Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-06-14
INTERESTING INTERVIEW
With James A. Kerr on the
Street Railway Fran
chise Question
The Privileges Asked for b.
the Fairhaven Company
in New Whatcom
One Sided Proposition Made
BY the Bellingham Bay
Company

line street railway lTdnCnlSt was Jnc
main topic of conversation on the street
yesterday and the opinions expressed
were as varied as they were numerous.
The general impression seemed to be that
, the Bellingham Bay or New Whatcom
company wished to take everything and
give nothing in return.
For the purpose of gaining some infor-
nation on the subject HERALD repre-
sentative called on Mr.. James A. Kerr,
attorney for the Fairhaven company
yesterday afternoon and in response to
inquiries that gentleman said:
1.-The Bellingham Bay Electric Railway
company occupies the only streets in
New Whatcom upon which any volume
of business is transacted. 1t claims TO
have an exclusive franchise over these
streets for a period of five years, and that
the city council of that city is powerless
to interfere with it. AS is well known,
the business of the city is practically
limited to Elk aud Holly streets.
New Whatcom has at least two bust
b ness centers. The junction Of Elk and
AHolly in the southern, and the few blocks
; northern part of the city. Both Of these
centers are occupied by that company,
The Farhaven hotel stands at the
business center Of this city; and for the
purposes of street car traffic between the
Bay Cities, there would be little choice
of location between Eleventh, Twelfth
and Thirteenth streets; line coming in
on any Of these streets to Harris, would
get its full share Of all street car traffic.
in other words, would touch the business
center Of this city.
THE Bellingham company are asking
for franchise over Front and Twelfth
or Thirteenth streets across Harris to
Mckenzie. With a monopoly of the en-
tire business portion of New Whatcom,
they demand entrance to the business
center of Fairhaven and that over Front,
which is already covered by the franchise
Of the Fairhaven company.
Any location in New WhatcOm which
could be granted the Fairhaven company
would, of necessity, be greatly inferior to
that occupied by the Rellingham COM
pany; and relatively inferior to any that
could be granted to that company in this
city. To grant that company a franchise
over Front and Twelfth or Thirteenth
streets gives them, at once, the shortest
most direct and valuable route between
and through the two cities. Not onl!
this, but it would practically give then
the control of the entire water front il
both cities.
''In return for this we are offered what
The back streets Of 'Sehome, with tn
privilege Of crossing Elk at Maple, ant
Holly at Dock, thence up back streets u
Willow in Old Whatcom, and there ter
inmate, without touching a bushes
street in old Whatcom, and not approach
ing nearer than three blocks of its bust
ness centre. We must surrender From
street. and il we accept the protfere'
r franchise, build north on Fourteenth to
fpont two blocks south of its junction
with Front, thence upon the bench abov
Front to Garden street, upon which W
would enter New Whatcom. This woul
involve the abandonment Of Front an
Eleventh streets, and accordingly of tn
entire water frontage, would give us
long and angular route with heavy grades
which would terminate by running int
the business center of WhatcOm creek
three blocks north Of Holly.
Now, to relieve these cities, cOmpro
mise must be effected. We ask, and onl
ask, that it be a compromise, and not a
unconditional surrender. Front street
demanded, and single inch Of Elk stree
is refused; the demand is for the watc
front or nothing; the price to be paid fC
it is terminal facilities at WhaJcom creel
THAT we may share in the water froI
and in some degree equalize the distanC
and the grades we offer to concede to til
Bellingham company rights over Fror
street to Twelfth or Thirteenth stree
for equal rights over Elk to Maple;
concede that they reach the heart Of Fai
hayen, If we are permitted to touch IL
business portion of Old Whatcom; we wi
be glad to compromise, but will hard
surrender.
THE STRIKE OVER