my sympathies are entirely on the side of municipal ownership and operation of street railways, but in Chicago you are peculiarly situated in this connection at the present moment. There are many questions which tend to make the position a very difficult one for a municipality to deal with. There is, for instance, the unsatisfactory state of the various franchises that have been granted to the street railway companies. If these long franchises are upheld, it would be very difficult I would almost say it would be impossible for your city to purchase these. Presuming for a moment that you were able at a satisfactory figure to purchase the present undertaking, including the franchises, there would undoubtedly be a very grave danger in your city attempting to operate what would be the largest street railway undertaking in the world without making a very radical change in the methods usually employed in carrying on municipal work by the cities of the United States. And if you should seriously consider making a start on the Adam Street route, which you may be compelled to do, this new system would undoubtedly for a long time to come add to the present confusion. There are many other points of difficulty. Yet, as I said at the outset, the time has now arrived when the street railways of Chicago should be put on a proper basis, and the equipment brought up to date. How should this be done? Although the time may not yet have arrived when your city could take over the responsibility, should it be the desire of your citizens to do so, yet I think an arrange- ment might be made now with this end in view. I may be travelling beyond my" brief in making this suggestion, but I cannot refrain from expressing my strong conviction that a serious attempt should be made on the part of the municipality and the street railway companies to arrive at a reasonable settlement. If the street railway companies do not seem inclined to be reasonable, then, I would say to you, start your municipal system without delay. I cannot, of course, at this time go into all the details of what I would consider a reasonable settlement. The present companies must, of course, be merged into one, so that the whole may be operated as one complete system. All claims under the ninety- nine years' franchise must be waived. There must be one fare, and no central loops. The use of trailer cars should be discontinued. The present equipment would 'require in a great measure to be thrown into the scrap heap, the whole work of reconstruction being carried out at the sight and to the satisfaction of the city officers. The new operating company might be allowed a fixed time in which to have the whole system put into complete order, and afterwards have a franchise for, say, twenty years, the municipality having the right, say, every five years, to take possession on stated terms. A percentage of the gross annual earnings should be handed over to the City Treasury to be used for specific purposes, say, the upkeep of the streets ; full and detailed statements of all income and expenditure, both on account of capital and revenue, should be produced annually by the operating company to the city officers. The above are a few points which occur to me at the moment. Under good, sound, economical management the street railway system of Chicago is destined not only to be the largest but the finest in the world. Now, presuming that the present companies are unwilling to meet you on anything like reasonable terms, what is the only course open for you ? I should say, undoubtedly, to start your municipal system on each line as the franchises expire. I should be very sorry, however, were you forced to take such a step, as, speaking generally, I should say, from my knowledge and experience of what it means to operate a municipal street railway system, that the municipalities of the United States are not yet quite ready to successfully undertake this work. Iii your list <>f -|ii. -'inns you ask some information regarding the management of a inuiiicipal street railway system. I would certainly recommend that the street railway department lie managed liy a small committee nf the City Gmncil, to be chosen irrespec- tive of politics, and that tin- whole internal management lie placed under one permanent officer. I have already given you very fully my views in regard to the management generally. You are also anxious to have my opinion in regard to the system of traction. I say, unhesitatingly, that no other system should be thought of at the present time than the overhead trolley. If pro|MTly constructed it is not unsightly, it is not dangerous, it is the most reliable, and it is the most economical, both to construct and maintain. To instal the underground trolley in any part of Chicago would, for various reasons, be a scandalous waste of money. In regard to the production of power, it should not be necessary for you at the outset to erect a power station, but, when the whole system is in operation, you should certainly have one central high-tension generating station, with sub-stations. Meantime