The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-01
CAR NEFRANCHISES
Street Railway Men Urge Their
Proposal on Council.
WHAT THE TAX WOULD PRODUCE
Franchises OF Other Cities Compared
Failure to Sell Bonds - The
Fourteenth Street Grade.


Joint committee OF the whole last night to con-
slider the question of extending the street rail-
way franchises. short session was first held
for the consideration of the assessment roll for
the Improvements of Carroll street and the roll
Tor the reassessmsnt of the South Fourteenth
street local Improvement district
T. +. Whittier protested against tbs approval OF
the south Fourteenth stree; roll, on the ground
that he once paid an assessment for the inn
provement of this street and held receipt in
futI, and he did not feel like paying anything
additional
Corporation Counsel Donworth said the for
rner assessment had been declared unlawful by
the supreme court and the present assessment
was q new one in com pliance with the amended
charter aad that any amounts paid on the for
mer assessment would he credited on the new
assessment
Mr.. Wittler said he was satisfied with the ex-
pianation. but he desired to have his protest
recorded so as to show that be bad not waived
any rights he might have in the matter.
The roll was then approved.
No opposition was offered to the Carroll street
roll and it was approved.
The house OF delegates then went into com.
mittee OF the whole on the question of the ex-
tension OF the street railway franchises, and by
Its invitation the board of aldermen particle
psted in the deliberations. Mr. Co.yeil was
chosen chairman.
d. II. Gilman reviewed the reasons for which
the various companies wanted their franchises
extended. He said that New York city granted
perpetual franchises, Brooklyn's were practj-
cally perpetual, and nearly all the other leading
cities In the country granted their franchises
ior hf,y years A large amount OF capital
railway lines, because those interested
had faith in the future of the city.
These enterprises had BEEN q great benefit to
the city, but t.e franchises were too short to
enable the companies t. foat their bonds and it
kept over $1,000 600 out OF the city. Tacoma
granred franchises for fifty years, aud therefore
the COMPANIES had been enabled to sell their
bonds The proposition is % pay per ent of
the gross earnings into the city treasury after
ten years, IL per cent after fft,en ye RS and
per cent after twenty years. This would aggre-
cato on q fair estimate return to the city OF
ses2,'d0 by the time the twenty years had ex.
PRED and the per cent payments begsn.
Jacob Furth said he failed to place the bonds
on the lines i'll which he was interested in New
York because the franchises were too short
This was the first time he ever realized the ne
cessity for having long franchise He met
with failure in Philadelphia aud Boston for the
same reason.
Several letters from various cities were read
regarding the policy pursued with reference to
stree, railway franchises. The letters were from
New York, ST Paul, San Francisco, Tacoma,
Brooklyn and other places
E. f. Wittler called attention 70 the fact that
In some of the cities that received apparently
high rates OF compensation from the street rail-
ways the percentage was based on the net earn
ings, and therefore might not amount to any
thing, while the proposition made by the corn
panies here was based on the gross earnings and
meant a large income for the city.
J. X. Edmiston thought it would be OF great
benefit to the city to grant the extension.
DR.. A. r. Mittsn. replying to question of DR..
Sweeney as to whether the companies could not
give transfers 80 that one fare would carry q
passenger from one limit Of the city to the
other, said 1t would be impracticable; that the
roads have to pay more for labor and every.
thing else here than elsewhere. Mr.. Furth said
that question would adjust itself in time.
William d. Wood said he had studied the ques-
ton OF transfers very carefully and believed
that passengers could not be carried even for
cent q m,le were it not for the great proportion
who travel only short distances.
DR.. kloeber said it was . serious problem and
every member ought to study it deeply aud be
prepared to act inielligentiy and with justice to
the street railways aud the city az well
Mr. Calligan called attention to the street
light question, and thought this question ought
to be settled with the companies failing to COM
ply with the conditions OF their franchises be.
fore the extension was granted.
DR.. Kloeber thought 1t would require q set OF
new franchises, but Mr.. Furth said the PROPOSE
tlon was simply 10 amend the franchises and
not to secure new ones.
DR.. E. C. kilbourne said the representatives of
the various companies had decided on the very
best proposition they felt able to make.
The committee then rose, and when the house
Of delegates resumed the regular session re-
ported progress
A little routine business was transacted In
the regular session. but nothing OF importance
came up petition from Chief OF Police Jack.
son for 100 Springfield rifles for the use of the
police force in emergencies, was referred
An adjournment was taken until Monday
evening mex.
At the conclusion of the Joint session the
board OF aldermen held a short session. An
ordinance was introduced by Dir. Sweeney pro-
vidng for a survey for regarding portion of
Front street.
An ordinance providing for the appropriation
Of $50 to be paid Henry Harbaugh on a COM
promised claim for damages was rejected.