Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1888-01-25

| Mr.. Guway's connail bsEl uxnviasna g
tba EuEuAnaa of snftMhle hlas an7 II
anTeG fog 4hH pxHserTnti1n e ska reaozz
of eea 1npremsa ceg5rf; pasnad.
III. Ihnupa01sa bill mmtA1rz
eliies, toWns and riIlares d eAsaaa e
snzz1ent distKiets wfkhfn their aoRuur
ate tiuafls for tie paFpaaa q i1nrEnsin.
STREETS and alIBFs, uaa oaIied az -
paxsed. u pEuBides fhat sueh dIsfrtat
nay BE- established ~ the cisg a tnur
oouncii upon pekition of khr9s o. mnrI
fires kcltefz, apecifyinQ tie aEgfrs1 in
pEsvsuent. and fhs ooGnri1 shall ~ q
prop1rsion ef the asaessnnen8 upon neni
suhdlvlHio1. No iupr1vsmsnt shall y
made under she pr0stEions Of this &C.
| at the exrsnss af ihs Owners a. the iani
embraced n snch diBirics unleas uer.
than one half sf Tie resident owners q
| The land 90 embraced shall hase refi
tioned the e0uncii OF Other aoEexninr
body 70 order tbs sama. unleas asie
cuaaeil decided q 20 Be nseezsaKy b /
two-thifds vote 10 favor. Ths eharas
ters Of the cities shall regulate tbs uan
neFs Of the eolieclion Of azsesaUsnts
| The act is supplemented to said chart
efs where applleable and IN no ease rs
| peals o. smends than.
Mr.. Lewis conteudad that the bill wal
demonstrations and therefore invalld-
/ frst, beca1se @ exemcted the NaEtharn
Pacifie right Of Way and al thsrein ,suoh
exemption not being named IN the tikfs
20 advise the Legislature Of such 3 pro
vision; and such exemption vas nos a.
assessment nor taxation according sC
value. he cited among other eaAea ths
railway eompans's appeal, III United
States Reports IS, where tie court held
such exemption void. Secondly, he
claimed that such Immunity Of the
N0Ethern Pacific was invalid as contra
venine the provisions Of section 1926,
revised statutes. and cited the railway
company versus Miller, Il4 United SsateE
Reports, i68. Thirdly. the whole system
OF groHs earnings was invalid, and that
II the bin was invalid In part ths ctheE
sections Of the bill dependent on thai
Fart and indeed the whole was invalid
and no tax whatever could be Got from
the companies. RouFthly, the bill taxed
ouly such property as vas necessary "a
the operation Of the railroads. Mr.
Lewis claimed that the Northern Pacilc
should be taxed as all other property,
exempting only the right OF way and
not the bnildings OF supefstEueture. He
opposed the measure. It vas clearly
introduced for tue benefit Of the North
eFn Pacific. he asked, not that aEy
special burden be placed on the North
eTn Paoiis or any other railroad, bat
that all bear Just share Of the public
burden. In edition. the bill in the
shape ag amended vas uninteiii9ible
and Should be printed.
Mr. Convey replied that unless this
vas passed, none would be passed this
session. He believed the bill was Just
and far and while u vas not exactly
what be would like. Il eppfoximated ac-
curacy Rs nearly as they were able 30
fKsme Q bill nos. he undeKstood, be
said, that tbs N0FtheEn Pacifc people
had exgresssd the opinion that, II this
bill vas passed the company would
have 20 pay $780, 900.
Mr.. eharpstsin said be vas not adYis.
ed a. to what the Northern Pacific OF
any other read wanted os how much
they would have 10 pay. He did not
believe that the territory could de indi-
reclly that which IL could not do d.
rectly and this bill was attempting that
result.
Mr.. Thompson asksd Mr.. Sharpstein,
IL the gross earnings feature OF the bill
was declared invalid, IL the property
was taxable under the old Law. Ia a
general way Mr.. Sharpstein responded
in the affirmative.
The bill then came up on its anal
passage. Iha vote Was as follows:
Ayes. Messrs. Baker, Gabel, Convey,
HRwley, and THOMPSON. Nays,
Messrs. Lewis. Eharpstein and White.
PaiFed-MR. Foster who would have
voted aye. and Mr.. Steele who would
have voted nay. Absent, Messrs. Cook
and RoedeF. The man who passed the
bill was Mr.. Thompson. So far as c0m-
mon carriers Of passengers and freight
sre concerned they will bs affected by
simply the reenactment Of the gross
earnings law.
Section nine Of Mr.. Gowey's bill Ia
exactly as follows, 30 far as here given.
the remainder being simply detailed
statement Of the time and manner OF
payment, "In lieu of any or all other
taxes upon railroad OF railroad CON-
pauy or corporation oWsing OF operak-
ing railroads In the territory, dctng bus
mess as common carriers OF passengers
and freight for the public generally.
upsn the right of way, the railroad, IN
Guiding the supsFstruetnre thereon. roll.
ing stock. bridges and culverts, cattle
guards. fences along such right Of w6y,
or upon the equipment, appuEtenances
OF appeadages thereof, the same being
used and necessary 20 be used for tbe
convenient and daily operation OF is
railroad, including any buildings IN
whole or part on the right of way Of
such read, and upon all other property
thai shall actually be used and be avail
sbie Ia the operating end matntenauce
/ 0f sush railroad and eteamboats and
| ferries and 6ooks, warehouses, eleval.
/ ors, coal bupksrs and other property
/ owned or operated In connection with
1 such railroad used and available be
tween suoh railroad and sueh steam
l hoAss and ferries, such steamboats, and
ferries being also used In the transpor
t9tion OF passengers and freight ~
such railroad, and none other or upon
tbs capital stock or business tfansac
lions OF such railroad o0mpaniea or cor
poratiOns, there shall hereafter be PAID
into the treasury Of the territory an IN
cone tax upon al gross earnings withiE
the territory Of the companies or COR
porations owning or operating such reil
roads, steamboats, and ferries, and oth
er property In connection teerewtte
sFisina from the operation OF such rail-
roads aud such steamboats, and feKriel
and other property used IN the trAasfel
OF passengers and freight between a
! ssali be situated within the territory q
hsFrinbefofs stated
There is nothing in the bill taxinl
common carriers CT passengers an
irslghts, excepting she above section
IL toe aeoss earnings laU vas invalid
than ths companies made the iav eRair
. II Invalid, Why have incorporated u I
lhe bin, and. Il not invalid, vhy vas u
lac repealsdf
Il stands simply this way:
TIE leeislsture solemnly Fecesls %
, pross earnings IaW. 1he governor stRu
, ths repsaline bill. One oraach Of %
legislature soiemrly passes gross eaft
tnqs bill and the other branch ano 81
00.a,;.~s are asked, The o1s 10 also pas
s,S tha o,har - - ~iGn. tbs sane laS
vss revealed. Il is snOtbsi aslA0es
hey rot 20 do things. Section 3 ts :
. conplicatsd tEAt 10 can eesily be eoI
strued aDy way at all.
TIE Judiciary committee today 2
poEted inst eelebratsd i1g0ine bill, vi
, % mans Rnenduents that Mr.. Cab
!, moved that ahs bill be sngeosssd befoi
pl ,oed on It's 6nai passage.
/, Mr.. Gowayis bill regulating tae pTsc