you should purchase your power. In regard to the fares, it is unlikely that your citizens would care to change from the uniform fare, with transfers, to the European system. You cannot issue transfers if you adopt the graded system of fares. The Adam Street route might, however, be a very suitable one on which to test the graded system, should you think it desirable to do so. I do not know that it is necessary for me at the present moment to say more. If you should finally decide that there is no other course open to you than to gradually municipalise your street railway system, I shall let you have every assistance in my power in regard to the organisation of the various department*, such as engineering, transportation, and accounting, and in regard to management generally. I have again to thank you and my many friends in Chicago for the opportunity afforded me of paying my tint visit to your country, and for the great kindness shown to me while I was in your city. I am, Mr DKAR MAYOR, Ynura very sincerely, JAS. DAUIYM! l.i: Chicago, 10th July. 1905. DALKVMPLE, Tramways, Glasgow. Can you give me fuller report. Answer. Have written. M NM: 3. Glasgow, llth July, 1905. IM tan, Chi' Cable recei\fn ami TrnininL ... ''' \'\ \V..rkMi- Hours. ] VI! ..Ilii-tion. ... 17 VIII. I'ow.-i Station. .. ... ... 17 IX. TriM-k. \ (HiTMl-llll lV|llll>IMi-llt. .. .. ... I s XI. -Main- .in.l Cal.l.-s. .. 18 XII.-CurK.' !> XII! Workshops. I i XIV :... ;.,! s t -,,vs. .. 19 XV. I'.vUw-. Ul XVI. A,-,-H,.|it flan,,-. !' XVII. Aiiniiiil Financial Suu'inont. .. ... - XVIII. Fri.-ndly So.-i.-tv. 20 XIX. Sii|n-raniiuation. ... ... ... ... 'JO IB 7. I. Cmr COUNCIL. Tin- administration of the Street Railway Dcp.n uncut should lie entirely under i In- control of the City Council. They should appoint annually from their number a TraiiKpoitation Coiriinittee, and should a!-.. .ippo.nt il,,- (Jeiieral Manager. All mil of the Transportation Conniiitte<- shoiikl lie regularly submitted to the City Council foi Approval. II. Ti. \N-I-OKTATIOJI COMMITTKB. MIC City Council should appoint annually from their niiinlier a Tians|Mirtati>n Committee, consisting of. say. from twelve to fifteen inuinlwrh. This eom- mittee K|KHI|I| cany mit the work of tin- Sti.-et Hallway Department, like the board of director* of a private corporation. A regulai meeting of this committee might ! In-Ill *ay. every fortnight for tin- transaction of all business in connection with the operation of the car service. This committee should consider all suggestion* which may lie made to the City Council in regard i. the opciation of the car service. This mittev ini^'lit. with advantage. ap|xiint the following xiih-coniinittee : (1) Sub-Committee on Finance. (2) Sub-Committee on Extensions. ( 3 ) Sub-Committee on Stores. ^lib-Committee on Staff. All matter* referred to these Kul.-conmiitteeii ihould be approved by the p.' committee. tub-Committee on Pittance. The Sub-Committee on Finance would carry through all financial transactions, pan all account* for payment, and receive report* from the i.cncrul Manager regarding the revenue and expenditure <>f the undertaking. They would als,, prepare i.-|.it and issue annual financial statement. Thin lub-committev would also effect all insurances. It would also see that all revenue was duly accounted ml lodged in bank. All l>orrowing on capital account would also come under thin committee, which would sec that all payment* for interest and vinking fund weic properly applied. It might be well also to remit to this committee any proposed altera- tion of fare*, and the collection of same. Sub-Committee on Krtention*. All proposals regarding extensions of the system should l>e remitted to this committee for consideration and report. Any negotiations which might be rendered necessary on account of any extensions of the system might be i ;i tried through by this sub-committee. This sub-committee might also take in charge the obtaining of the necessary powers for making extensions of the system, and alxo any suggestion regarding the fixing or alterations of routes. titio-Committee on Store*. This sub-committee could take charge of the drawing out <>t specifications and schedules for the carrying out of any work for the department, and also for the purchase of material and supplies. This subcommittee would see that all requirements were duly advertised in accordance with the Standing Orders of ill-- City Council. They would meet regularly to open all offers and to consider same. Their recommendation for the acceptance of offers would, of course, be submitted to the p.iicnt committee for approval. 1 'mini i iff on Staff. This sub-committee could consider all salaries and wages, hours of labour, and general conditions of service. All applications by members of tin- staff for increase of wages, m. so that nearly all mir men finish their (lay's work within twelve hours: that is to say, from tin- time of re|iorting in tin- morning till the time that a man is relic' lit should nut e \ceed twelve hours. In a few instances the spread-over reaches fourteen, or in one or two cases fifteen, hours: lint these come in thu cycle of duti.-- .nd cannot very well lie avoided. We endeavour t a man four ami a-half hours on eiiig by the different t radon. The Corporation always pay what is recognised as the trade* union rate of wage*, and where no union rate exists we pay whatever is recognised an a fair wage in the district. VII. FARE COLLBCTIOX. The American system of fare collection is. of course, entirely different from that in general use in this <>ur system of graded fare* necessitate* a much more complicated system of check than is necessary where there is one uniform fare. It is generally admitted, however, l>y your street railway men that your system of check is very deficient. With our system of check I l>elieve we get the money that is collected by the conductors, whereas with your system it is generally recognised that railway corporation* do not get all the money from the conductors that they collect from passengers. < >ur route*, a* you know, are divided into stages of rather over i mile each on the avci;r_- ' these stages a passenger pays one cent. If he desires to travel further, he can travel over any four consecutive halfjxjuny stage* for two cent*, any six stages for three cents, any eight stage* for four cents, Ac. Whenever a passenger pay* his fare, the conductor punches a ticket in the section orer which the passenger is entitled to travel. The passenger is bound,' so long as he is on the car, to retain this ticket, and exhibit it to the conductor or inspector when asked to do so. The conductor's lx.-11-punch registers the numlici of passengers he has carried. The conductor is, in addition, responsible : ticket which he receives, and the inspectors on the route board the cars frequently ii ascertain that < passenger is in possession of a ticket, and is travelling on the * which he has paid. We endeavour to make the check both on the .conductor and the passenger as complete and perfect as ponible, and in Glasgow we find no difficulty in getting the people to co-operate with the department in this connection. In Clasgow we have no transfers indeed, with our system of tickets and the division of our route* into stages transfers are really not necessary; and, in fact, it would l>e very difficult to carry out a transfer system. In introducing a municipal car service into Chicago, you cannot be too careful in obtaining very full powers to deal with passenger* in connection itl offences against your rule* and regulations. Our judges here uphold the di ; in enforcing our rules. Only the other day a passenger, when a*ked by the inspector to show his ticket. pointed to the floor of the car and said his ticket was there, and he (the inspector) could pick it up and look at it if he pleased. The inspector refused, and asked the passenger to pay again. This 'he would not do. He was summoned to appear at the Police Court, and was tincd 1-5 dollars for not paying his faro. It would lie very unfortunate for a municipality working a street railway to have any looseness in the fare collection, as any slackness might lead to abuses which would result in very heavy losses. It is worth a very great deal of trouble to be able to keep the staff honest. Your people in Chicago might consider that any system such as I have described might be a step backwards. \\ r. knowing what the results might be, would not think for a moment of relaxing our check in the slightest degree. VIII. POWER STATION. There are only a very few municipalities having a separate power station for the street railways; the usual plan is to have a combined lighting and traction station, tin- station being under the charge of the City Electrical Engineer, ti Railway Department simply requiring to pay a price per unit for the power used. In Glasgow, however, and in several of the other larger cities, the Street Railway Depart- ment has its own power station. For our system, which is designed for about 250 miles of single track and 900 cars, we have a power station with a total capacity of about I l.nuo kilowatts, with a staff of 100 men. We have high-tension current at 6.500 volts, 18 converted at five sub-stations to 500 volts direct current. The power station is under the charge of a Superintendent, who is responsible to the Chief Engineer. You will find our power costs fully detailed in tke annual report for 1905, copy of which has already been sent you. IX. TRACK. It will be necessary for you to organise what we call a permanent way staff for the maintenance of your track. Under a municipal street car system the track is very often under the City Engineer, and the annual cost of the maintenance is charged to the Street Railway Department. In the larger cities, however, it is usual for the permanent way staff to be under the charge of the Street Railway Department. In Glasgow, in addition to maintaining the track, we frequently lay extensions of the track by our own staff. As a rule, however, we do all extension work by contract. In order to keep the track in perfect order a very large staff is required. We have at present rather over 150 miles of single track, and we have altogether in our Permanent Way Department about 650 men. These men are divided into squads of various sizes, each squad being responsible for the maintenance of the lines in a certain district. Each squad is under the charge of a separate foreman, the whole being under a civil engineer, who is responsible to the Chief Engineer. X. OVERHEAD EQUIPMENT. Another department of the service is the staff charged with the erection and main- tenance of the overhead equipment. This staff is divided into three sections (1) The staff charged with the construction of the overhead equipment for new lines. We do all this work by our own staff; (2) The maintenance staff, which is continually on the road inspecting the wires ; and (3) The emergency staff, which is at call should any part of the overhead equipment give way. Each of these squads is under a foreman, who is responsible to the Chief Engineer. XI. MAINS AND CABLES. The upkeep of the mains and cables, as well as the electrical equipment at the power station and sub-stations, is under the control of the Electrical Engineer. The mains and cables staff not only look after any faults in the cables, but they lay all new work, as we prefer to do this work by our own staff. XII. CAR BARNS. We find that the most suitable size for a car barn is to have accommodation for from 150 to 200 cars. In designing your car barns, you should make near the entrance gate a commodious office for the accommodation of the motormen and conductors and the traffic staff generally. In a car barn holding, say, 200 cars, it is necessary to have an office measuring about 720 square feet. There should also be a store for the material used by the repair staff, a fitters' workshop, and a room for the cleaners, where the men can store their cleaning material, brushes, &c. Ample kitchen, lavatory accommodation, and baths should also be provided. We have also in our car barns a large recreation room, fitted up with gymnastic appliances, tables, chairs, draughts, chess, bagatelle, &c. At all our car barns there are car pits almost over the whole barn for convenience in inspecting and repairing trucks and motors. Our most recently constructed barn has accommodation for 180 cars, and covers 14,747 square yards. The cost of the land was 25,000 dollars, and the cost of the building was 127,000 dollars. The staff at the barn is made up as under Traffic Staff. Repair Staff. Cleaning and Oiling. Motor-men and Conductors, 335 Foreman Fitter, - 1 Car Cleaners, - 48 Depot Clerks, 3 Fitters, 4 Greasers, 3 Pit Cleaners, 3 Truckmen, - 4 Sandman, 1 Controllermen, 3 Handyman, - 1 ;i! 1 13 52 19 XIII. WORKSHOPS. It is advisable to have one general workshop fo the maintenance of the ro! lin- stock and all plant connected with the street car service. We in Glasgow have a workshop covering an area of over 25,000 square yards. We started at first on a much smaller scale, but, as we had secured the ground, we were enabled from time to time to eitend our premises, which now cover all the ground originally purchased. In this workshop we not only do repair work, but we have built all the 700 can belonging to the department. In addition to the general store, which is adjacent to the workshop, we have a sawmill, car building shop, repair shop, paint shop, blacksmiths' shop, and fitters' shop. All these departments are equipped with the most modern machine tools. Each department is under the charge of a foreman, the whole workshop being under a General Works Manager, who is responsible to the Chief Engineer for the conduct of bis depart incut. The staff employed at present numbers over 500. XIV. GENERAL STORM. You will find it of very great service to equip a Urge general store where all material and supplies should be delivered for distribution throughout your system. The general store should, if possible, be adjacent to your workshops, and should be under the charge of a competent storeman. I have already given you * copy of our Standard List of Stores. Since we issued this list we have found that the dealing with tores has been very much simplified. Each foreman who is requisitioning for stores has a copy of this list, and he has simply to quote the Standard List number and there is no dubiety as to the material he wishes. These particulars are all fixed to the different partitions, both in the general store and also in the subsidiary stores at each of the car barns. 1 have already supplied you with a copy of each of the forms which we use in connection with the requisitioning and despatching of material from the general store. X V. BTK-LAWB. In the book of rules and regulations for the staff which I left with you, you will find what we call our bye-laws, giving the different offences which are punishable by fine or imprisonment. By the Acts authorising the municipality to operate the * railways we are empowered to make these bye-lawg. The bye-laws must first of all lie confirmed by the Sheriff before they can be carried into effect. It is of very great importance that the street railway department of a municipality or a private corpora- tion operating a street-car service should have the assistance of the police and the Courts in enforcing these bye-laws. It might be worth your while to take a look through our bye-laws, to compare the powers which we possess with those of the street railway companies of Chicago. X VI. ACCIDENT CLAIMS. This part of the work of a street railway department is becoming a very important one, as it costs a very large sum annually to settle accident claims. In the United States I found that the street railway companies were even worse than we are here. Our practice in Glasgow has been to insure against accident claims. The private corporation which has taken this work in hand has a room in the office of the depart- ment, and all reports and claims are immediately handed over to the insurance officials, who investigate all accidents and settle or contest all claims. Last year we paid a premium amounting to about 75,000 dollars. This covered us for claims in connection with any single accident amounting to 12,500 dollars, and an annual total of 125,000 dollars. We consider that it is much better for a municipality to give this work into the hands of a private corporation than for the claims to be settled l>y tin- Transporta- tion Committee, and possibly discussed by the City Council. The work should only be undertaken by the Street Railway Department if the General Manager is given full powers, so that accident claims would not fall to be discussed by the Transportation -Committee and the City Council. 20 XVII. ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT. In Glasgow we have, from the very first, issued a very full annual report and financial statement. I have already handed you a set of these reports from 1894, when we began to operate the street railways, and have since my return sent you a copy of the report for the year which has just closed. The form of our income and expenditure statement and also of our capital account is almost exactly the same as that which has been adopted by the street railway corporations of America. I think, in issuing your annual statement, you could not do better than have it prepared on the American form which, as I have said, is practically the same as our own. It is necessary, of course, to make a slight difference in the allocation of the net revenue, but this does not in any way affect the question. You, of course, are issuing the accounts of a municipality, which are necessarily slightly different from those of a private corporation. XVIII. FRIENDLY SOCIETY. I think you would find it to be very advantageous to inaugurate a friendly society among the men belonging to the Street Railway Department. In Glasgow we have had a very flourishing friendly society for a number of years, membership being quite optional. Out of a total staff of 4,400, we have 3,370 members. The non-members are chiefly artisans who have their own trades societies and the lower class of labourers. Practically all the traffic staff are members. We consider that this society has been a great assistance to the department and to the staff in many ways. It induces the men to remain with the department and take an interest in their work. I have already given you copies of our friendly society reports and also of our rules and regulations, and, I think, a set of forms. Nearly all the municipal tramways in this country are now forming friendly societies, and I think it would be well for you to go fully into this question. You will see from the rules that in Glasgow each member pays 12 cents per week to the funds of the society, and the department adds 6 cents. When a member is off through sickness, on a doctor's certificate, he receives 15s., or about 3'60 dollars, per week for the first six months; 10s., or about 2'40 dollars, for the second six months; and 5s., or about 1'20 dollars, for the second year. He also receives medical attendance and medicines free of charge. Admission lines to infirmaries and convalescent homes are also available for members and their families. XIX. SUPERANNUATION. It would be advisable also to institute a superannuation fund, which can be accumulated, so that it will be possible to grant a small weekly allowance to members of the staff who, after long service, may have become unfit for work. We have instituted such a fund in Glasgow, and we are accumulating it as speedily as possible. To this fund two cents per week per member are contributed by the members of the society. These two cents are taken from the twelve cents contributed to the friendly society, and the department adds another two cents. This fund does not come into operation until 1911. A municipality cannot throw off its old and infirm servants as a private corporation can do, and, therefore, it is well to make provision for them. 8. Resolved that Mr. James Dalryrnple be requested to furnish his views on the local transportation question of the City of Chicago. The above resolution was adopted at the meeting of the Local Transportation Com- mittee held in the Committee Rooms of the City Hall, Tuesday, November twenty-eighth, Nineteen hundred and five, at ten o'clock. Approved. (Sgd.) LINN H. YOUNG, Acting Chairman. II 8tat- of Illiiini-. County of Co.,k. > - I, A. C. Anson, City Clerk ol the City Chicago, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct copy of the resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Chicago on the 4th day of December, A.D. 1905, original of which resolution is filed in this office, and that I am the lawful custodian of the same. Witness my hand and the corporate seal of the City of Chicago, this 5th day of December, A.D. 1905. A. C. ANSON. City f'l'.-k. 9. . Chambers, GlMgow, 1 Mli .January, 1906. Mayor EDWARD F. I ' .r's Office, Chicago. SIR, TRAMWAYS I am instructed by the Tramway* Committee of the Corporation to refer to the recent communications addressed to you by the General Manager of the Corporation Tramways, and to intimate that the City Council of the City ..f Chicago have requested the Corporation to furnish them with the views of Mr. James Dalrymple, the General Manager of the Tramways, on the local transportation question of the City of Chicago. When the Corporation, on receipt of the cablegram from you on April last, granted permission to Mr. Dalrymple to visit Chicago and report upon the tramways, they clearly understood that the request came from you, not as an individual, but as the Mayor of the city, and this opinion is confirmed by the terms of the following cablegram sent to you in reply : " Mayor, Chicago, U.S.A. Corporation of Glasgow unanimously and cordially agree to rrqnrtt of your municipality. Tramways Manager unable to leave before 10th May. Letter follows. Lord Prorort." The Tramways Committee, however, are now led to understand that you claim that the request was made by you as a private individual, and I am instructed to say that, if this had been made clear to the Corporation, there is little likelihood that the applica- tion would have been granted. The Corporation fully expected that any report made by their (General Manager would have been accessible, not only to the Council of Chicago, but to the members of this Corporation. The General Manager, however, hat refrained from submitting to my committee his report until you had ample opportunity of first submitting it to the Council of Chicago. The Corporation have at all times been willing to assist other municipalities in allowing their officials to advise and confer with these municipalities, and the committee do not see how they can longer delay complying with the application addressed to them by the Council of Chicago. I have, therefore, been instructed to say that, unlesa you are prepared to submit Mr. Dalrymple's report to the Council of Chicago, or to show good reasons why it should not be submitted to them, or to the members of my Corporation here, the committee will feel they have no alternative but to ask Mr. Dalrymple to make a report to the Chicago Council as desired, and also to furnish a copy thereof to the members of this Corporation. I shall be pleased to hear from you by return of post, or, preferably, by cable. I am, SIR, Your obedient Servant. A \V. MY I. Totrn-Cltrt. 22 10. Mayor's Office, Chicago, January 30th, 1906. A. W. MYLES, Esq., Town-Clerk, City Chambers, Glasgow, Scotland. Sm, Your favour of the 18th inst. to hand. I regret exceedingly that the Corporation of Glasgow misunderstood the terms of my cablegram to the Lord Provost of 5th April, 1905, which read as follows: " LORD PROVOST, Glasgow. " Chicago, first great city America, following lead Glasgow, declares for munici- palisation street cars by twenty-five thousand majority. Will you give manager of your municipal tramways vacation thirty days to visit Chicago to confer with me? All expenses first>class travel, hotel bills, &c., will be paid by me. Answer my expense. " EDWARD F. DUNNE, Mayor-Elect of Chicago." At the time I sent this cablegram I was not Mayor of Chicago, did not know the name of your tramway manager, had no authority to invite on behalf of the municipality or incur any expense for the Corporation. I, therefore, plainly indicated that I would be personally liable for all the General Manger's expenses, and that he would be my personal guest. This seemed to be clearly understood by Mr. Dalrymple. Before he left Glasgow I forwarded to him exchange, the proceeds of 300 dollars, paid for out of my own private funds, and before he left Chicago I asked him what would be the balance of his total expenses in America, including his transportation back to Glasgow. He fixed a figure, whereupon I urged him to make sure that all his expenses would be included in that figure, and I finally gave him my personal cheque for 400 dollars, which was slightly in excess of his estimated figure. No official action of the municipality was ever taken in relation to Mr. Dalrymple's visit until after his return to Scotland, when the City Council passed the following resolution : " Eesolved that Mr. James Dalrymple be requested to furnish to the City Council his views on the local transportation question of Chicago." The above statement of facts, I think, will be agreed to by Mr. Dalrymple, who certainly knew that I was paying his expenses out of my own private resources. Indeed, since his return, as he has been quoted in the American press, he has stated that the letter to me was my private property, and that he, for that reason, would not give a copy of the same to the public. In a letter to Mr. W. H. Brown, Secretary of the Civic Federation of Chicago, dated 17th August, 1905, a copy of which Mr. Dalrymple was kind enough to forward to me, Mr. Dalrymple states " I have given a copy (of my letter to Judge Dunne) to no one, as I feel that the matter is entirely in the hands of the Mayor." I have, because of the foregoing facts, considered that this letter of Mr. Dalrymple to me was my private property, and Mr. Dalrymple has treated the matter in an entirely gentlemanly and honourable way, which I highly appreciate. I know that he has had no objection to the publication of the letter, but, as the letter was my private property, I exercised the discretion which belongs to me of refusing to make the same public my reasons for so doing being that Mr. Dalrymple discussed therein certain subjects or phases of subjects about which I had not sought from him any suggestion. Mr. Dalrymple in his letter states " I may be travelling beyond my brief in making this suggestion." While I have regarded, and still regard, Mr. Dalrymple's letter to me of June 29th, 1905, being the letter about which so much controversy has arisen, as my personal property, I have not the slightest objection to Mr. Dalrymple's giving to the City Council his views upon the local transportation question of Chicago in accordance with the resolution adopted by that body. 23 In giving these views, however, I would respectfully suggest that Mr. Dalrymple take into consideration all of the facts and circumstances surrounding the present traction situation in Chicago as developed down to date, many of which facts and circum- stances were unknown either to Mr. Dalrymple or myself on the occasion of his visit to ilii- city last June. Among these facto and circumstances he should particularly take into consideration the fact that we have at the present time, in the City of Chicago, 130 miles of trackage, U|MIH which all franchises have incontestably expired, and that this trackage lies in tin- most densely populated portion of the city, with avenues of access into the very heart of the city, and that, on or about January 1st, 1908, 274 miles of trackage upon which franchises will have incontestably expired, will be at the disposal of the municipality for the running thereon of a municipal street car system. This 274 miles of trackage being in tin- most densely populated portion of the city, it will afford transportation to 1,100,000 of the 2,000.000 people of this city. I shall be most happy to place at the disposal of Mr. Dalrymple all of the informa- tion upon the present traction situation which lias been presented to the City Council of the City of Chicago, so that he may consider the same for the purpose of enabling him to give his views and opinions to the City Council of this city. Very truly yours, E. F. DUNNE. 11. Corporation Tramways, 46 Bath Street, Glasgow, 19th February, 1906. To TUB TRAMWAYS COMMITTKB OF THE CORPORATION OP GLASGOW. < J KM I.KM KS, Tii>- Town < lerk has sent me copy of hi- letter of 18th January last to Mayor l>unne. Chicago, and also cu|>y of the Mayor's reply of 30th January. I beg to state that, on arriving at Liverpool on my return from Chicago on 29th June last, I posted to the Mayor of that city a communication giving my views on the traction i|ii.--ii.m Tin- communication was acknowledged by cable and subsequently by letter from the Mayor, dated 15th July last, in which the Mayor asked me to write him at length advising mi the .sulijii-t of the administration of the car lines l>y the munici- pality. On 29th August I sent to the Mayor a very full statement in regard to the organisation and operation of a Municipal Street Railway Department. Since my return from Chicago I have, as far as possible, kept iiiy.-if informed regarding the proposals of the Mayor for the immediate installation of a Municipal Street Railway Service. The Mayor ha- himself furnished me with a copy of his proposals, and with prints of the proceedings of the City Council in connection therewith I have also had before me the [m^to-tals of the Street Railway Companies as presented to the Transportation Committee. I have considered these various proposals very carefully, and am more convinced than ever that the suggestions which I made in my communication to Mayor I>unnc. of date 29th June, are on the ri^'ht lines. No information that has since been put before me has in any way induced me to altor my opinion. ' I have suggestisl to tin- Mayor what I consider to in- the best plan for giving to tin- citizens of Chicago an up-to-date street car service, with a view to ultimate municipal ownership and operation. I